Teach and Practice Sight Words with Online Books From Starfall

Most sight words can be taught through rules and letter to sound relationships. Children learn words much quicker this way. Words become sight words through repeated exposure. A new reader can be taught sight words by sounding them out, practicing them with flashcards, and playing with magnetic letters. I think the best way to learn to read sight words quickly is to have a reader practice reading sight words while reading books. Here's a link to Good Books for Beginning Readers.

There are some free fiction and non-fiction books from Starfall. The first books have a read to you option. Just click on the picture of the ear by the words on each page. The rest of the books can be read to an early reader, share read, or read alone by an early reader.

There are three sets of books written with mostly sight words. You will find these sets for sale in Starfall's online store. Look for the I'm Reading book sets. If you buy four or more sets at the same time, the price for each set goes down. This buying books in bulk option is good for teachers or a group of parents.

I've created flashcards with sounding out tips printed on the back to go with the Now I'm Reading! Take-Home-Booklet Set #3. I've used this set of flashcards for tutoring. These flashcards are similar to the free flashcards I created for my Sight Word Flashcards with Free Printable Books posts.

The sight word flashcards I use for tutoring were printed on 67lb colored paper. They hold up well. I'm considering setting up a PayPal link and selling these flashcards. I'd print them and cut them just enough to fit in a letter sized envelope to save on postage. If I get any interest, I'll start editing my cards and set up a link to sell them.

You can look in the back of the book covers from the I'm Reading books from Starfall and make your own flashcards. If you've used my free printable flashcards from my other posts, you should be able to teach a new reader to sound out most sight words based on the tips I shared on those cards.

I'm not getting paid from any purchases from Starfall's books. I just like them.

Teach and Practice Sight Words with Online Books From Starfall

Are Reading Levels Important?

Reading levels help me choose books for my kids.

I'd love to hear your opinion about reading levels and have you join my Blog Frog Community.

I'm embedding a discussion here on my blog. If you are interested in learning more about reading levels or have some ideas or opinions to share, I welcome you! Thanks in advance for your time. One of the best parts of writing this blog has been connecting with others. I'd love to connect with you on this issue!

Are Reading Levels Important?

Keep Reading Together

I just found a good resource titled Keep Reading Together from The Boys and Girls Clubs of America today and added it to my Reading Resources page.

I think it's so important for parents to continue to read together with their children. The link I shared will hopefully motivate parents to make time to read together with children even after they know how to read themselves.

Many readers of my blog and friends may be surprised to find out that I was not a good reader until my late twenties. I love to read now. I wish reading together was a routine in my family growing up. My mom read to me when I was little, but when I got older my reading time was a solo activity.  I shared a little bit about my reading troubles when asked a few questions by LitWorld for my World Read Aloud Day Ambassador profile.

I try to listen to each of my children read aloud at least once a week. It might be a cartoon, news story, picture book, or a chapter book.  Since I know the importance of reading aloud I continue to read aloud to my children ages 8, 8, and 10. Even though reading and teaching reading is my passion, sometimes it's hard to find the time to read together. We don't always have a book going, but we make it a priority once we find a good book. We are currently reading Runt by Marion Dane Bauer.

Their dad read The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthorpe in December.

Stop by my Blog Frog community and share your children's favorite books. What's Your Child's Favorite Book Right Now?

Do you know about a resource you think belongs on my Reading Resources page? Please share a link in a comment.

Keep Reading Together

Teach An Early Reader with the Free Printable Book - Fruit

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Fruit is a patterned text book for early readers. The author, Leanne Guenther, has been kind enough to share this book and many others on this site. I've shared some of my favorite books from the site and free printable high frequency word flashcards with sounding out tips in a previous post.

The flashcards that go with this book are: I and like

Teach the silent e rule. You can show the words like and lick with magnetic letters and ask a child to mix up the words and put them back together making the sounds for the letters as they are moved in place to make the words. (This will give practice with the short and long sound of the letter a.)

The pattern in this book is: I like ________ .
The fruit words in this book can be figured out by picture clues and beginning sounds. Most early readers will not be able to sound out the long words in this book. Very early readers will probably only be able to "read" the last words in the sentences by using the picture clues or by hearing an adult say the name of the fruit.

I'm going to give you a few extra ways to teach with this book. As always, my advice is to follow a child's lead. Stop if it's frustrating, and go on if a child is learning. Here are some ideas and videos for you. 

Practice tapping and hearing syllables in words.




Practice blends.




Show how more than one letter can work together to make a sound
.



Teach a child who knows long and short vowel sounds that there are exceptions.








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Teach An Early Reader with the Free Printable Book - Fruit

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

Watch this video to learn about the making of this book.


Here's Simms Taback's official site. I found this video and learned about this amazing author at the beginning of this year. He died December 25, 2011. He will forever live on in his work and the hearts of his loved ones. His site is a beautiful tribute to his work. I hope you take some time to learn about him.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback would be a good book to choose to read for World Read Aloud Day. Click on the link to learn more ways you can celebrate.

Here's a video of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback.




Do you own this book?

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

Bookmarks For World Read Aloud Day March 7, 2012

You can own one or more of these bookmarks and support LitWorld. Just send me a check written to LitWorld of $1.00 for each bookmark you would like along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Michelle Breum
2205 Lyman Ave.
Billings, MT 59102

I will send the bookmarks you request in the envelope you provide. This will make it quick and easy to send out bookmarks. I've ordered 250. I hope to need to order more. Please share this post and encourage others to order bookmarks and get involved in World Read Aloud Day!

If you are purchasing more than 20 bookmarks, I'll take care of the postage and envelope. Please make sure you send your address when you send your check.

If you haven't checked out LitWorld's website, you should. Learning about this amazing organization is well worth your time. I'm an ambassador for LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day. You can learn about my involvement in this post.

If you'd like to join in on World Read Aloud Day, check out this activity page for ideas.

Bookmarks For World Read Aloud Day March 7, 2012