DD is 3, will be 4 at the end of June. She knows all her letters and sounds (thanks to the Letter Factory). We have done the ABC readiness series from R&S, as well as G&H. We have done HWT preschool (she finished the book in 2 sittings). We will soon be done with ETC ABC. I'm not sure where to go from here. She enjoys doing "school" and we only do it when she asks. When she is done we put it away. I think she is possibly ready to start learning to read. We would possibly only purchase/start something new in September, depending when I save enough money, or how much she is asking for more school So she would be 4 then. Any ideas of what to do next?
My boys hated learning to read from a system. They wanted to be read to and we decoded words as we went. I don't teach sight words because I believe that a)it's important to sound out words and b)all words should eventually be sight words. So that's what we did to learn to read. It sounds like she's probably ready and you've got a good head on your shoulders about not pushing her, so I'd give it a go. Hopefully some others here will have a suggestion or two on a system that worked for them, but in the meantime, I'd start with a pile of books.
My older sister (then 4) taught me to read when I was 3. Some kids are just ready that early. I say give her what she wants as long as she's the one asking for it. If her interest slacks off, you can give her more breathing room. I totally agree with Actressdancer on the phonics. When you learn phonics, eventually ALL words become sight words. It's the repetition that's the key. Obviously, not all kids are the same there, but the research shows that after 4th grade, phonics kids have a huge advantage over sight words kids. If she already knows her ABCs, and the sounds associated with them, I'd start with cvc words. No need for actual curriculum unless you prefer it.
I say continue until you start seeing signs of frustration. Don't force a child to learn anything they're not ready to learn, but also don't withhold something they want to learn. Both will kill the desire to learn. My son went through the entire ETC series when he was 3. He's an excellent reader, and it has only opened more doors for him. He's still age-appropriate (give or take) in other areas, but he's reading at an adult (single words) and 8th grade (comprehension) level. That means he can independently learn SO. MUCH. MORE. whenever he wants, on any subject he wants. Accelerating reading does NOT mean you have to accelerate anything else. You can use a higher reading level to broaden her horizons in many ways.
Gotten some excellent advice here. When I was teaching my oldest to read, I tried a couple different things (Teach your child in 100 Easy Lessons, and Scaredy Cat Reading), both bombed miserably. Then I found www.starfall.com and started working through the lessons with her (she was 4 going on 5 at the time). She learned how to read very naturally and easily. My son just started playing on starfall, too...because his big sister did. Using Starfall, he taught himself how to read and took off since then. My youngest did the same he did, and again, taught herself to read using Starfall. I think when we feed their desire to learn when they are young, they realize learning can be fun, and they enjoy it. My oldest was very much like your child. She'd come to me almost begging for things to do. I bought workbooks at Walmart, and school stores, etc. I looked for games and books and videos that fueled that. They used to have these sets called "Brighter Vision". I'm so heartbroken this company is no longer doing what they do. She LOVED getting her monthly delivery and doing the books, and listening to the tapes, and etc. Anyway...feed her desire to learn, be there to guide her through the process. She sounds like a smart cookie!!!
I was contemplating using the next set of books from ETC. Maybe I'll take a look at them. Starfall is good. My nephew taught himself to read using that. We have a macbook though, so my dd isn't able to do any of it herself. Not to mention our slow internet (sharing with my parents down the street) and the strange problems our computer seems to have.
I'm not sure if you were only looking for reading ideas but - Making Math Meaningful K was really fun and interesting to my kids when they were 4. We also did some of the letteroftheweek.com lesson plans and that was fun for my girls.
I know that this is an old thread, but I couldn't help but respond. If anyone is looking for a good prek curriculum set, try Horizons Prek Program. I'm planning on using it for my youngest.
LOL I was kinda surprised to see this thread pop back up! I have definitely looked at Horizons. I can't remember why I decided not to go with it. I guess cause I wanted all the extras too, and then hubby said it was too expensive. Right now we are just practicing sounding out words with BOB books, and maybe I'll get some cheap workbooks from Walmart or something. Life is really crazy right now. Dh is building us a new house. It will only be finished in late August, or September, but we have to be out of this house by June 17th, so we'll be living with his parents for a while. Plus I'm pregnant and have less energy than usual (not to mention the nausea!), so we've just been taking it easy.
