Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to help foster a life-long love of reading. Studies show that reading to your child is an essential component in providing a future academic advantage. These reading tips will encourage children of all ages to love reading and become lifelong readers!

Research has identified five skills that are essential for learning to read:

1. Phonemic Awareness: Being able to notice, understand, and work with the sounds in words.
2. Phonics: A method of teaching reading, based on sounding out letters to read words.
3. Fluency: Being able to read accurately and quickly.
4. Vocabulary: Knowing what words mean when we hear and read them levitra cijena.
5. Text Comprehension: Truly understanding what is read.

As a parent or caregiver, you play a critical role in helping children not only learn to read but develop a life-long love of reading. You can make reading a part of your child’s life by clicking on the links below and following the tips that are just right for your child’s age.

Developed by leading educators based on research on how children learn to read, each session takes just 20 minutes or less. Discover how more than 3 million children are getting better grades

Learn to read new words
by watching the DVD.

Practice the new sound combinations in the workbook levitra cijena.

Put it all together with stories using words just learned.

The Complete Learn to Read
Package for Kids Age 3-8
Everything your child needs to succeed

• 8 DVDs & Workbooks, 36 Storybooks
• 4 Sets of Flashcards, 8 sets of stickers
• Full online access to my.hookedonphonics.com
• Storage and Display Box

Hooked on Phonics programs can help. Designed with the assistance of leading educators to reflect the current research on how children learn best, our award-winning reading programs combine systematic instruction with plenty of confidence-building reading practice to ensure mastery of skills. The interactive lessons, fun skill-building activities, and high-interest stories and books appeal to all kinds of learners, helping you meet the diverse needs in your classroom. And they’re fun and easy to implement. Try them in your classroom and see for yourself how they turn the highly complex cognitive task of learning to read into an exciting and motivating endeavor – for you and your students!

Hooked on Phonics in the Classroom

Hooked on Phonics programs are based on authoritative research in the field, providing a balance of systematic instruction and fun activities. We crafted the scope and sequence of our programs with the guidance of specialists, teachers, and parents. The lessons, games, stories, and activities for all of our programs were created not only to reflect newly learned skills but also to engage and motivate students and get them excited about learning. Teachers across the country agree -the formula works!

Our mission in designing curriculum for our programs is for every student to achieve measurable progress during each lesson and to make it easy for them to achieve that goal. These important hints can help ensure success with the program:

Individual Pacing

Part of what makes Hooked on Phonics programs so successful is our commitment to meeting students’ individual needs. This curriculum is adaptable to accommodate students learning at different speeds. Feel free to tailor it to fit the needs and pacing of your students.

Mastery

It’s very important that students master each lesson before moving on. Each new lesson builds on the skills learned in the previous ones. Giving students the time and tools needed to master each lesson is key to achieving the greatest benefit from the program.

Remember these simple guidelines as you teach the Hooked on Phonics reading programs, and you and your students will enjoy measurable success each step of the way!

Phonics is a method of teaching reading, based on sounding out letters to read words. Let’s say that you learn the letter i makes the /i/ sound, and that the letter t makes the /t/ sound. And when you read these sounds together, /i/ /t/, you have it. You’ve just used phonics to read the word it.

Rag Minibook Activity

Here’s an easy activity you can do with your child using our phonics teaching method. In just 20 minutes, your child will be able to read a book all by himself by playing an easy flash card game and creating our free Learn to Read Minibook.

How to get started:

1. Make one flash card for each of the letters: r, a, g, s, d, c, t, p, n, and w, for a total of 10 cards. You can use index cards or just cut up a piece of plain paper.
2. Lay them on the table.
3. Help your child to put the cards together that form the words rag, sad, cat, pat, can, and wag. Call out the name of each letter and the sound it makes as you push the cards together.
4. Do this a few times until your child can do it all by himself.

Then print out our free mini-book:

Learn to Read Minibook Printable

To Assemble the Minibook:

1. Cut each page in half by cutting on the dotted line.
2. Stack all of the pages together with the cover on the front, followed by page 1, page 2, etc., until all of the pages are in order. Do not include the instructions.
3. Staple along the left side of the pages.
4. Finish the book by tracing all of the words with dotted lines.
5. Have your child color all of the pages.
6. Your child has already learned to read each word by playing the flash card game, so he is ready to read the book he just made all by himself!

Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read is full of activities just like this one, plus story books, workbooks, online games, flashcards, and much, much more. Check it out here.

Although there are no quick ways to teach children to read…

…it doesn’t have to be a difficult task. We’ll outline the basic skills children must master in order to learn to read and reading activities that provide meaningful practice.

The National Reading Panel’s (NPR) 2000 report identified five areas of reading instruction that must be addressed in order to teach children to read:

1. Phonemic Awareness: Being able to notice, understand, and work with the sounds in words.
2. Phonics: A method of teaching reading, based on sounding out letters to read words.
3. Fluency: Being able to read accurately and quickly.
4. Vocabulary: Knowing what words mean when we hear and read them.
5. Text Comprehension: Truly understanding what is read.

Today, let’s focus first on reading activities to build phonemic awareness.

How can I help my child gain phonemic awareness?

There are many activities that can help parents accomplish this task. Here are two simple ones that you can do with your child without having to buy, make, or read anything (other than this post!).

NOTE: When you see a letter between slashes, /a/, it represents the sound of the letter. When you see a letter in bold, a, it represents the name of the letter.

Activity 1:

Parent: Listen to this word: cat. One more time: cat. /k/ /a/ /t/. Can you say the word?
Child: cat.
Parent: Good job! Now can you say the sounds? /k/ /a/ /t/.
(If your child makes an error, be positive–“Good try! That was pretty close! You almost got it!”–and ask him to try again.)
Child: /k/ /a/ /t/.
Parent: That was great! Now write each letter for the word cat. Write the letter that makes this sound /k/ (allow your child to write the letter c); /a/ (allow your child to write the letter a); /t/ (allow your child to write the letter t).
Child: /k/ (child writes letter c); /a/ (child writes letter a); /t/ (child writes letter t); cat.
Parent: You said AND wrote the word cat. You are so smart! (Now try more words like fan, sad, bat, pig, pen, and box.)

Activity 2:

Watch this video with your child. Listen to the narrator and follow the prompts:

Okay, a show of hands: How many of you remember the Hooked on Phonics commercial from the 90s? The one with the little red-headed kid chirping, “Hooked on Phonics worked for me!” Okay, now how many of you learned to READ using Hooked on Phonics? Do you remember sitting down with your cassettes and your tape player doing the lessons, workbook in hand? Or were you, like me, part of the older generation that grew up during the time of the dinosaurs and the 8-track tape players? (I know. I’m totally dating myself!)

I Had My Doubts

Though I was too old for Hooked on Phonics, I decided to use it with my little boy. At 5 1/2 he literally wasn’t able to sound out words at all.  I was skeptical at first because I was raised during the Whole-Language Approach toward reading and believed that the Phonetic Approach would make my kid a poor speller. (I was wrong. In 5th grade, he’s actually a terrific speller in addition to being a good reader.)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I have to say, though, I was privileged to hear, first hand, an incredible story of Olga, a loving mother who was determined not to give up on her daughter, and a young girl who was determined not to give up on herself. For years, Olga reached out to us because she wanted others to benefit from her experiences. When we finally reached her, here is the story she shared with us:

Are you a grown-up Hooked on Phonics kid? Share your story with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

#TBTHookedonPhonics  #HookedonPhonicsWorkedforMe

Learning to read is an incredibly complex and taxing task for little ones. Their brains are growing and stretching to recognize letters, sounds, words, meaning, and context. It is a rewarding, and sometimes frustrating, experience. Compounding what sometimes feels like a classroom competition are literacy urban myths—like the genius three-year-old who can read at a fourth grade level—that can set the bar intimidatingly high. On the flip side, parents are bombarded with panic-driven and opportunistic marketing campaigns for toys and games that make miraculous claims (often with little results). All parents want to support and facilitate the best learning experience for their child and that includes being able to detect and correct any struggles that may come up.

Problem…What Problem?

Reading issues can be brought to a parent’s attention in different ways, and oftentimes, it is a teacher or caretaker who first notices that there may be a challenge to surmount. Even parents who are very in-tune with their child may be surprised to learn that their child is a struggling reader.

If a concern is broached, specific questions can help clarify exactly what the problem is and the best way to address it. Here are some questions to consider:

• When was the issue first identified?
• How often does the child run into this issue?
• Have there been other red flags in class (like behavior issues)?
• Have alternative teaching methods been introduced?
• What are the next steps in terms of research and assessment?

What to Watch For

Even if the bulk of learning is done at school, parents can still watch for issues when singing, playing, and reading at home. Stumbling through books isn’t necessarily cause for panic, but if some of the following issues seem to be present, it may be worth further time and investigation:

• Trouble remembering and recognizing letters of the alphabet
• Inability to identify rhyming words or complete familiar rhymes despite frequent repetition and practice
• Struggling to sound out words and/or string sounds together
• Laboring over a word despite seeing or reading it several times before
• Guessing or making up words when reading
• General disinterest in words and letters
• Resisting reading aloud
• Delayed speech

The ABC of Possibilities

The golden rule of children’s literacy is simple: read every day. Engage your little one in a book whenever possible. Ask them to pick their own bedtime story, identify familiar characters and, for simple texts, prompt them to complete sentences. Make that time enjoyable, not stressful, for both of you. If your child feels like reading is a punishment or chore, he or she is sure to resist. Introduce plenty of silly nursery rhymes and songs during the day, and incorporate brain-stimulating toys like puzzles, flashcards, and magnetic letters. The “real world” is full of opportunities to spot letters and numbers, like stop signs, grocery aisle numbers, and digital clocks.

Hooked on Phonics is another effective tool to help struggling readers—both in book and app form, depending on what’s more effective for your child’s learning style. Each lesson takes 20 minutes or less and offers a fun, interactive activity to help you mix up your child’s reading routine.

You’ve read and rhymed your heart out, and you still can’t see progress in your child’s reading abilities. So what now? Create a support group for your little one and your family: Check in with your child’s “team”—teachers and caretakers, in particular. Share your concerns and formulate a plan to get your child extra help and attention during reading time. From there, make an appointment with your doctor, who can recommend channels for proper testing for ADD, ADHD, and dyslexia, if necessary. It’s easy to jump to a conclusion about learning disabilities, especially after spending 20 minutes on Internet comment boards. But there is no need to panic as resources and support are available. Your child has the best advocate in their corner—you. Simply continue to foster a love of reading and learning, one day (and page) at a time.

Top photo credit: Maria Uspenskaya/Shutterstock

While reading through the messages on the Hooked on Phonics Facebook page this morning, I came across this one from Lindsey about her 3-year-old son, Ben, who can read CHAPTER BOOKS. Yes, you read that right! Lindsey graciously agreed to let me share her Hooked on Phonics success story and this adorable video with you.

“I just wanted to let you know what an amazing program you have. My son successfully completed your Hooked on Phonics Pre-K through Second Grade Learn to Read program at 2 years old, just over one year ago. This program was so fun for my son, with learning the alphabet and letter sounds up to learning to read, with the program’s easy and straightforward progression.

“I started reading to my son from birth and he has loved reading ever since. His love of reading encouraged me to invest in this product and teach him to read shortly after he turned 1. He is now 3. He still loves to read and can read for hours all by himself, anything from simple books to beginning chapter books. I love watching his imagination expand as he reads aloud, smiling and learning. Thank you for a wonderful product that parents and children can share to learn and bond at an early age.

“Here are a few pictures of him reading and a short video. His name is Ben and he turned 3 in July. He finished the second grade learn to read in September 2014. Again thank you for such an amazing product.”

Happy Reading!

By the time second grade starts, most kids are able to read on their own. Often, kids and parents stop reading together often by this point—but reading out loud to your child is still a great way to help build his skills and to have fun together.

If your child is struggling to read in second grade, take action. Talk with his teacher about your concerns, and see what school recommends. Research tells us that children should be reading confidently and fluently on their own in second grade. If that’s not happening for your child yet, don’t wait. Ask school for help and information. Consider doing extra systematic work at home, either with you or through a tutor who uses research-based methods of phonics instruction like those in Hooked on Phonics products and mobile apps.

Learning to read is a huge job and it involves several key parts. Here’s an overview of what goes into the process and what you should expect in your second grade reader.

Phonemic Awareness

• Phonemic awareness is the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller chunks of sound. These units of sound are called phonemes.
• Here’s an example: the word bat is made of three phonemes: the sounds /b/, /a/, and /t/. When kids know that these three sounds are part of the word bat, they are showing that they have phonemic awareness.

• Your child should confidently know all letter sounds. If she doesn’t, talk with her teacher if school hasn’t contacted you already.

• Reading stories out loud with lots of rhyming words helps build phonemic awareness. Dr. Seuss books are the perfect choice! Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read is a great, comprehensive program to use with your child at home.

Phonics

• Phonics connect the knowledge of sounds (also called phonemes) to letter symbols.
• Here’s an example: The letter X looks like “X” and makes the sound “ks.”

What should my second grader know?

• Phonics should also be an area of strength for your second grader. She should be able to sound out words without a huge amount of difficulty.
• Write paragraphs with more detail. Spelling should be getting closer to correct on a more regular basis in second grade.

• If phonics is a struggle in second grade, it’s important to take action. Talk with his teacher, and consider doing structured practice at home using Hooked on Phonics products or mobile apps with you and/or a tutor.
• Encourage your child to take on more responsibility in sounding out and writing words, especially if the words they are working with follow phonics rules. (If she asks: “How do you spell bedroom’? “Well, what sound do you hear at the beginning? Good köpa priligy. Keep going.” If he gets stuck—like on how to write the “oo”—then help out.)

Fluency

• Fluency is the ability to read words smoothly, at a good pace, and with expression.
  o Here’s an example: If a character is very excited, the reader’s voice should sound excited, too. The child should not have to stop to sound out each word; the words should flow smoothly.

• Second graders should read confidently and at a good pace. They will stumble on a few words, of course, but should be able to handle most words in a second grade level story.

• Keep reading together as often as you can.
• If fluency is a struggle for your second grader, choose stories that use predictable rhyming patterns and more simple word choices.

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary is the dictionary in your child’s mind. The more word meanings your child knows, the larger her vocabulary.

• When you don’t know what a word means, or how to sound it out, you can look for clues in the pictures or the rest of the sentence to help figure it out.
• Your child can understand many more word meanings than she can use in her own speaking and writing. Keep talking about new words and their meanings.

• Encourage your child to use a broader range of words, and encourage her to express her thoughts clearly and thoroughly. (“How was school today?” “Fine.” “Tell me more. Did anything interesting happen at recess?”)
• Read to your child often. Research shows that children’s books expose kids to a much broader range of vocabulary words than they would otherwise hear in conversation.

Comprehension

• Comprehension is understanding what a story is all about.
• Here’s an example: Being able to identify the main characters in a story, talk about what they do and how they feel, and explain what happens during the beginning, middle, and end of a story are all important parts of reading comprehension.

• Retell stories he has read, including important details, the main message or lesson. These stories are more challenging and can include fables, folktales, and factual text.
• Identify the main idea of individual paragraphs within a text.
• Tell what is similar or different in two different versions of the same story. (For example, Goldilocks told by two different authors will be presented in varying ways.)

• Keep reading out loud and talking about stories together.
• Talk with your child about what you are reading. Ask probing questions that encourage your child to explain more details or reasons for their answers.
• Have fun with this process; don’t feel like you have to drill your child with questions on every page. Just have a conversation about the parts of the story you think are interesting.

First grade is usually a time when kids grow by leaps and bounds in their reading skills. It’s exciting—but it can be a little nerve-wracking when they haven’t yet put all the pieces together! Give them time, and keep reading together as much as you can.

Learning to read is a huge job and it involves several key parts. Here’s an overview of what goes into the process and how you can help your 6-to-7-year-old grow as a reader during this very important first-grade year.

Phonemic Awareness

What is it?

• Phonemic awareness is the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller chunks of sound. These units of sound are called phonemes.
• Here’s an example: the word bat is made of three phonemes: the sounds “b,” “a,” and “t.” When kids know that these three sounds are part of the word bat, they are showing that they have phonemic awareness.

What should my first-grader know?

• Understands that words are made up of different sounds that come together, and be able to separate them (“What sounds do you hear in fan?” “fff, aaa, nnn!”)

How can I help my child develop in this area?

• Reading stories out loud with lots of rhyming words helps build phonemic awareness. Beginner Books from Dr. Seuss and his friends are specifically written for first-grade readers.
• Use word play together in a fun, casual way. Play rhyming games, sing songs and speak clearly to your child when you’re introducing new words.

Phonics

What is it?

• Phonics connect the knowledge of sounds (also called phonemes) to letter symbols.
  Here’s an example: The letter X looks like “X” and makes the sound “ks.”

What should my first-grader know?

• Blend letter sounds together to form words. First-grade readers often need to take their time sounding out words—that’s how it should be!
• Write words, sentences, and short paragraphs. Spelling is probably coming along, but definitely not perfect yet. That’s okay.

How can I help my child develop in this area?

• Challenge your child to take on more responsibility in sounding out and writing words, especially if the words they are working with follow phonics rules. (If she asks: “How do you spell bedroom?” “Well, what sound do you hear at the beginning? Good. Keep going.” If he gets stuck—like on how to write the “oo”—then help out.)
• As your child’s reading abilities grow, start to share the read-aloud job with them. (“You read this page out loud to me, and I’ll read the next one to you!”)
• When you’re reading to your child, use your finger to track the words as you read them. Encourage your child to do the same when she reads, especially if she’s struggling to sound out a word.
• Start your child on a phonics-based learn-to-read system for first-graders such as Hooked on Phonics First Grade Complete.

Fluency

What is it?

• Fluency is the ability to read words smoothly, at a good pace, and with expression. Here’s an example. If a character is very excited, the reader’s voice should sound excited, too. The child should not have to stop to sound out each word; the words should flow smoothly.

What should my first-grader know?

• Your child’s reading rate will probably grow a lot during the first grade year! Many children start the year not yet reading but end it with the ability to read short stories comfortably.

Vocabulary

What is it?

• Vocabulary is the dictionary in your child’s mind. The more word meanings your child knows the larger her vocabulary.

What should my first-grader know?

• When you don’t know what a word means, or how to sound it out, you can look for clues in the pictures or the rest of the sentence to help figure it out.
• Your child can understand many more word meanings than she can use in her own speaking and writing. Keep talking about new words and their meanings.

How can I help my child develop in this area?

• Encourage your child to use a broader range of words, and encourage her to express her thoughts clearly and thoroughly. (“How was school today?” “Fine.” “Tell me more. What did you learn in math class today?”)
• Read to your child often. Research shows that children’s books expose kids to a much broader range of vocabulary words than they would otherwise hear in conversation.

Comprehension

What is it?

• Comprehension is understanding what a story is all about. Here’s an example. Being able to identify the main characters in a story, talk about what they do and how they feel, and explain what happens during the beginning, middle, and end of a story are all important parts of reading comprehension.

What should my first-grader know?

• Retell stories he has read himself or heard read out loud. He should include important details, the main message or lesson. He should also describe characters, setting, and the major events in the right order.
• Identify things that are the same or different between two books on
  the same topic.
• Describe the connections between different characters or events in a story.

How can I help my child develop in this area?

• Keep reading out loud and talking about stories together.
• Talk with your child about what you are reading. Ask questions about the important things that are happening in a story, and help them make connections. (“It seems like these two characters feel differently about the party. What do you notice about each one? How are their feelings different?”)
• Have fun with this process; don’t feel like you have to drill your child with questions on every page. Just have a conversation about the parts of the story you think are interesting.