1. Ask the child to draw a picture on the top portion of the paper.  This might be a problem if the child has never drawn a picture before. The childs name goes at the bottom of the page. Some children don't know their complete name.  Please print the childs first and last name.

2.After the picture is complete (about 3 to 5 minutes). Get the child to tell you about the picture. You print each word (very slow) on the bottom half of the paper.  One word is fine, three words are better. 

3. Point to each word you printed. Say each word. Get the child to read the word back to you. Show your excitement.

4. Do this for several weeks.  Give them a kiss for work well done. A grape might be better. Please, please do not fuss at them for not doing what you ask. BE Patient! Be Patient!  I notice that if you give the child candy, the sugar is too much for them.  Grapes have sugar but it doesn't affect the child the same way. A small piece of apple or orange has the same reward.

The Parents Story comes after the child has worked at least six weeks on his stories. Use the words the child knows in the beginning. One, two and three letter English word Library. This word Library will be useful after you start your own pictures. You might need a notebook for this operation.  The list will get large.

This should be done with short vowels. Examples, (color words) red, yellow, grey, tan and pink  can be used.  (Number) words like six, seven, and ten can be used. Remember short vowels at this time. (position) words like up, (short u) can be used.  Hands, head, eyes and legs are short vowel words. Trace an outline of your hand and her hand. The story will be great.

(Vowels are a e i o u) (21 consonants, b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x. z) (y is sometimes a vowel).

Examples are below: Some vowels can change their sound depending on the word. English isn't an easy language.  I don't know of any language that is easy.  That is the reason for learning the short vowels first.  The long vowels say their name.  That's relatively simple.

at, bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, pat, rat, sat, vat, bit, fit, hit, lit, mit, pit, sit, wit, et, bet, get, ed, bed, fed, led, wed, en, men, hen, den, pen, ten, zen, ot, cot, dot, got, ob, cob, job, rob, ud, ut, but, cut, us, bus, fuss. Use other consonants.  Many good words can be formed. Names are always good. Bud, Dan, Tom, Lim, Lem, Kim, Gus, Mat, Pat, Ed, Ben, Zen, Bob, Bud, Ned, Ted, Mick. Your child's brain is functioning at a high level.  Please think if you had to do what he is going through.

The Parents Story: This is started after at least six weeks of lesson 1.  This picture and story will develop into a broad range of new learning.  The child will respond if you put your story and his side by side on the refrigerator door.

You fold the paper and draw a picture. You do it like you told the child to do. Please go over the short vowel word list and make up your story. Please do this pryor to starting your picture. The story will be much better if you write it down (on a different piece of paper) before you sit down with your child. Don't use too many words. Three or four words are fine. All of your words do not have to be three letter short vowel words. One or two short vowel words is great. Some words can be longer.  Try to have a short vowel in the longer word.

Tell your story and print your words (very large and slow). Please forgive the repeating of instructions.

See if your child can read your story.  Tape, your story and your child's story on the refrigerator door.  Review them and get excited. YOUR NAME GOES at the bottom.

Lesson 2. Children Under 3 might do best if the teacher chose the story with only the words the child knows.  Example: If the child is young (18 months old) and the only word he knows is MaMa or DaDa.  The teacher should start the picture with a drawing of Mama and Dada.  If you have a digital camera you can take a picture of your face and print Mama at the bottom. I only mention the camera if your drawing is only a stick figure.The teacher should print the words Mama and Dada at the bottom of the page.  The use of a digital camera brings a complete new status to the picture. Notice you can make a picture of almost anything.  A picture of the child and her name below can introduce the child to his or her name in print. All things have words that can be printed and read. You might have a pet.  Draw a picture of the pet. Print the word below the picture.  It's best if the pet has a name like Bud, Tip, Spot or Tess.  Note those names have a short vowel.  Wet is a great word for a picture.  You can draw a picture of a child getting wet.  You can follow up with wet when you give the child a bath.  A frog might get caught in the yard.  Do a picture of a frog getting wet.  Don't think for a minute your child might not remember the frog. I did that lesson in 1973 with a small 12 inch alligator in my kindergarten.  You should have seen the eyes of the children when I pulled out the gator.  The children named him Al.  The pictures and the stories  were  great. 

   "What can we do?" "What can we say?" " Teach children to read." 

Dan Dechman 12/29/2009      2:41:PM