The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Spotlight
on
Reading!

One of the very first tasks of homeschooling is teaching your child to read. With the right ap- proach, this can become a truly enjoyable time to spend with your child.

Make the most of every opportunity to open up a book with your child. From infancy on, read to your child daily. Read together before naptime or bedtime, and even when you find yourself stuck waiting in the doctor’s office. Long before the phonics lessons begin, he will learn that books are an important part of life and that they contain wonderful things. His imagination will be primed, and he will be eager to read books on his own.

As you get ready to start a phonics program, keep in mind that there are many wonderful programs available. Find one that appeals to your child and works well with your own teaching style. Remember that readiness levels vary. If you begin phonics instruction and your child is having difficulty, put things away for a couple of months, and then try again. Even a short amount of time can make a big difference in cognitive readiness for a young child.

Take a look at these terrific programs, and enjoy this precious time with your child.

READING FOR ALL LEARNERS Little Books

NOW IN COLOR WWW.ISEESAM.COM/TOS

Academic Success for All Learners www.iseesam.com/tos

This is an impressive collection of products from a company that is obviously passionate about their curricula. The website is extremely thorough, providing resources for purchase as well as accompanying free resources to complement the products. If you are looking for thorough, systematic programs for teaching young children to read, I am confident that you will find what you desire with Academic Success for All Learners. From a homeschooling perspective, this program is extremely comprehensible—easy to grasp and simple to implement. While it has been used successfully by schoolteachers and tutors, I really feel its impact in a homeschooling household could be monumental.

“The staff seems both approachable and friendly, and the videos available online for perusal and practical help are educational for the parent preparing to use the Little Books and related resources.”—Product review by Melissa Cummings, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2011

Get started with our free online instructor guide builder. Answer a few questions online and we’ll help you get started with a downloadable guide tailored for your reader. Prefer to talk to a program specialist? Call us at 435-755-7885, or email us at read@iseesam.com.