Learning to Read
No matter if you are a small child or an adult, being illiterate is a frustrating handicap. Here's a step-by-step process to teach anyone of any age how to read. For the mentor, the experience of hearing your student read their first words and, in time, their first phrase, is a feeling of reward like no other.
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Instructions
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Learn letters and sounds. Learn to recognize the letters in the alphabet as well as the sounds that they make. Use alphabet flash cards to practice the skill.
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Recognize vowels and consonants. Out of the 26 letter in the alphabet, 5 are vowels and the others are called consonants. The vowels consist of the letters "A,""E," "I," "O" and "U."
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Learn vowel sounds. Vowels make two different sounds. If there is only one vowel in the word, the vowel is said to be "short." In a short vowel word, you hear the sound of the letter. When there are two vowels in a word, it is said to be a "long" vowel sound. When there are two vowels in a word, you will hear the name of the first vowel and the second one will be silent. When learning the sounds, a short vowel can be labeled with a crescent on top of it, and a long vowel should be labeled with a straight line on the top.
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Practice blends. A phonetic blend is when a consonant and a vowel are put together, such as "ta," "te," "ti," "to," and "tu." On note cards, write blends using all letters and go over them repetitively. Label some blends with long vowels and others with short vowels.
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Form words. After the student has mastered the skill of recognizing blends, it will then be time to start forming words. Start with simple three-letter words such as "cat," "pig," "dog" or "sip." When the student feels ready, advance to simple two vowel words such as "like," "kite," "date" and "ice."
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Recognize "funny" rules. Some letters have "funny" attributes that should be recognized. The letter "Q" is never seen without "U." The letter "C" sounds like an "S" when paired with the letters "I" and "E," but makes the sound of a "K" when paired with the vowels "A," "O" or "U."
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Tips & Warnings
When teaching someone to read, be patient with them, as it is a frustrated process for the student. No matter what the age of the student may be, remember to keep them encouraged and always reward achievements.
