Sound It Out

Comments

My nephew is 8 years old, he is dyslexic and have difficulty sounding out words, I am trying to help him, but wonder if there is a course I can do to effectively help him. Is there anything you can suggest?

Hi Yvonne - Thanks for reading, and for commenting! Unfortunately, this blog format is not one that enables me to answer individual questions such as the one you asked. However, decoding is a HUGE issue for many readers, so I'm sure I'll be writing about that from time to time. In the meantime, you might want to check out the Q&A section of Reading Rockets, where you'll find questions and answers on topics such as children's books, struggling readers, comprehension, and more.

Finding a topic of interest to a child makes a lot of difference as to how much "buy-in" they will have. Depending on the age, some children like to be read to, or switch off reading either you or them. For those struggling with reading, patterns can be found usually that indicate a basic phonogram they are having difficulty with, or it may be prefixes or suffixes, or multisyllabic words.

I'm really looking forward to creating a community on here that includes parents, teachers, reading specialists, other caregivers and educators...I can tell we all have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share!

What books should I read to a 18 month old and a 3 year old or does it even matter what I read to them? Someone please help me

I recently co/wrote a new children’s song “Imagination”. Our goal was to create a song that not only entertains but also motivates kids to read.

Does music really motivate kids to learn and what is it about a song that inspires a child. Has any research been done about the effects of music on reading development?

The song has not yet been released for distribution and we are seeking honest reviews from professionals in the field of reading and childhood development.

The mp3 of the song can be streamed at my music site and is available to anyone who would care to give it a listen at;

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=32899

Lyrics below;

V-1
I’ve climbed up on the mountain
with a little train that could.
Danced with Cinderella
camped out with Robin Hood

I’ve sailed uncharted oceans
and swam the blue lagoon.
Chased Alice through the looking Glass
left footprints on the moon.

Chorus
It takes Imagination
and knowing how to read.
A book or two to travel through
is all you really need.
The door to wonderland
is magical indeed.
Just takes Imagination
and knowing how to read.

V-2
You can raft the Mississippi
with Huckleberry Finn.
Pow Wow with Pocahontas
or wrestle Gentle Ben.
You can take a trip to Saturn
or solve a mystery.
Explore the distant future
or study history.

Chorus

Bridge
There’s books for boys, books for girls
Moms and Daddys too.
When you sit down with a book
the world belongs to you.

Chorus

We would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you wish to share about the song or the roll music plays in learning.

lostntexas41@msn.com

As a 5th grade teacher, I have found that when you give a child "ownership" of the books they read, then the sky is the limit! I have a classroom of students who ranged from emergent readers to those who read on high school levels and beyond. I'm also proud to say that those same children each passed the state assessment "on grade level"! This newfound LOVE of reading obviously made an impact. We share new authors, books, special characters and more. They learned to make connections to the characters and their own lives and also became quite adept at making predictions and drawing inferences. This is not an easy thing to do and I am so proud of my students for taking risks! Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary...connections, connections, connections, Ownership, Ownership, Ownership...that's the key to success.