My youngest (4 1/2) is learning to read simple words, kind of on his own. He can read stop, bus, no, yes, some names, etc. He has just mentioned wanting to learn how to read 'for real,' as he puts it. I can't remember what I used with DS 10, so now I am wanting suggestions. I prefer it to be gentle and fun, and not something that I have to do a lot of prep work for, as our baby will be here in a week. LOL Anything fit those guidelines?
Sigh.... I've taught all three of my kids to read, but I've no idea HOW I did it!!! I gave the oldest pages short vowel sounds, and she took off on her own. The other two weren't quite as easy, but again, they pretty much taught themselves. We did some phonics worksheets, and maybe some sight word flashcards. With Phillip, we made "Word Family" books: "Phillip's -AT Book", with CAT, BAT, HAT, RAT, SPLAT, etc., in it.
We're using Explode the Code right now with my 5 year old and it's working out pretty well. No prep just some time together talking about a sound and then some pages to practice it. My daughter loves it because it feels like "real school work" like her older sisters. lol
My daughter went to ps for K through 2nd, so I used no curriculum with her, till we homeschooled this past year for 3rd grade. However, before she started school, I did work with her through a few levels of hooked on phonics and she was reading at age 4.5. At the end of 2nd grade, she tested at a reading level of a 6th grader, and her spelling tested at least as high. I credit the phonics method of learning that she was exposed to with HOP (well, plus the fact that I drowned her in books as soon as she was old enough to hold one and turn the pages and I read to her several times a day). My 2.5 year old doesn't show near the academic interest that my first daughter did at that same age, so I am not sure what to expect with her. But I am so looking forward to homeschooling her from preschool forward.
We had tried everything from The Reading Lesson, Alphaphonics and 100 Easy Lessons, and I think we have either finally found the curriculum that works or just the right time frame. We use Explode the Code now and I really love it. And it didn't cost that much.
My 4.5 year old son is doing Starfall as I type this. I also loved wordworld for my older two but we no longer have cable and I cannot seem to find a full length episode online. Consistent reading and havig them follow the words as you read is priceless =)
I forgot to add, I recently discovered McGuffey readers free on google books, will be printing for use this summer.
My son is almost 4 and he has been using Starfall and ABC Mouse for about 6 months now. He is doing pretty good with the reading and writing. I think these programs reaaly helped, because he loves working on the computer.
I second Starfall.com. We use Abeka primarily and it's a very good program. But I have used starfall and morestarfall for practice and keeping the little occupied while the biggers are working.