Teach Your Child to Read

I have to say I didn't really believe that the book would "do what it said on the tin", but I am delighted to say it can! We are now on Lesson 70 (of 100), and I am amazed at what our daughter can now read at just 4 years old!

The book recommends that you do a lesson each day. We don't always do that, as some days we don't have time, but I would certainly advise not leaving more than 1 or 2 days between 'lesson days' and definitely make time in the morning rather than the afternoon. However, you must read exactly what is on the page, as I've tried 'adapting' it to what I thought fitted my child best and I ended up going back a few lessons and reading it verbatim. The only extras I do put in are a lot more praise.

The book is recommended for "bright 3.5-yr-olds, and average 4 and 5 yr olds". I wouldn't suggest any earlier, as your child will need to write each letter they learn, and so they need to have developed their fine motor skills sufficiently. However, even if you only manage 20 or so lessons before your child starts school, it will help them no end, as it is exactly the system used in schools.

Finally, I was once told by someone trained in education that there are always 'natural readers' who are able to be told how a word sounds and remember it. That's all well and good until they try to read a word they haven't seen before! This book teaches how to read words properly by learning 'phonics' and blending them in a way in which we speak ourselves. Therefore, your child will eventually be able to pick up a book and read it, and attempt a word that they have not seen before themselves! Imagine their absolute joy when they achieve that on their own...

I cannot recommend this book any higher...it's extremely good.


Great for little ones too!   September 24, 2003
bobbathejobba (furthest place in the UK from the beach)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

There are many glowing reviews for this book and deservedly so - but none have yet pointed out how this book can be used successfully with very young children....

Basically this book promotes teaches reading using little letters (as opposed to capitals) and phonics (the way the letters sound) instead of their names. This is THE method currently being promoted in British schools as part of the literacy hour and has much research backing it up as THE most effective way of teaching reading.

The book has 100 fully scripted lessons that can be used by ANYBODY to teach their child to read.

We started teaching our daughter to read using this book from age 2 and by 3 she was already deciphering new words.

Each lesson has 7 or 8 parts, which deal with different aspects of the reading process (eg saying words slowly, saying them fast, rhyming and sound out letters). Simply do just 2 or 3 of these a day with your young child. For the young learner a kinaesthetic approach is essential - that is a very physical method - so swing them in your arms slowly when they say a word slowly and whizz them fast when they say the word fast. Act out the words they are saying. When they sound out a letter correctly then reward them with a big hooray or throw them in the air, etc. Hold their hand to draw the letters - having fun drawing them big, small, squiggly, anything that makes it like a game. Reinforce the concepts through the day by playing rhyming games or playing spot the sound games. You will be amazed by how much a little child can pick up - as long as it is FUN and seen to be a game (sitting down for a formal lesson just doesn't work at this age - believe me I tried!!!).

I have every confidence that you will have fun and be thrilled at how much children learn through play. It's also great for building up your relationship with your child.

Buy it! You will not regret it - even if you only use a little. What could be better than giving your child the gift of reading?


what an amazing book!   January 30, 2006
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

I bought this book because my 4 year old was independently trying to learn letters and was asking what words were, so I thought I would buy something to help me teach her with some structure.

I spotted this book and read the reviews from other parents on this site and thought it looked like the best option - not entirely believing it could be as good as everyone said.

When I got the book I would pick it up and look at lesson 30 and think that I would be very impressed if my daughter could read the few sentences it had there.

Well I am amazed we are well beyond lesson 30 now (lesson 61) and she can easily read the stuff given...she also generalises the methods she learnt and now figures out words herself just applying the techniques taught in the book without any encouragement from us.

My husband is naturally sceptical about anything and everything and he now raves about this course he is so impressed. My daughter is not even in reception class at school yet and is already reading 10 sentence stories (amusingly she gets sent home with reading books which only have 2 words on each page and she breezes them).

I would very much recomend this book to any parent who wants their child to read, it is minimal effort and you don't have to worry about teaching them wrong as each lesson is completely scripted, and the child learns the skills so subtly and gradually that it is not at all daunting. The child learns how to figure out words instead of learning what a word looks like, therefore they have the skills to constantly improve their reading!

One thing I would say about it is the fact that it is American, so you do sometimes have to explain words such as 'Mom' is 'Mum', etc, but this is rare and a very small price to pay for what I consider to be an ingenious course.


brilliant   May 30, 2006
tash (cornwall)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I did not think it would work but it really does. My daughter who is nearly 4 has known her letters for a year and a half but I did not seem to be able to convert this to proper reading -I bought a variety of early reading books but without success despite the fact she really wanted to learn. I tried this and it is amazing -she is at lesson 76 and can really read those sentences well as well as some easy children's books(5 months ago she could not read any word reliably and we have not even done a whole lesson every day and there have been some periods where we stopped for a week or more). The only word of caution at this age is if they are having trouble with a particular lesson it is possibly because they have lost attention -stop and do the rest the next day -no rush. I used stars at the end of each lesson too. We did have some phases where she was less interested but we just went at her pace and her reading is at least as good as some year ones and she does not start school until next Sept.
Update: my daughter has finished this book (it took about 6 months) and has now started school. She can read almost anything and is at least reading 1 if not 2 years above her year group. Oh and we don't have to go through the 'oh floppy, no floppy' books as she has gone straight onto more interesting books. We have now started with our second daughter who is 3 and a half and she is on ch 30 and doing very well. I have decided to teach all my children before they go to school rather than leaving it to chance that the school(albeit a good school) will manage it.