[Roman_War_Criminal]

Thread from the dead...but what do you mean by sight words and how is it bad?

My oldest son is about to start learning how to read and I’m curious about the best path to take.

thanks!

[goodwithagun]

I teach in a small, urban high school and I deal with kids taught how to read using sight words. They memorize words instead of learning phonics. The idea is that the kids will start to recognize phonetic sounds on their own and be independent readers. Wrong! I taught my son, and will start with my daughter this summer, using How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (apologies for no italics, I'm HTML impaired). It is a great investment. If you have time for a good read, try Why Johnny Can't Read by Rudolf Flesch. He explains the whole phenomenon. Good luck!