Lesson Plans For Teaching Reading Usually Evolve In The Classroom
When I start teach reading I plan my lesson around a couple of phonics sounds and just let it build from there. When I use groups in the classroom I try and arrange it so there is at least one good reader in each group and they can help the other students.
Usually when the students start to learn to read they are all at different levels, so it is very difficult to use the one size fits all model that most schools like to use. Also I like the Montessori approach to learning to read as the students are grouped in different ages groups: like 3 – 6 and 6 – 9 year olds all grouped together.
Montessori used sandpaper letters and these help to cement the words in the child’s mind. With the different age groups the older students teach the younger ones and this really helps plant reading in the older student.
As has been said before ‘If you want to learn a topic then teach it.’
When I first start teaching reading I pick some phonic sounds from the list, make up a word with sandpaper letters that contains the phonics sound. Then I get the students to trace the word in the sandpaper letters while saying it out loud.
After they can all say the word I find another word with the same phonic sound and start the process again. For example cat, hat, mat and bat. After I have been through all the words I put the letters they know on the floor and ask them to make up the word I say. I say ‘cat ‘ and then see what happens. Kids love playing so let them.
