Looking at Phonics Reading Programs for Preschoolers? 3 Tips Before You Shop.

by Mary Follin

Checking out phonics reading programs for your preschooler? Great! You clearly know that phonics is the easiest way to teach a 3-4 year-old child how to read. 

But unless you have experience teaching reading, you'll want to find a phonics reading program that helps you keep it simple. (Check out my review of Hooked on Phonics, Reading Eggs, and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.) By choosing a phonics reading program, your child will learn the 'code' to the English language, which unlocks the key ingredient to success—the ability to sound out words. And as an added bonus, phonics really is the easiest way to teach a preschool-age child to read. 
But not all phonics reading programs for preschoolers are the same. Be sure to read the following 3 TIPS before you decide which phonics reading program is right for you and your child.

3 Tips for Evaluating Phonics Reading Programs for Preschoolers

1) Competitiveness Has No Place in Preschool
When reviewing phonics reading programs, make sure each program takes a child-centered approach, one that lets your child sets the pace for learning. It's tempting to get excited when your child begins to grasp the concept of reading at such an early age, but as soon as he or she starts to feel pressure to perform, you might find your pupil becomes resistant to learning. Your child is not in a competition to be the best reader in the class. Rather, your child is on a personal journey to master a skill that will create a lifetime of opportunities. 

2) Passive Learning
Please don't choose a program that plants your child in front of a screen, working through games and activities in an isolated fashion! Let your reading lessons be a time the two of you can share. Better yet, bring the whole family in! If the lessons are simple enough, let big brother or sister play 'teacher' now and then. The added value of working through a program interactively is that your child learns how to learn, rather than passively being spoon-fed information.

3) Long Lessons
Preschoolers have short attention spans and will quickly tire of long, drawn-out lessons. Phonics reading programs for preschoolers should have lessons that are 5 minutes or less. By keeping the lessons short, you will be able to maintain consistency, since you can easily squeeze a lesson in on a daily basis. You're busy, right? Commit to short lessons, and you'll have no trouble finding the time.

Most of all, have fun teaching your preschooler to read! And please resist 'showing off' your child's new skills. Let the learning experience be guided by your child's own sense of accomplishment, rather than what other people think. Children who aren't particularly motivated by praise grow into curious adults who turn inward to feel good about what they do. 
Ready to give our phonics reading program for preschoolers a try? Learn more about Teach Your Child to Read™.
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