Teaching a Young Child to Read

I am trying homeschooling this year, and was feeling a little panicky about how to start teaching. After reading this book, my fears were put to rest, and I actually feel like I will be able to do it. I haven't actually started, but at least I will have a reference book and a guide. Very easy to understand and step through the process. If you are looking for a book to help you teach your child to read, you obviously care and you are probably doing some of the activities. But instead of feeling like it was a waste, I felt reassured that I was doing the right thing and could easily use the other suggestions to build on my method. This book is so informative it could be used for older children, ages 7 or 8. I wish I had read this book a long time ago, get it now no matter how young your child is.

I am SO excited about this book. Dr. Smethurst details 5 lessons, broken up into 27 segments from pre-reading (letter recognition etc) to early reading fluency. The steps are easy and fun and well-explained.I particularly like his philosophy--keep it fun, don't push, and don't get emotionally involved in the results. He explains that it will take time and energy on the part of the parent and child and also that it is not foolproof--some children just take longer to learn. I am looking forward to seeing the results and to enjoying the process.