How did you teach your kids to read and write?

LIttle chimney has just turned three, I read to her every night and have done since she wad a few months old. I have started to point to the words as I say them. She can hold a pencil and can write the first letter of her name the rest is just scrawl atm. Her english vocab is fab and her welsh is coming on. Weve got magnetic letters. What else can I use or do? I do not have a computer or printer atm. How did you teach your children to read and write?

 

Is she going to use the "Welsh" in Cardiff.
My children both started on "Janet and John" the first book has only about 6 words in total, so I made seperate words on cardboard pieces, when those were learnt ,gave them the book, they could read a book.

 

Hi chimneyrosegarden. That's excellent you want the Little Chimney to get a head start in life ... I'm all for that!

I don't have children but would think that books are an excellent beginning ... and perhaps SOME selected television programmes aimed at the very young. I would certainly encourage her to write and perhaps draw things like animals or even furniture or whatever she sees ... you can then explain these things to her. It is wonderful you are getting her interested in the garden ... such a wonderful world!

I am Welsh (from Pontypridd) but can only say a few words ... PLEASE encourage her to learn languages. What we did when we came to Portugal was put sticky notes on items of furniture, be it sofa, chair, table, fridge, freezer, cooker, whatever in Portuguese ... we knew the items in English but we had to learn them in Portuguese. Perhaps you could do this in English and Welsh?

I am very ignorant when it comes to technology but, if you do not have a computer or printer, how are you on this forum?

 

books and you reading is the best foundation that you can lay, kids learn Phonetically, read along cd books are good where they follow with the finger, get some flash cards (make them your self)pop them on things she uses every day, play games with letters if she is interested in writing then dot to dot the letters are great for learning the basics hope this helps

 

hi chimneyrosegarden

i found a good place to start was with the alphabet, you can make a chart and put it up for her and pratice a letter each day/week

i also think phonics is the best approach, ie you say the letter as it sounds, the letter c (pronounce ker) for cat, b (pronounce ber) for bat etc...

once she knows a few letters /sounds, she will be able to put them together to make words, ie der.. oh.. ger (dog)

when it came to writing, i got a book and wrote the alphabet on each page in pencil, (all the letter As on one page etc) then got my son to draw over each letter in a different colour, we made it fun by seeing how many colours he could use (thus learned colours at the same time) keep the letters lower case and quite large as little hands find it easier to write big

good luck, childrens brains are like sponges and soak everything up, she will amaze you

 

I learnt welsh as a seccond language voulantarily as a child to a level and I will encourage her to too. I also did french and german but I found them a bit hard.
Victoria my family hail from ponty and hopkinstown its a small world
I access the internet using my phone

 

REally helpful suggestions everyone keep them coming please

 

You are already doing the most important thing which is reading with and to her regularly; you are demonstrating positive reading behaviour to her every day.

I agree that learning Welsh is very useful. I think children who have had exposure to several languages in early childhood are more receptive to learning new languages as adults. Quite apart from learning Welsh being a good thing in itself. Chwarae teg!

 

Dont eva rememba lernin to reed and rite, it just sorta appened, kindof.

 

It is a small world crg .. I was born in Ponty and christened in Treforest and some were from Merthyr Tidfyll (spelling?) and other places nearby ... we were just from the Valleys ...

 

You've got exactly the right approach Chimneyrose. By reading picture books you're helping establish the link between words and pictures and develop vocabulary, and most importantly,you are showing that reading is fun and interesting. There's already a considerable amount of very sage advice been posted but here's a few ideas from Mrs & Mrs W who have brought up two of our own and had a significant input into our 3 year old granddaughter. We're also ex-primary teachers and both specialised in reading development, though that was a while ago!

+Don't ever push it - keep it fun and if interest dwindles do something else. (If it ain't fun, it's not worth doing)
+When your daughter makes a picture write a title or explanation on it using her words and then stick it on the wall.
+Magnetic letters are great. If you can get hold of a couple of sets you can have fun sorting out the letters that are the same. Talk about the shapes - the round ones, the ones with lines, the curvey ones, the ones with round bits and straight lines. Talk about the sounds they make rather than the letter names and start building simple, phonetically regular words. Sort out letter from numerals.
+ Put up a few words around the house in BIG letters - at least 5" tall and talk about them.
+ "Phonics" or what is now being touted as "synthetic phonics" is an essential element in learning to read, but "look and say" i.e. the ability to recognise words instantly by their shape is also a key factor and young children can rapidly develop a large"look and say" vocabulary.
+The fine motor skills involved in writing take a long time to develop, but any activity that involves careful use of the hands such as building things, painting, drawing, jigsaws, helping mum baking, all help develop these motor skills. When you think your daughter is ready show her how to hold a pencil or felt pen "properly" so she has better fine control.

There are "techy things" that you could use, but they are mainly substitutes for good adult support. I could suggest some but it looks like you don't really need them.
Above all keep learning fun, and enjoy it it!

 

In Scotland they have spent £12m on Gaelic road signs, for the 422 people who speak the language, (and quite easily speak English but wish to be awkward)
It would have been cheaper to give each applicant an I- pod With the translation app so they can travel if they so wish
I expect it is the same in Wales, where they speak English fine until an Englishman walks into the pub and all struggle with the Welsh to insult them

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch
Is about most can manage Yaki dar i i yes yes diue diue

Jack McH

 

My childern were taught to count from 1 to 20. Write there own name and know all their primary colours, Before they started school. That was in the 80's. Having said that. My Mum made sure we were capable of the same before we started school in the 60'S. Mum I love you for what you never intended for us to Make something special for X

 

Hi CRG,

My eldest is 4 and a half, so we've just been going through the same thing over the last 2 years, hear in Swansea. The main thing i learnt is that things are done very differently than when i was in school (i'm 32).

Letters aren't said how adults say them but in phonics instead. So the child understands the sound of them as you would speak them, not the letter its self.

Reading is also very different- it's not the words that they can read or recognize, but how they form sentenses instead. All very different.

in our primary school, they start at 3, going on to full time the following school year. they have a letter of the week and talk about things to do with that letter.

The main things that i would suggest is too keep reading to her. get penicils with a triangle shape to them to help her learn pen control and how to hold a pencil properly.
Potty training is also something schools are amazingly keen on, before they start

 

My stepgrandson started school last September, a Welsh Language School, he had to be able to use the toilet alone, and eat with a knife and fork. They picked that school as it was reputably the best in their area, Pontypridd. They are now talking of taking him to another school, as they feel to much emphasis is being given to language at the expense of other subjects.
I mention this to help in your choice of schools in your area.