As a parent, wanting the best for your child is natural, especially when it comes to education. Reading is a foundational skill, and finding an effective and enjoyable way to teach your child to read is a top priority for many parents. Recently, the “Children Learning Reading” system has gained popularity, promising to help even very young children unlock the world of reading. In this review, we’ll delve into my personal experience with the “Children Learning Reading” program, exploring its effectiveness, benefits, and any potential drawbacks. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of whether this system is the right fit for your family and your children’s learning reading journey.
Understanding How Children Learning Reading Works
The “Children Learning Reading” system was developed by a parent for parents. Understanding the challenges of short attention spans in young children, the creator designed lessons to be concise yet highly effective. The program aims to teach children to read at an early age, and its methods have been refined through practical experience with his own three children.
This program operates on a core principle: active parental involvement is crucial for a child’s reading success. It moves away from passive learning methods like TV, apps, or even relying solely on school systems. The system advocates for consistent, dedicated attention from parents to help children truly master reading skills. Recognizing busy family schedules, lessons are designed to be brief, ranging from just 5 to 15 minutes daily. This approach not only fosters reading skills but also strengthens the parent-child bond.
“Children Learning Reading” is ideally designed for children aged 2.5 to 7 years old. However, it can also be beneficial for older children who may be facing reading difficulties. The ultimate objective is to develop fluent reading skills in children, encompassing both uppercase and lowercase letters.
The program provides parents with comprehensive background information, research insights, and structured lesson plans to guide children in:
- Letter Recognition: Learning to identify both uppercase and lowercase letter names.
- Phonemic Awareness: Mastering the sounds associated with each letter in both uppercase and lowercase forms.
- Blending Sounds: Developing the ability to combine and blend letter sounds to read complete words.
- Segmenting Sounds: Learning to break down words into individual phonemes, a crucial skill for spelling.
- Sight Words: Recognizing common words that may not follow basic phonetic rules.
- Reading Fluency: Progressing from reading individual words to sentences and eventually full children’s stories.
Furthermore, the program includes valuable guidance for parents on lesson organization, strategies for engaging reluctant learners, fostering a positive learning mindset, and setting realistic expectations.
The “Children Learning Reading” system delivers its content through various formats to cater to different learning styles:
- Written Booklets (PDF): These provide background information on the methodology, detailed lesson plans outlining each step, and engaging reading materials for practice.
- Video Demonstrations: Visual guides showing parents how to effectively implement the lessons with their children, ensuring correct techniques are followed.
- Audio Recordings: These offer clear pronunciations of each phoneme, both in isolation and within example words, aiding in accurate sound production.
- Printable Cue Cards (PDF): Conveniently formatted for printing on business card sheets or regular paper, these cards are essential for interactive and hands-on learning activities.
“Children Learning Reading” is rooted in a phonics-based approach. This means it prioritizes teaching children the fundamental relationship between letters and sounds. Children learn the alphabet and the sounds each letter represents. This foundational knowledge is then applied to decode words based on their phonetic structure. The program focuses on mastering the basic “code” of reading first, before introducing exceptions, complexities, and variations in the English language.
The creator’s choice of a phonetic approach over the whole word method is deliberate and well-reasoned, with detailed explanations provided within the program materials. While this review won’t delve into the extensive research comparing phonetic and whole word methods, the program author provides in-depth information on relevant studies and a comprehensive list of resources that underpin the system’s methodology.
By establishing strong foundational reading skills, “Children Learning Reading” aims to empower children to focus on comprehension and enjoyment, rather than struggling with word recognition. This approach has been shown to enhance reading speed, comprehension, and spelling abilities in a child’s early school years.
The scientific evidence supporting this approach is compelling, suggesting its potential effectiveness. However, as a parent, you’re likely most interested in whether the program translates research into a practical system that works for your child. The following section shares my personal experience using “Children Learning Reading” with my four-year-old daughter, offering insights into its real-world application.
My Personal Experience with Children Learning Reading
Like many parents, my aspiration is for my child to not only read but to find joy and fulfillment in it. I believe that strong reading skills are the cornerstone of academic success and future opportunities. One of my hopes in teaching my daughter to read early was to cultivate a love for books and learning, encouraging her to choose reading over less enriching forms of entertainment like excessive screen time.
Before discovering “Children Learning Reading,” I had already introduced my daughter to letter names and sounds. However, I struggled to bridge the gap between knowing letters and actually reading words. I began to question my approach, worried that I might be hindering her progress or missing the window for early literacy development.
My search for a comprehensive reading system led me online, where I encountered “Children Learning Reading.” I was specifically looking for a structured program with daily lesson plans that progressively build reading skills. While numerous free websites and apps are available for early reading education, I found none that offered the complete and systematic approach I desired.
Upon purchasing “Children Learning Reading” and reviewing the introductory materials, I was impressed by the depth of research underpinning the program. The author referenced numerous studies and reports from reputable research institutions worldwide, presenting this information in an accessible and understandable manner for parents.
The program effectively highlights the concerning statistics surrounding childhood illiteracy and its associated challenges. It then transitions to presenting a detailed, research-backed strategy for effectively teaching children to read. The program also emphasizes the link between this specific approach and improved academic performance later in a child’s education.
Beyond providing a step-by-step method, “Children Learning Reading” also educates parents on the rationale behind each technique and how it compares to other popular reading instruction methods.
I found the teaching components of the system to be exceptionally clear, straightforward, and easy to implement. The program’s design emphasizes a logical and sequential learning progression, utilizing simple, incremental lessons that facilitate a gradual and consistent learning experience.
Naturally, I was eager to begin. Initially, I had some concern that my daughter, already familiar with the alphabet, might find the initial lessons tedious. However, we were able to move through the early stages relatively quickly, focusing on the reading-specific components rather than alphabet recognition (the program even offers guidance for children who already know their letters). Even revisiting letter sounds proved beneficial, as we identified areas where her knowledge was less secure.
My daughter’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive – she thoroughly enjoyed the lessons! Often, after completing the structured lesson, she would continue playing with the cue cards, practicing letters and words, and even creating her own words. She frequently engages in imaginative play, “teaching” her stuffed animals to read, further reinforcing the learned concepts.
Although we haven’t yet completed the entire program, she is already independently reading simple words and eagerly anticipates each new lesson. Her regular question is, “Will I get new cards today?” demonstrating her enthusiasm for learning to read.
In conclusion, I am exceptionally satisfied with “Children Learning Reading.” I am confident that it provides the effective solution I was seeking. It is a relief and a source of encouragement to know that I am equipping my daughter with fundamental reading skills that will contribute to a successful and bright future.
While every child and parent dynamic is unique, and individual results may vary, I find it difficult to imagine significant improvements that could make the system more user-friendly and accessible than it already is.
Pros and Cons of Children Learning Reading
Pros:
- Systematic and Engaging: “Children Learning Reading” offers a well-structured, step-by-step learning system that effectively engages young children. It incrementally builds reading skills in a logical and easy-to-follow manner.
- Research-Backed Methodology: The program is grounded in solid scientific research on effective reading instruction methods. It provides parents with a thorough understanding of the underlying principles and supporting evidence.
- Interactive Learning Tools: The inclusion of printable flashcards (cue cards) is invaluable for creating engaging and hands-on lessons that keep young learners motivated.
- Multi-Format Content Delivery: The program effectively utilizes written materials, video demonstrations, and audio recordings to cater to diverse learning preferences and ensure clear communication of the material.
Cons:
- Download Time: Users with slower internet connections may experience lengthy download times due to the digital nature of the program materials.
- Premium Package for Cue Cards: The most significant drawback, in my opinion, is that the printable cue cards, a crucial component of the program’s effectiveness, are only included in the premium package. These should ideally be included in both standard and premium options to maximize accessibility for all users.
Conclusion: Is Children Learning Reading Right for You?
“Children Learning Reading” is built upon a strong foundation of scientific research, incorporating proven methods for effectively teaching children to read. The program’s techniques are further supported by evidence indicating that early reading skills lay the groundwork for enhanced reading abilities and overall academic success in the long run.
This phonics-based system employs a gradual and consistent approach to reading instruction. It introduces new letters progressively, while simultaneously exposing children to words that incorporate previously learned letters. Children advance from reading simple words to sentences, and ultimately, to reading full books.
Based on my personal experience, I have found immense value in “Children Learning Reading.” I wholeheartedly recommend it to any parent seeking a comprehensive, effective, and engaging system to teach their child to read and foster a lifelong love of learning through children’s learning reading.
