Tag: kindergarten

Faith and Freedom Primer B – Adapted for Children with Down Syndrome

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Here is part 2 of the Faith and Freedom Primer, which I adapted for children with Down Syndrome. The original book, published by Seton Educational Media, has three parts. This is the second part. You can find the first part here.

The Faith and Freedom Primer an excellent tool for teaching children to read high-frequency sight words with fluency. Once a word is introduced, it is used repeatedly throughout the book so you child does not forget it. Junior has learned to read all three parts of the primer, and he is now learning to read the next book in this series without any adaptations!

Continue reading “Faith and Freedom Primer B – Adapted for Children with Down Syndrome” →

The Faith and Freedom Primer Adapted for Children with Down Syndrome

Published on by Mary Cooney2 Comments

Once in a while I come across a pedagogical gem. The Faith and Freedom Primer is one of these. It is actually a combination of 3 smaller books, written in the 1950s to teach children how to sight read high frequency words. I’ve used it with all of my kids to teach them how to read sight words alongside teaching them how to decode phonetically. The book is a gem not just because it teaches children to read sightwords incrementally and systematically, but also because it portrays the Catholic faith and family life in a gentle and beautiful way.

Since Junior had been learning to read sight words with See and Learn Phrases, I decided to adapt the Faith and Freedom Primer according to the recommendations laid out by Natalie Hale, in her book Whole Child Reading. Junior would often pull the original primer off our bookshelf and pretend to read it, so I thought, “Why not adapt it for him and see if he can learn to read it?”

Continue reading “The Faith and Freedom Primer Adapted for Children with Down Syndrome” →

Free Resources for Teaching Children with Down Syndrome to Read

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Several weeks ago, I read the book Whole Child Reading: A Quick Start Guide to Teaching Students with Down Syndrome and Other Developmental Delays. If you have a child with developmental delays, I highly recommend reading this book. It’s a fast, easy read with useful insights into how the brain works and many practical applications. The gist of the book is to go in through the heart by using stories and topics that are highly interesting and motivating to the student and then to teach to the brain by understanding how children with T21 learn best.

In the book, author Natalie Hale gives specific instructions on how to format and make your own books so that your kids can read with greater ease and success. So I began making books. I made personal books, because Junior, like most kids, likes to read about himself and his family. I also made books using words from the See and Learn Phrases kits.

Today I’m sharing some of these books:

Continue reading “Free Resources for Teaching Children with Down Syndrome to Read” →

Introducing “Teach Me to Read Duets, Books 1 and 2” — the sequels to “Short Vowel Stories”

Published on by Mary Cooney2 Comments

For those of you who have used Short Vowel Stories to help teach your children to read, you’ll be glad to know (I hope!) that two more books are now available: Teach Me to Read Duets, Books 1 and 2.

Continue reading “Introducing “Teach Me to Read Duets, Books 1 and 2” — the sequels to “Short Vowel Stories”” →

Teaching Your Child to Read with Short Vowel Stories… and a free give-away!

Published on by Mary Cooney7 Comments

When my oldest was a kindergartener, I wrote some super short stories to help her learn to read. I then used them to teach all my other kids to read, along with a variety of other phonics books. Variety is the spice of life, so it is good to give your emerging readers a mixture of books  with which they can learn to read.

Continue reading “Teaching Your Child to Read with Short Vowel Stories… and a free give-away!” →

Teaching Kids who Can’t Sit Still

Published on by Mary Cooney2 Comments

Rascal: 7 years old. Highly imaginative. Fidgety. Fun-loving. Full of energy. Easily distracted. Affectionate. Attention-seeking.

Sound familiar?

He’s the lovable little guy who is smarter than you think but is so wiggly and easily distracted that trying to teach him is…. well,  let’s be honest… sometimes plain torture.

How can we teach these kids who can’t seem to sit still? Here are some ideas that have helped with my irrepressible, spirited Rascal.

Continue reading “Teaching Kids who Can’t Sit Still” →

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 3

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Once your child is ready and willing (at least most of the time!) to learn how to read, the third key to the door of literacy is easy to obtain.

Back in the days when I was a piano teacher, I had to teach children as young as five to read music. For most children, learning to read music is even more challenging than learning to read words. A single note has pitch, duration, volume, and articulation. When you give a child a string of notes to read in the treble clef and a completely different set of notes to read in the bass clef, you are asking the child to process several things at once. A lot of mental exertion is needed, so much so that the only way to learn the music is by repetition, repetition, repetition.

Continue reading “The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 3” →

Our Favorite Books to Read Aloud

Published on by Mary Cooney1 Comment

Embed from Getty Images

 

Reading Aloud. It’s one of the best things you can do to bond with your children, develop their imagination and moral sense, and sharpen their listening and comprehension skills.

I’m always on the lookout for wonderful books to read with my children, and I’ve been keeping a list of our favorites. Here it is for you to enjoy:

Continue reading “Our Favorite Books to Read Aloud” →

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 2

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Key Number Two: Willingness. 

When Feisty was just about five, he was ready to learn reading. My precocious whipper-snapper had shown all the signs of readiness. But he was far from willing. He had done all the readiness activities happily enough. To him, it had all been a game. However, when we started with Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, he balked. Perhaps the book looked too much like an adult’s book, with all those little letters for the parents to read. Perhaps all those oral exercises were too boring. I’m not sure. (By the way, I know many people who swear by this book. It really does work if you can get your child to co-operate.) But when Feisty decides he doesn’t want to do something, you’d better give up… unless you’re as headstrong as he is.

Continue reading “The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 2” →

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 1

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

 

When I first began homeschooling, I read a book that said, “Teaching your child to read is easy.” And it was… for my first child and for my second. You see, there are two conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for a child to learn to read with ease: Readiness and Willingness. For the most part, my first two children were ready and willing when I decided it was time to begin reading lessons. They learned to read quickly and easily.

But then my third and fourth children came along. All of a sudden, teaching reading became really challenging.

Continue reading “The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 1” →