To Read or not to Read

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a book is worth infinite imaginations. ~Doreen Blanding

Reading Works!

When most families start the road of home education most are in the primary grades and need to teach their child how to read. There are many proven phonics and/or reading programs out there. I have tried most of them and do have a favorite (see below). But the best piece of advice I can give the parent who is beginning the road to teaching their child to read is to read to that child. Not just every now and then, but often! More than once or twice a day. Read as much as you can. Let your child become friends with books....best friends if possible.

My oldest was very difficult to teach to read mostly because I didn't understand how to teach it. But that wasn't my biggest problem. My biggest problem was I wasn't listening to him. He was telling me he wasn't ready in his best four year old language and I missed it. Instead I had the most frustrating week of our homeschooling life. Once I figured out he wasn't ready and just read to him, reading was fun, easy and once again our special time. Now this boy didn't really read until he was nine, but once he got the basics down he took off like a wildfire and now we have to tell him to stop reading because it is time to move on to other things.

The Best of Books!

We believe in reading good books. Charlotte Mason, an early educator in England, was a proponent of reading "twaddle free" books. She also loved "living books." We would have to agree with her. There are too many good books out there to spend time reading garbage. Reading is fun when books become part of your life. You know you are reading a "living" book when the children (or yourself) don't want to stop reading.

Of course most of the "classics" qualify as "living books" and we encourage our children to read them and we read them to our children. Our children loves to be read to and we try to read to them every night. At least the little ones get a picture book (or more) read to them just before bed. The older ones are reading chapter books by themselves and we also pick a "good" book to read depending on what unit we are doing.

A special treat happens to the "older" kids. When they turn 8 they get to stay up late with dad and read a "big person" book. They have read the Harry Potter books (all that are out), Chronicles of Narnia, some Little House on the Prairie, Banner in the Sky, The Alliance and a ton more that I'm not aware of since the treat is reading with dad. This is a good place to start looking for good books, we go there often.

The best books ever to read with your children are the books of scripture. Their vocabulary increases, they learn gospel stories and principle and more importantly they learn that daily scripture reading is a must if they want to truly embrace the gospel. D&C 88:118 "...seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning..."

The Best Advice!

Besides reading to your child (the best reading advice I can give you) the second best is NEVER push. The non-reading six year old will eventually learn to read if you never stop reading to him. Don't think that your little ones can't handle a "big" book either. In small chunks a "big" book can be read to a very young child. We have read The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S.Lewis to an eight year old. We have read The Bronze Bow, The Golden Goblet to as young as six. Yes, they miss some important parts, but they are hearing the language and grammar, learning the lessons and morals taught and more importantly having great quality (and quantity) time with a parent. Just think of their next time through the book. I take the very same objective to daily scripture reading--read from the standard works themselves.

Phonics Programs

We are using the phonic program Saxon Phonics with our children. Like any good homeschool we use curriculum as a tool, not a rule. We use what each child needs out of the curriculum. One child needed more and went at a slower pace and another needed (and wanted) it all and very fast! (Click here to find out more about Saxon Phonics.)

Stores that sell reading programs.

Last updated: November, 2006

Disclaimer: Though WALDSFE, Helaman's Academy and/or Doreen Blanding does its best to thoroughly screen every product, company, website and individual listed on these pages, please note that WALDSFE, Helaman's Academy and/or Doreen Blanding does not endorse any product, company, website or individual listed. If you have a problem with a page, find broken links, or companies that no longer support homeschooling please send email .