Sight Words

Awhile ago I noticed that Luke didn't understand print very well at all.  He recognized letters, but he didn't recognize words.  At least he couldn't tell where one word ended and another word began.  After we found out that Luke needed glasses I thought maybe the problem had been that he couldn't see the spaces between words, but even after he got his glasses he couldn't point out words.  

Luke knows all of his letters and sounds, so I thought maybe the way to teach him words was to have him make his own sentences.  Plus this way he would be learning sight words that would help him learn to read.  

I looked up the first 100 fry words and created some "flash cards."  The fry words are made up of the most common words, however, so there are a lot of articles (the, a, and, an, etc.) and not too many meaningful verbs and nouns.  So I added quite a few words of my own based on what we do during the day and what interests Luke.  Then, because there were quite a few words now, I filed them so that I'd be able to find the words I wanted.  

For the past week we have been doing sentences everyday.  We started with I, want, my, and a few of Luke's favorite things (stereo, air conditioner, fan, laminator), and Luke would make a sentence.  If he read it the correct way, pointing to the right word as he said it, he got to do what he wanted.  

And of course Micah gets to play too.

After the first day I added more words to the pile that would make Luke have to concentrate to find the word he needed.  So instead of just having want I also added were so that he would have to look past just the first letter.  I also added may as well as my.  And now before Luke makes a sentence we use the cards like flash cards to practice reading the word in isolation so that he has to pay close attention.  He is doing great!

Luke asks to do the sentences several times a day because he gets to do things that are typically forbidden (like play with a fan).  So the next step is to make him do other sentences like "I see a _____" before he can do an "I want my _______" sentence.  That's what we are going to start today.  And I'm also going to make color cards so that Luke will have to be more specific.  He will have to make a sentence that says, "I want my black fan," or whatever.  Hopefully he will still stick with the sentences even as the game gets harder.  I think he will because he will do an awful lot to see an air conditioner or fan.  You see what kind of mom I am?  I use his interests against him.  

BrooHaHaHa (That's my evil laugh)

THANK YOU: Debbi, thank you so much for my birthday money with which I bought a little laminator that I use ALL THE TIME!  It has been so wonderful!