Why I don't teach my children the ABC's

What to Read topic this week is "Alphabet Books". I'll be totally honest with you. (I hope by now you expect no less from me.) I think we only have one alphabet book in our home. ...well, maybe two... and they are NOT books we open very often. One is a Bible book and the other is a vintage reproduction Golden Book. They are pretty and that is the only reason I keep them.  


Why? 


Because I don't teach the alphabet to our children until after they can read and start to learn to use a dictionary and phone book.

I teach phonics to our children. This has worked well with all but one. He is more of a sight-word person like his dad. I had to tweek a bit to work with him, but it is the same basic principle. I teach our children the sounds the letters make instead of the letter name. Sssss as in snake, savior, seat. 'eh' as in elephant, empty, enter. 't' as in turtle, table, teach. 'a' in apple, ant, Adam. 

1. I have found the Christ Centered Curriculum Alphabet Wall Cards very helpful. I use them as flashcards. They are beautiful, the children love them, and they have a helpful story, scripture, and grammar hints on the back of each. 
   
2. I also use their Phonics Drill Reader for a spelling & vocabulary book throughout their schooling. It complements the cards perfectly, helping the children understand how the sounds go together in different words. 
   
3. I use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons as my guide for what order to introduce each of the sounds. It's cheap & simple. I use the basic plan, but have only gone all the way through the book with one of our children. The rest, I have used the ideas and gone back and forth with it and simple reading books. 
   
4. I like the Rod & Staff Say it Again Series & God is Good Series for simple reading books. The children love that they can finish a book within a day or two and the stories are simple Truths we love to reinforce. 
   
5. By the time we are through these and a the 1st Grade Bible Nurture and Reader Series & workbooks, our children can read (with some help) the Bible and Dictionary. 
   

I'm extremely happy with the results, especially since we have several slow & struggling readers. I don't push them because the genetic eye problems in our family make it very hard and sometimes painful. I'd rather they go slow and learn to love reading, than to push them and take a chance of them hating it... 

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