How can I review phonics with my third grader?
Dear Carrie,
Can you recommend a phonics review resource for a 3rd grader? My daughter is reading Level 2 books in Drawn into the Heart of Reading. When she comes to a word she doesn’t know, it’s like she doesn’t know how to sound it out. She just speeds through it, making something up. She doesn’t enjoy reading. I believe this is primarily because her foundation is not solid, and she does not feel confident. She gets frustrated and embarrassed when I try to help her sound words out.
Sincerely,
“Searching for Phonics Help for a 3rd Grader”
Dear “Searching for Phonics Help for a 3rd Grader,”
Depending on how much phonics instruction your daughter had in the past, she may need another quick pass at phonics. Or, if she can decode but chooses not to, she may just need to read aloud with you helping.
I would recommend using Sound Bytes Reading under these circumstances:
• if a student did not have a thorough pass through formal phonics
• if a student missed some of the formal phonics due to other life issues
• if a student missed some of the formal phonics due to hearing or eye related concerns
We carry Sound Bytes Reading just for these reasons.
The program takes 3-4 months and is a good way to firm up any needed decoding skills. You can use the program through the summer if desired, while still having her read real books. At that point you would then know she has the needed decoding skills and just needs practice gaining fluency.
I wished I’d had a program like Sound Bytes Reading for my last son.
He struggled with reading after going through formal phonics instruction. I later found out this was due to the tubes in his ears being plugged, so he wasn’t hearing. Anyway, I put him through another entire phonics program from beginning to end at that point. A quicker refresher course, like Sound Bytes Reading, would have been a better choice.
I also would drop back the level of the books she is reading to make reading more fun and easy.
Sometimes when we are consistently pushing the child’s level of comfort reading-wise, it steals the joy of reading. Returning to easier books for a time can make the child feel successful and help reading be enjoyable again.
Blessings,
Carrie
