Thanks, Bruce, for another well-researched article on reading. And just in time for school starting this fall.
How does a parent know if their first grader may be developing a reading problem based on lack of phonics? Here’s a checklist:
He guesses constantly.
He confuses “a” and “the.”
He can usually sound out the first letter and the last letter but the middle of the word is a mystery.
He looks at the pictures first and does a lot of his guesswork based on the pictures.
A word list to memorize appears in his homework, sometimes with instructions for him to call out the words as quickly as possible. (Speed is stressed rather than accuracy.)
If readers come home, they contain a high volume of irregular words that are difficult to sound out.
(Phonetic readers have very few irregular words.)
If you suspect your child is failing to learn to read, research the Internet and find a compatible phonics program to help you teach him.
Or hire someone to tutor him.
Reading is the most important thing he will ever learn in school and his future depends on it.
RE: “He guesses constantly. He confuses “a” and “the.” He can usually sound out the first letter and the last letter but the middle of the word is a mystery. He looks at the pictures first and does a lot of his guesswork based on the pictures...”
This is a great list. Everybody in the country should see it. The striking thing is how clear-cut the signals are. The kid is doing these things or not doing them. If he is doing them, he is the victim of bad reading instruction.