As many teachers, parents and students know - the best way to learn to read is with phonics. There are two parts to teaching students how to make that firm connection between letters and sounds. The first part is giving them a hook to remember what each squiggle is. The second part is the drilling. Students need to go over and practice many times till that connection is as automatic as it is to you - the reader of this blog. Some need to review it just 2-3 times. Others strug

Last week I explained why children need to learn to read with phonics. However, with all due respect to the theory, how do we translate the idea of reading into practice? Teaching reading with phonics is the same, no matter what the language is. The most important thing is to teach in a systematic and constant way. I start with explaining to children that each squiggle makes a sign. Sometimes we have more complicated squiggles (such as digraphs like ch and sh). For some stude

Very often people ask me which is the best way to teach - sight words or phonics? My answer - BOTH but start with phonics! Why is it important to start with the phonics? Phonics are the way our brain works out the reading. If a child is taught to read the word cat as c-a-t, years later he will be able to read the word categorize as cat-e-go-rize. A child who is taught reading with sight words has to learn both cat and categorize, in addition to another million of words. Over

Once a month I will post a list of my top books in a certain category. This time I will discuss humorous, silly books that will make you laugh out loud: Sometimes you just want to snuggle with a good, funny book that will perk up your mood. A book that will have you laughing until tears run down your face, or giggling over the characters' silliness. Here are my top funny books for all ages: I'm going to start off with my very favorite of all funny authors (which gives you ove