Are you looking for ways to help your child practice decoding? Try these hands-on activities!
When I first started blogging, I Can Teach My Child was one of the first blogs that caught my eye. Jenae, a former teacher, really knows her stuff. Her blog is full of creative learning ideas for all subjects! Be sure to follow her blog so you can learn how to support your child’s learning at home!
Here’s Jenae…
Hi, Measured Mom readers! I’m Jenae from I Can Teach My Child. I am excited to be sharing with you all today while Anna is busy welcoming a new precious baby into the world!
Teaching kids to read can be hard
Teaching your child to read can be overwhelming and, let’s be honest, at times a little frustrating for both us and our children. I’ve found two things that have helped the frustration level in our home: reading books with predictable texts and practicing decoding in isolation (not just within the pages of a book).
Our end-game as we teach our children to read is to help them become lifelong learners who enjoy reading. When children are confident while reading the pages of an actual book, they are obviously going to enjoy it much more. Reading texts that are predictable and patterned help build confidence.
I have found that reading books where the child has to decode (sound out) every single word on the page can become extremely frustrating for children and parents alike. Practicing decoding in isolation with something hands-on is a great way to help your child build confidence in their decoding skills…all while having fun!
Make learning to read hands-on!
This build-a-word magnetic tray is an excellent way to practice decoding words. It also makes it super easy to segment and change individual sounds in words (change the word “bat” to “bam”). You can find all the instructions on how to make yours here.
This game was one of my son’s absolute favorites when he was learning to read. It is sure to get some giggles as your child creates silly words, all while practicing decoding in the process! Learn how to play here.
This activity is a blend of science and decoding! It is so much fun, although it does require a little bit of prep work ahead of time. The basic idea is that the child “fizzes” the letters as he/she says each sound. I would recommend preparing several letters at once as it is sure to be a hit. Go here for the full instructions.
We up-cycled an outgrown toy with this idea…great for kinesthetic learners! The child “pounds” the ball while saying each sound.
Jenae is a former first grade teacher turned stay-at-home mom to three adorably rambunctious children. She began her blog I Can Teach My Child over five years ago as a way to hold herself accountable to being intentional with the time she had with her children. You can find her sharing learning activities and resources over on Facebook and Pinterest.
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Your students can complete these activities in Google Slides on a computer or tablet – no printing necessary! The resource includes activities for rhyming, syllable counting, beginning sounds, and upper/lowercase matching.
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Kathy
I am a retired teacher , and currently work as a volunteer after school with at risk students. Our students are at different levels, have different needs, and learning styles. Therefore, we try to individualize as much as we can, on a very limited budget! And, the program is right after a full day of school for our young primary students.
I am thankful I found your sight, your ideas and materials have been very helpful, and engaging to our children. They students are learning through tasks that are at their level and are “fun”. Thank you !
Anna Geiger
I’m glad you found my site, Kathy! Many of the activities I share are done with my own kids after a day at school – so I definitely have to make them engaging. 🙂