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Written by: Makinsey Ekman
When I was a kid, I had a terrible time focusing, and learning to read was an intense struggle. My mother ended up having to find a special reading tutor for me because I was so far behind my other classmates, and my school did not have any specialists.
Years later, when I started a family of my own, I worried that my children might have to face this same battle. My eldest daughter was a bundle of energy, and as she grew I saw a lot of myself in her.
I began an earnest study on the topic of reading disabilities, and the different methods for teaching reading. It was during this research that I discovered Samuel T Orton, who pioneered the Orton-Gillingham reading method. Basically, he discovered that the easiest way for children to learn was by phonemes.
Instead of teaching children to memorize words, his work focused on teaching children each individual sound a letter, or groups of letters, can make. For example, the letter A can make four different sounds depending on which letters surround it (ae, aye, aw, and uh–found in the words at, ate, audio, and what respectively).
By teaching children phonetics first, not only are they able to better read, but they are also given a headstart on writing.
This manual progresses through all 70 basic phonograms in the English language and provides stories to go with them. Additionally, the author goes through how to teach each of the phonograms on her website.
It has helped both to teach my daughter to read, and has also helped me to better understand spelling rules. I couldn’t believe how lacking my own early education was. I’m so glad that I am able to give my children an easier and better way to learn.
First Time Reader Books
These books were great follow ups to the step-by-step stories manual.
- “First Little Readers” by Deborah Schecter
- “Learn to Read” by Laurin Brainard
- “Hooked on Phonics” Level 3 & 4
- “World of Reading” Level Pre-1
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