Introduction: Sentence-Structure Vocabulary
Up to this point, your child has been exposed only to individual words. This next step takes the child from familiar to the unfamiliar. Fortunately, many of the words he/she has learned will be used in sentences.
Instructions:
The parent will need to obtain a book in order to teach sentence structure. The book chosen must have the following standards:
The books, Who Are You? (Lindley Boyer) and Hop on Pop (Dr. Seuss) meet these standards. However, one might consider using an alternate story by Lindley Boyer, which was accessible online. This story is at the end of this book along with possible questions one might have about using these methods in teaching a young child to read.
Using the pages of either of these books as a guide, one can take the individual words which appear on the first page and write each word on a separate card in the order in which they appear. One word is introduced and taught using the same format as in the home vocabulary lessons. Be sure to write each word in black using 2-inch letters on a white card. All cards must be the same size. Do not comment on the fact that the words are black instead of red. Do not try to explain or define the words to the one’s child.
Once when one’s child has learned the words in a sentence, it is time to introduce the child to reading the sentence. Point to one word at a time and have one’s child say each word. Have one’s child repeat the reading of the sentence.
It is important that one’s child recognize words independently before he/she recognizes them in a group. Reading several words together is a real challenge to the young child. It is important that this step is carried out both carefully and joyfully.
Be patient if one’s child has difficulty. If so, go back and spend several days teaching the words before attempting to have one’s child learn to read the sentence.
Remember that words and not letters are the basic unit of language. Sentences are not the basic units of language. Sentences are language. It is not possible to understand written or spoken language without understanding the basic words which comprise language. However, it is possible to understand language without defining individually the letters of the alphabet or the individual sounds that make up words.
Once when Hop on Pop is completed, one’s child is ready for the fifth step, ‘Structured Phrases and Sentences.’
Up to this point, your child has been exposed only to individual words. This next step takes the child from familiar to the unfamiliar. Fortunately, many of the words he/she has learned will be used in sentences.
Instructions:
The parent will need to obtain a book in order to teach sentence structure. The book chosen must have the following standards:
- It should have a vocabulary of not more than 150 different words.
- It should present no more than a total of 15 or 20 words on a single page.
- The printing should be no less than ¼ inch high.
- Text and illustrations should be separated as much as possible.
The books, Who Are You? (Lindley Boyer) and Hop on Pop (Dr. Seuss) meet these standards. However, one might consider using an alternate story by Lindley Boyer, which was accessible online. This story is at the end of this book along with possible questions one might have about using these methods in teaching a young child to read.
Using the pages of either of these books as a guide, one can take the individual words which appear on the first page and write each word on a separate card in the order in which they appear. One word is introduced and taught using the same format as in the home vocabulary lessons. Be sure to write each word in black using 2-inch letters on a white card. All cards must be the same size. Do not comment on the fact that the words are black instead of red. Do not try to explain or define the words to the one’s child.
Once when one’s child has learned the words in a sentence, it is time to introduce the child to reading the sentence. Point to one word at a time and have one’s child say each word. Have one’s child repeat the reading of the sentence.
It is important that one’s child recognize words independently before he/she recognizes them in a group. Reading several words together is a real challenge to the young child. It is important that this step is carried out both carefully and joyfully.
Be patient if one’s child has difficulty. If so, go back and spend several days teaching the words before attempting to have one’s child learn to read the sentence.
Remember that words and not letters are the basic unit of language. Sentences are not the basic units of language. Sentences are language. It is not possible to understand written or spoken language without understanding the basic words which comprise language. However, it is possible to understand language without defining individually the letters of the alphabet or the individual sounds that make up words.
Once when Hop on Pop is completed, one’s child is ready for the fifth step, ‘Structured Phrases and Sentences.’