How to teach a first grader

65 Tips, Tricks & Ideas

First grade is a year full of adventure! First grade learners begin to see themselves as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and more. To help make it the best year ever, we’ve scoured our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and the web for some of the best tips and ideas for teaching first grade. While it by no means covers every possible topic, we hope this list of gems will inspire you whether you are a brand-new teacher or a veteran. And we’ve organized the list by topic to make it easy to cruise for ideas!

Getting Your Classroom Ready

1. Create an inviting classroom

Need ideas? We’ve gathered real-life first grade classrooms for you to browse!

2. Gather all the supplies

Not sure what exactly you need for the first grade classroom? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this list of essential first grade classroom supplies.

3. Welcome your students with a big, colorful bulletin board

Image source: Doodlebugs Teaching

Seeing their names up on the wall will help students instantly feel at home, and the bright colors will create a festive mood in the classroom. Check out these bulletin board ideas.

4. Get a jump start on lessons

In first grade, teacher planning and prep time are precious! It makes life a lot easier when you can purchase existing lessons, bundles, books, and pages. And why not support other teachers while you do it? Check out our favorite Teachers Pay Teachers sellers for first grade.

5. Put together an irresistible classroom reading nook

Image source: Polka Dot Teacher

Your first graders are well on their way to becoming readers, so make this time extra special for them by setting up one of these awesome reading nooks.

6. Fill your classroom library with these classic first grade books

Here are 50 of our favorite first grade books.

7. Set up sensory tables

Early childhood teachers know that hands-on learning is essential. Sensory play encourages open-ended thinking, language development, and collaboration, and builds fine motor skills. Sensory materials are magically both engaging and calming. Here are our favorites!

The First Days of School

8. Introduce yourself creatively

If you’re teaching 1st grade, you have the honor of being one of the first teachers a child will meet! Make day one memorable by introducing yourself in a creative way, such as sending postcards over the summer! For creative ideas, check out 30 Unique Ways To Introduce Yourself to Students This Year.

9. Get to know one another with icebreakers

Get the kids mixing and moving as they get to know one another. Click here for lots of great ideas.

Create a Classroom Community

10. Start the day with Morning Meeting

Morning Meeting is an engaging way to connect with your students at the beginning of each day. An objectives and agenda board, along with a morning message, will help your students start off on the right track. For more morning meeting ideas, check out Responsive Classroom.

11. Establish a culture of kindness

Print these free downloadable posters to remind your students that kindness matters most of all.

12. Teach citizenship

Image source: First Grade Wow

Read the story of Johnny Appleseed with your students, then analyze the qualities that make Johnny a good citizen. Help students brainstorm ideas about how they might show these characteristics in the classroom and at home.

13. Teach the difference between reporting and tattling

Image source: Mrs. Warner’s Learning Community

Save yourself a lot of headaches by teaching your students the difference. Read the Child Mind Institute’s Is It Tattling or Telling?

14. Assign jobs

Give your students ownership of the classroom and teach responsibility by assigning jobs. Remember the saying: Many hands make light work! Here are 38 Ideas for Flexible, Fun Classroom Job Charts to choose from.

15. Read stories that build your students’ social-emotional skills

Learning how to be in school and be a good friend are a huge part of being a first grader. Share these stories that will not only teach lessons but start conversations.

Ideas for Language Arts

16. Incorporate daily writing prompts

We’ve gathered 25 writing prompts that you can download and use to get your first graders practicing their writing skills.

17. Stock up on fun tools to use for guided reading

Image source: Miss Van Maren’s Fantastic First Grade

Learning to read is hard work! Make it as fun as you can with the great ideas found at the blog Guided Reading: A Little Novelty Goes a Long Way. For more information on guided reading, check out What Is Guided Reading?

18. Encourage critical thinking with writing prompts

First grade teacher Heather M. shares, “I give students questions that take more thought than our simple carpet discussions—questions that they had to apply what they know to answer. It helps them get away from answering without thinking just to be first.” Here are 37 suggestions from Journal Buddies to get you started.

19. Differentiate reading instruction

“Read Works is an incredible resource for teaching reading!” says first grade teacher Kellie P. “At least once a week, I use a reading passage and question set in either ‘guided reading’ or ‘read to someone’ for small-group practice. I can easily differentiate because they provide the Lexile levels. I found this resource to be very helpful, especially with nonfiction, to integrate science and social studies concepts into Daily 5.”

20. Have your students create personal word walls

Image source: Cara Carroll

Instead of having one massive class word wall, have students create and post their own personal word walls in your classroom. Your first graders will love showcasing their skills! Check out the Just Cara Carroll for a free personal word wall template.

21. Have fun with literacy centers

We love this big list of ideas for grades K-2.

22. Make things interesting with foldables

Image source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

Foldables are a great and easy way to make any literacy activity more fun. The one above helps students group words with the same blend.

23. Teach them how to retell a story

Use these reading comprehension anchor charts to review stories with your first graders and strengthen their recall skills after reading.

24. Use paint strips to work on CVC words

Image source: Serving Pink Lemonade

Practice making new words by adding word parts to different beginning letters and letter sounds. And check out these other fun ways to use paint strips!

25. Teach sight words

Image source: Make, Take, and Teach

Check out these 43 sight word activities for the classroom!

26. Make phonics fun

Phonics is the foundation for reading success. Breaking words into their constituent sounds helps kids understand and build their literacy skills, bit by bit. Check out these 20 phonics activities.

27. Use games to teach blends

Image source: The Measured Mom

Check out these six free, low-prep games for teaching blends.

28. Introduce interactive notebooks

Image source: Teaching With Love & Laughter

First grade teacher Lori shares, “Using interactive notebooks is a great way for children to learn and interact with new information, as well as review and practice skills already introduced. They really took pride in their notebooks and were very proud to share their work with others. Unlike completing worksheets or other printables, which go home right away, these books are always available to the children.”

Ideas for Math

29. Keep your math manipulatives organized and easy to access

Check out these creative ways to use math manipulatives.

Plus, here are some additional ideas from first grade teachers:

“Use labels with words and pictures on bins. We take actual pictures of the materials.” —Amy L.
“I give my kids the things they use the most, like counters and linking cubes, in a ziplock baggie to keep in their desks. When we need them, I just tell them to take out their math tools. It saves a lot of time passing them out every time they are needed.” —Diane D.
“I put my manipulatives into clear shoe boxes and label them with words and pictures. I have a set of shelves in my back room where the kids can access them. ” —Kelly H.
“Save baby wipe tubs and give each student their own set of place value books to keep in the desk.” —Ann M.

30. Keep math journals

Image source: Miss Van Maren’s Fantastic First Grade

Making a chart that connects the numeral, word, and picture for each number will help reinforce number concepts with your little ones. Check out this article for more great examples of how to use math journals!

31. Differentiate math work by using online resources

There are tons of online resources for differentiating math work. For a huge list of suggestions, check out our best math websites for teaching and learning math.

32. Play math games

Here’s a big list of math games that are just right for first grade.

33. Watch math videos

Making math more engaging for kids can be difficult. But teaching math will be anything but boring when you introduce students to some of our favorite subtraction and addition videos on YouTube.

34. Teach shapes

Learning shapes is one of the earliest concepts we teach kids. Shapes ready them for geometry in the years ahead, but it’s also an important skill for learning how to write and draw. Get started with these activities.

35. Count the days of school and celebrate when you reach 100!

There are so many different fun ways to celebrate the 100th day of school. We’ve got a whole collection of activities for you.

36. Have “Number Talks”

You can build mental math and computation skills with Number Talks.

First grade teacher Stephanie W. shares, “Our students need to be able to explain their thinking on math assessments, so this is a perfect way to get them comfortable with reasoning aloud. They learn to explain clearly and logically. It also helps them to see their errors since you write down the problem exactly the way they explain it. If they can’t see the errors, other students can help clarify. It also gives value to working problems in different ways. As children develop a deeper number sense, they decompose and manipulate numbers in more complex ways.”

37. Get to know the hundreds chart with number puzzles

Image source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

These easy-to-make games will help students see what one more, ten more, one less, and ten less look like.

38. Share math word problems daily

We’ve got 50 free math word problems for your first grade class! Use them for math word problems of the day or a warm-up whenever you need it.

Ideas for Science

39. Create “apple eruptions”

Image source: Growing a Jeweled Rose

Conduct an apple-volcano science experiment. Fun and yum! Click here for step-by-step instructions. Plus, check out these apple science activities.

40. Get hands-on with science

Science is the perfect subject for kids to get down and dirty in. Try these 35 first grade science projects for inspiration.

41. Try daily STEM challenges

These STEM challenges are designed with your first graders in mind. Try one each day or each week to get their minds thinking outside the box.

42. Use a science journal to teach the seasons

Image source: Today … in First Grade

Students will draw trees in each season, describe what they wear during the different seasons, and journal about what makes winter, spring, summer, and fall different as they fill in this science journal.

43. Look for resources from an old friend

Check out these awesome lesson plans for teaching first grade science in the kitchen, on the playground, and throughout the day from PBS Kids.

44. Take a field trip

There’s something about the first grade field trip that’s so special. We’ve rounded up our favorite first grade field trips that students will remember forever.

Ideas for Classroom Organization

45. When it comes to decorating your classroom, less is more

Anyone teaching first grade is going to have the urge to decorate, but check out these HELPLINE readers’ thoughts on why simplicity rules:

“I have learned to start with a blank slate and let the students ‘decorate’ the classroom through the year with their work. ” —Sarah H.
“I made the mistake of covering every wall with decor and then had nowhere for anchor charts!” —Ann M.
“You will see people go overboard with themes. Don’t bother! I saw the cutest classroom where the teacher had bought a pack of plain borders with various colors, and she just alternated the colors on the wall with alternating butcher paper. Go simple.” —Suzanne H.

Plus, check out our minimalist guide to classroom design.

46. Keep paperwork organized with labeled three-drawer bins

Image source: Learning to Teach

Hurray! No more messy piles everywhere when teaching first grade! For more organization tips, read Ten Teaching Hacks That Make You Go Duh!

47. Create classroom mailboxes for students

Image source: The Teaching Thief

Use mailboxes to return work and have students write and deliver letters to one another! Personalize them to match your classroom decor.

48. Craft milk-crate seats with built-in storage

Image source: The Apple Tree Room

These adorable seats can double as bins for easy materials storage. Check out other creative ways to use milk crates in your classroom.

49. Use “absent folders” to help students catch up when they return to school

Image source: Teaching With Terhune

Partner students at the beginning of the year. When one student is absent, have their partner put work in the Absent Folder for them. When the student returns to school, send the folder home. Total time-saver!

Ideas for Classroom Management

50. There’s a chart for that

These classroom management anchor charts tackle every possible issue.

51. Use a snappy call-and-response to get their attention

For fun ideas for quieting a noisy class, check out these attention-getters.

52. Take a brain break

Check out these 25 brain-break videos, gathered just for your first graders.

53. Reduce stress during dismissal

Dismissal time doesn’t have to be chaotic. Check out these great tips on handling dismissal time.

54. Let students pick their own seats (carefully)

Teaching first grade is part of easing kids into the school experience. Let them practice their independence with these tips for letting students choose their seats.

55. Have students use colored sticky notes to communicate their understanding of a concept

Image source: Love, Teach, Inspire

Students signal if they’re struggling, stuck, or solid on a concept they’re learning! You can use sticky notes or colored index cards.

56. Set up a “Calm Down Corner” and toolbox

Image source: Creatively Teaching First

The calm-down spot is a classroom space where students go to regulate their emotions and redirect their behavior. Stock these spaces with tools students can use to help them calm down and make better choices. Learn more about Why Safe Spaces Are Critical in Today’s Classrooms.

Need more inspiration? Here are 8 Types of Learning Spaces to Consider Including in Your Elementary Classroom.

Other Ideas

57. Use

all the anchor charts

Here are 22 anchor charts for teaching first grade.

58. Build relationships with your students’ parents

Check out these 11 Teacher-Tested Ways to Make Your Classroom Parents Adore You.

59. Make art

Check out these 45 art projects are just right for first graders.

60. Set the tone for work time with background music

From Piano Guys to Afrobeat to the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra, you can find a Pandora station for every occasion.

61. Play with your kids

First graders are hilarious! Don’t forget to have fun with them. Here are a bunch of old-school recess games you can teach your students.

62. Use technology to organize classroom volunteers

Sites like SignUpGenius are free and user-friendly. You could also assign one of your classroom volunteers to manage the content and delegation of any project or extra hands needed using this service. If you are looking for more ways to use classroom volunteers, here are 6 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Classroom Volunteers.

63.

Display student work from the ceiling

Image source: Kroger’s Kindergarten

This is the perfect solution for teaching in first grade classrooms with limited wall space, which is the case in most classrooms. Dangle student work from the ceiling! Check out more clever ways to display students work in the classroom and online.

64. Get acquainted with running records

What are running records? When used meaningfully while teaching first grade, running records can really help you move the needle. Running records are a valuable reading-assessment tool used in many primary classrooms.

65. Grab inspired dry erasers

Image source: @kinder_charm

This is one of the best money-saving hacks I’ve seen in recent years! After all, inspiration can come from all sorts of places. They’re perfect for little hands and they really get the “erasing” job done. Bonus: They’re cute too! Check out more of our favorite money-saving classroom hacks.

What are your top tips for teaching first grade? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our guide to teaching in a first grade classroom.

The Ultimate Checklist For All Your 1st Grade Classroom Supplies

There’s so much to teach in first grade! First graders are eager to learn new things and they’re curious about everything. Your students will go on new reading adventures as they begin to discover who they are as readers, they’ll grow into confident writers sharing their own stories, and they’ll become creative problem solvers and flexible thinkers in math. You’ll need a lot of 1st grade classroom supplies to help students learn and grow by leaps and bounds!

Here is our ultimate checklist of the top 50 first grade classroom supplies that every teacher needs for an academic year filled with lightbulb learning moments!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you for your support!)

Individual compartments for name/project tabs on each slot of this brilliant classroom file system make it easy for 1st graders to keep their own work organized.

Step right up to reading! You’ll need bookshelves for your reading nook, and these tiered easy-to-reach shelves, or any of our other top bookcases, are the perfect addition to any first grade classroom.

You’ve got the bookcases, now it’s time to fill them with books! We’ve gathered some of our favorite first grade books for getting students excited to read, from The Princess and the Pit Stop to Maurice the Unbeastly.

First grade readers need access to lots of books. These bins make the perfect container to hold the books they’ll need for every reading event.

These multipurpose nameplates are more than just a name line. They include the alphabet, a number line, shapes, an addition chart, and a number chart. They’re perfect for identifying each students’ work area.

An easy-to-use visual twist timer. This countdown timer is great for helping students anticipate transitions between rotating times. Or check out our list of other timers for the classroom!

Magnetic hooks are perfect for hanging precious art pieces and projects above each students’ desk. They can be hung from metal ceiling frames. Add a plastic hanger to each hook and clip on work samples and projects. Voila!

Two-pocket folders are great for a variety of purposes. They’re perfect for holding your students’ writing pieces. Add a green dot on the inside left pocket and a red dot on the inside right pocket. Works-in-progress are placed behind the green dot. Finished writing pieces are placed behind the red dot. Two-pocket folders work great as “take-home” folders. One pocket holds items to “keep at home” and the other pock holds items to “return” to school.

Keep it together with a sturdy stapler! This one is jam-resistant, making sure you’re not stuck taking it apart on repeat throughout the day.

Reinforce documents or make instructional items tear and spill-proof. We’ve gathered the top laminator picks so you can easily save those first grade projects to take home. Don’t forget to stock up on laminating pouches, too.

Easily three-hole punch up to 12 sheets minus the usual jams. Perfect for adding papers to student portfolios!

Most teachers like to back their bulletin boards with bright paper. Upgrade with write-on/wipe-off paper that cleans easily with damp cloth and doesn’t tear or show staple holes. Available in a wide range of colors.

You’ve got the paper, now make it a bulletin board to remember with colorful trimmers. The scalloped edge adds a cute touch. Patterns include stars, polka dot, confetti candy sprinkles, stripes, zig-zag, and back-to-school.

Because you can never have enough sticky notes on hand in the classroom. Check out teacher hacks for post-it notes in the classroom.

Nearly every first grade loves building with LEGOs. They make terrific tools in your classroom and are especially great for teaching a variety of math concepts. Check out our favorite LEGO math ideas for every skill level .

There are a variety of different math supplies for the classroom that you’ll want on hand for teaching this subject! LEGOs, manipulatives, calculators, dice, games, and more.

Time isn’t always easy to teach, which makes this clock one of our favorite 1st grade classroom supplies. With each quarter broken down into a specific color, it’s easier than ever for your first graders to remember and retain where each minute is thanks to this analog classroom clock.

Keep centers supplied with a rainbow of 3 compartments (1 large, 2 small) caddies made of impact-resistant plastic. Plus learn the best ways to organize your turn-in bins.

We have put together the best pencil sharpeners as reviewed by teachers!

Teachers need a variety of tape for a wide variety of surfaces. Masking tape is great to have on hand as it’s safe and easy to tear and remove. Painter’s tape is a teacher lifesaver as it removes easily from drywall and can be placed on whiteboards for helping handwriting! Clear tape is also key for taping ripped papers and for craft projects!

First graders still love reading time on the rug. Add some color to your room with one of these bold patterned and brightly colored rugs.

As an alternative to a rug for your meeting area, these carpet spot sit markers help first graders know where to sit. The best part is, the spots can be moved very easily when you want to change spots and do an impromptu switcheroo.

Almost 5,000 stickers will carry you through a year of rewarding students for a job well done.

1″ spacing for little hands plus graphics in blue, green, and red helps first graders form letters correctly.

Stop the paper waste madness with these durable, double-sided dry-erase boards. Students will enjoy writing and wiping away mistakes and you get to save on paper as one of your 1st grade classroom supplies! Don’t forget to stock up on colorful, dry erase markers for kids , too.

Mistakes help us learn! Erase them into history with colorful, magnetic whiteboard erasers.

Keep your year on track for learning with a classroom-sized calendar pocket chart featuring 45 clear pockets for holding headliners and days. 68 calendar pieces help you plan out the days and weeks for maximum fun and learning.

Along with a calendar, it’s best to have a classroom schedule so students know the plan for the day. This pocket chart comes complete with 10 write-on/wipe-off schedule cards, 5 blank cards, and 1 title card.

Clipboards encourage independent and group learning. Easy to stack and organize, these letter-size clipboards also feature rounded edges to protect students’ hands.

Place sentence strips, flashcards, calendar pieces, library pockets, class jobs, daily schedules in this useful 34″×44″ chart featuring a total of 10 see-through pockets.

Showcase sentences with 3 x 24-inch, colorful sentence strips.

Make letter recognition happen all day long in your 1st grade classroom with this bold, 15-foot long alphabet poster. Plus it’s printed on thick card stock to last.

Post this number line on your wall or bulletin board to help 1st graders visualize the number line throughout the year, and make sure to check out our activities for number lines!

Make numbers, skip counting, and odds/evens easy to see with this 100s chart with clear pockets. Fill it yourself to hang on the wall, or use it for an activity to get students sorting their numbers.

Yes, we wish it were real, too. But this big money is second best. Teach kids to instantly identify coins and bills with these large, realistically-detailed images on the fronts and backs. Plus they adhere to any magnetic-receptive surface, such as your whiteboard, to attract student attention.

We love reading and your first-grade students will too! This set of reading posters is great for bulletin boards or your class library corner.

Kindness is key, especially for first grade students, which is why we love these free kindness posters. All eight are free to save and print!

There are so many ways to use magnets in the classroom. These ones serve as pushpins and can hold up to 6 sheets of printer paper!

A classroom set of these colorful, resistant headphones makes integrating iPad and other technology in first grade a little easier on the ears, thanks to plush circular cups and an adjustable headband. If you opt to use earbuds, we have a wealth of storage ideas!

The wide-ruled format (11/32-inch) of these 1st grade ready composition books makes it easier for early writers to share their thoughts and begin journaling on paper.

Board games are perfect for supplemental learning. Not only do students learn how to get along and take turns, but they can also reinforce math and literacy skills! Check out our favorite board games, including Sorry and Hedbanz.

If you’re creating a theme for your classroom, or just want to brighten that reading corner, why not consider string lights as a way to add a pop of light? Here are our top string light sets!

1st grade calls for honing those paper-cutting skills. Softgrip, cushioned handles and a textured non-slip surface helps guide the little hands toward correct handle use.

Coloring fun continues in 1st grade. Crayons are separated into individual sections by color in the storage box, keeping coloring time better organized.

Keep color where it belongs and easily remove it where it doesn’t with washable and non-toxic broad line markers. This classpack features storage sections, each separated by color, to keep markers organized for first-grade creatives.

Put two and two together with a classroom set of giant, all-purpose sticks.

You’ll love this chart stand with its double-sided magnetic whiteboard and storage bins. When used with chart paper, the chart stand is perfect for shared and interactive writing lessons. The magnetic whiteboard can be used with various math tools like your Magnetic Ten-Frame Set. Need more storage? The bins are great for storing math tools and other items.

No teacher wants sticky messes—or worse—to linger on classroom surfaces. Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Disinfecting Wipes kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.

Runny noses happen. Make it easier by having tissues on hand for any situation!

Keep your teacher desk organized and your phone charged and ready to go with this combo desk organizer and charger.

First graders love it when you implement a theme in the classroom! Why not check out our space theme, jungle theme, sports theme, emoji theme , donut theme, and camping theme pages!

Are we missing one of your favorite 1st grade classroom supplies? Head over to our WeAreTeachers Facebook Deals page to share your faves!

How to teach a child to read: important rules and effective methods

October 26 Likbez Education

Teaching a preschooler to read without losing interest in books is real. Lifehacker has selected the best ways for responsible parents.

How to understand that it is time to teach a child to read

There are several signs of psychological readiness.

The child speaks fluently in sentences and understands the meaning of what is said.
The child understands directions: left-right, up-down. For learning to read, it is important that the baby can follow the text from left to right and from top to bottom.
The child distinguishes sounds (what speech therapists call developed phonemic hearing). Simply put, the baby will easily understand by ear where the house and the bow are, and where the tom and the hatch are.
Your child pronounces all the sounds and has no speech problems.

Natalia Zharikova

Speech therapist with 33 years of experience

A child with speech therapy problems does not hear and does not distinguish similar sounds. From here come errors with speech, and subsequently with reading, and even more often with writing. It is very difficult for a parent to identify violations on their own, so usually a teacher or a speech therapist can point this out to them.

How to teach your child to read

Be patient and follow these simple guidelines.

Set an example

In a family where there is a culture and tradition of reading, children themselves will reach for books. Read not because it is necessary and useful, but because it is a pleasure for you.

Read together and discuss

Read aloud to the child and then look at the pictures together, encouraging them to interact with the book: “Who is this picture? Can you show me the cat's ears? And who is that standing next to her?” Older children can be asked more difficult questions: “Why did he do this? What do you think will happen next?"

Don't learn the letters as they are called in the alphabet

Instead, help your child remember the sound the letter makes. For example, you show the letter "m" and say: "This is the letter m (not em )". If a child remembers the alphabetic names of letters ( em , es, ef and so on), it will be quite difficult for him to learn to read. Then, when he sees the word ra-ma in the book, he will try to pronounce er-a-um-a .

Go from simple to complex

Once the child has memorized a few letters (from 2 to 5) and the sounds they represent, move on to syllables. Let the words consisting of repeated syllables be the first: mum, dad, uncle, nanny . In this case, it is not necessary to break the syllable into separate sounds. Do not say: "These are the letters m and a , and together they read ma ". Immediately learn that the syllable is pronounced like ma , otherwise the baby may start to read letter by letter. After mastering simple combinations, move on to more complex ones: cat, zhu-k, house .

Help to understand the meaning of what they read

Do this when the child begins to slowly but surely reproduce words and whole sentences in syllables. For example, the kid read: "Mom washed the frame." Stop and ask: “What did you just read about?”. If he finds it difficult to answer, let him read the sentence again. And you ask more specific questions: “Who washed the frame? What did mom wash?

Show that letters are everywhere

Play a game. Let the child find the letters that surround him on the street and at home. These are the names of stores, and memos on information stands, and advertising on billboards, and even traffic light messages: it happens that the inscription “Go” lights up on green, and “Wait so many seconds” on red.

Play

And play again. Stack blocks with letters and syllables, make up words, ask your child to read you some kind of sign or inscription on the packaging in the store.

Natalia Zharikova

There are many exercises for memorizing letters. For example, circle the desired letter among a number of others, circle the correctly written among the incorrect ones, color or shade. You can also ask the child to tell what the letter looks like.

Use every opportunity to practice

Whether you are waiting in line at the clinic or driving somewhere, take out a book with pictures and short stories to accompany them and invite your child to read together.

Build on your success

Repeat familiar texts, look for familiar characters in new stories. Runaway bunny is found both in "Teremka" and "Kolobok".

Do not force

This is perhaps the most important thing. Don't take away a child's childhood. Learning should not go through violence and tears.

What techniques to use to teach your child to read

Here are six popular, affordable and effective techniques. Choose one or try several and choose the one that interests your child the most.

1. ABCs and primers

Frame: This is all mine / YouTube

Traditional, but the longest way. The difference between these books is that the alphabet fixes each letter with a mnemonic picture: a drum will be drawn on the page with B , and a spinning top next to Yu . The alphabet helps to remember letters and often interesting rhymes, but will not teach you how to read.

The primer consistently teaches the child to combine sounds into syllables, and syllables into words. This process is not easy and requires perseverance.

There are quite a lot of author's primers now. According to the books of Nadezhda Betenkova, Vseslav Goretsky, Dmitry Fonin, Natalya Pavlova, children can study both with their parents before school and in the first grade.

Parents agree that one of the most understandable methods for teaching preschoolers is Nadezhda Zhukova's primer. The author simply explains the most difficult thing for a child: how to turn letters into syllables, how to read ma-ma , and not start naming individual letters me-a-me-a .

2. Zaitsev's Cubes

Shot: Little Socrates / YouTube

If a child consistently masters letters and syllables while learning from an ABC book, then in 52 Zaitsev's Cubes he is given access to everything at once: a single letter or combinations of consonant and vowel, consonant and hard or soft sign.

The child effortlessly learns the differences between voiceless and voiced sounds, because the cubes with voiceless consonants are filled with wood, and the cubes with voiced consonants are filled with metal.

The cubes also differ in size. The large ones depict hard warehouses, the small ones - soft ones. The author of the technique explains this by the fact that when we pronounce to (hard warehouse), the mouth opens wide, nor (soft warehouse) - lips in a half smile.

The set includes tables with warehouses that the parent sings (yes, he doesn’t speak, but sings).

The child quickly masters warehouse reading with the help of cubes. But there are also disadvantages: he may begin to swallow endings and face difficulties already at school when parsing a word by composition.

3. "Skladushki" and "Teremki" by Vyacheslav Voskobovich

Frame: Play and Toy Club / YouTube

In "Skladushki" Vyacheslav Voskobovich reworked Zaitsev's idea: 21 cards show all the warehouses of the Russian language with nice thematic pictures. Included is a CD with songs, the texts of which go under each picture.

Folders are great for kids who like looking at pictures. Each of them is an occasion to discuss with the child where the kitten is, what the puppy is doing, where the beetle flew.

It is possible to teach a child with these cards from the age of three. At the same time, it should be noted that the author of the methodology himself does not consider it necessary to force early development.

"Teremki" by Voskobovich consist of 12 wooden cubes with consonants and 12 cardboard cubes with vowels. First, the child gets acquainted with the alphabet and tries with the help of parents to come up with words that begin with each of the letters.

Then it's time to study the syllables. In the tower with the letter M is embedded A - and the first syllable is ma . From several towers you can lay out words. Learning is based on play. So, when replacing the vowel , house will turn into smoke .

You can start playing tower blocks from the age of two. At the same time, parents will not be left alone with the cubes: the kit includes a manual with a detailed description of the methodology and game options.

4. Chaplygin's dynamic cubes

Shot: Both a boy and a girl! Children's channel - We are twins / YouTube

Evgeny Chaplygin's manual includes 10 cubes and 10 movable blocks. Each dynamic block consists of a pair - a consonant and a vowel. The task of the child is to twist the cubes and find a pair.

At the initial stage, as with any other method of learning to read in warehouses, the child makes the simplest words from repeating syllables: ma-ma, pa-pa, ba-ba . The involved motor skills help to quickly remember the shape of the letters, and the search for already familiar syllables turns into an exciting game. The cubes are accompanied by a manual describing the methodology and words that can be composed.

The optimal age for classes is 4-5 years. You can start earlier, but only in the game format.

5. Doman's cards

Frame: My little star / YouTube

American doctor Glenn Doman suggests teaching children not individual letters or even syllables, but whole words. Parents name and show the child the words on the cards for 1-2 seconds. In this case, the baby is not required to repeat what he heard.

Classes start with 15 cards with the simplest concepts like females and males . Gradually, the number of words increases, those already learned leave the set, and the child begins to study phrases: for example, color + object, size + object.

How can one understand that a child has understood and memorized the visual image of a word, if the author of the methodology recommends starting classes from birth? Glenn Doman in "The Harmonious Development of the Child" strongly emphasizes that it is not necessary to arrange tests and checks for the child: kids do not like this and lose interest in classes.

It's better to remember 50 cards out of 100 than 10 out of 10.

Glenn Doman

But given that parents can't help but check, he advises the child to play the game if they want and are ready. For example, you can put a few cards and ask to bring one or point to it.

Today, psychologists, neurophysiologists and pediatricians agree that the Doman method is aimed not at teaching reading, but at mechanical memorization of visual images of words. The child turns out to be an object of learning and is almost deprived of the opportunity to learn something on his own.

It is also worth adding: in order to proceed to the stage of reading according to Doman, parents need to prepare cards with all (!) Words that are found in a particular book.

6. Montessori method

Photo: Kolpakova Daria / Shutterstock

Montessori reading comes from the opposite: first we write and only then we read. Letters are the same pictures, so you first need to learn how to draw them and only then engage in pronunciation and reading. Children begin by tracing and shading the letters, and through this, they memorize their outline. When several vowels and consonants have been studied, they move on to the first simple words.

Much attention is paid to the tactile component, so children can literally touch the alphabet cut out of rough or velvety paper.

The value of the method lies in learning through play. So, you can put a rough letter and a plate of semolina in front of the child and offer to first circle the sign with your finger, and then repeat this on the semolina.

The difficulty for parents is to purchase or prepare a significant amount of handouts. But you can try to make cards with your own hands from cardboard and sandpaper.

What's the result

On the Internet and on posters advertising "educators", you will be offered ultra-modern methods of teaching your child to read at three, two years old or even from birth. But let's be realistic: a happy mother is needed a year, not developmental classes.

The authors of the methods as one insist that the most natural learning process for a child is through play, and not through classes in which the parent plays the role of a strict controller. Your main assistant in learning is the curiosity of the child himself.

Some children will study for six months and start reading at three, others have to wait a couple of years to learn in just a month. Focus on the interests of the child. If he likes books and pictures, then primers and Folders will come to the rescue. If he is a fidget, then cubes and the Montessori system are better suited.

In learning to read, everything is simple and complex at the same time. If your child often sees you with a book, you have a tradition of reading before bed, your chances of getting your baby interested in reading will increase significantly.

How to teach a child to read: techniques from an experienced teacher

At what age should children start learning to read?

“But still, the starting point for the first steps in this matter should not be a specific age, but the child himself. There are children who are ready to master the skill as early as 3-4 years old, and there are those who "mature" closer to grade 1. Once I worked with a boy who could not read at 6.5 years old. He knew letters, individual syllables, but he could not read. As soon as we began to study, it became clear that he was absolutely ready for reading, in two months he began to read perfectly in syllables, ”said Speranskaya.

How to teach a child to read quickly and correctly

The first thing you need to teach your baby is the ability to correlate letters and sounds. “In no case should a child be taught the names of letters, as in the alphabet: “em”, “be”, “ve”. Otherwise, training is doomed to failure. The preschooler will try to apply new knowledge in practice. Instead of reading [mom], he will read [me-a-me-a]. You are tormented by retraining, ”the speech therapist warned.

Therefore, it is important to immediately give the child not the names of the letters, but the sounds they represent. Not [be], but [b], not [em], but [m]. If the consonant is softened by a vowel, then this should be reflected in the pronunciation: [t '], [m'], [v '], etc.

To help your child remember the graphic symbols of letters, make a letter with him from plasticine, lay it out using buttons, draw with your finger on a saucer with flour or semolina. Color the letters with pencils, draw with water markers on the side of the bathroom.

“At first it will seem to the child that all the letters are similar to each other. These actions will help you learn to distinguish between them faster, ”said the speech therapist.

As soon as the baby remembers the letters and sounds, you can move on to memorizing syllables.

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How to teach your child to join letters into syllables

“Connecting letters into syllables is like learning the multiplication table. You just need to remember these combinations of letters, ”the speech therapist explained.

Naya Speranskaya noted that most of the manuals offer to teach children to read exactly by syllables. When choosing, two nuances should be taken into account:

1. Books should have little text and a lot of pictures.

2. Words in them should not be divided into syllables using large spaces, hyphens, long vertical lines.

“All this creates visual difficulties in reading. It is difficult for a child to perceive such a word as something whole, it is difficult to “collect” it from different pieces. It is best if there are no extra spaces or other separating characters in the word, and syllables are highlighted with arcs directly below the word, ”the speech therapist explained.

According to Speranskaya, cubes with letters are also suitable for studying syllables - playing with them, the child will quickly remember the combinations.

Another way to gently help your child learn letters and syllables is to print them in large print on paper and hang them all over the apartment.

“Hang them on the refrigerator, on the board in the nursery, on the wall in the bathroom. When such leaflets are hung throughout the apartment, you can inadvertently return to them many times a day. Do you wash your hands? Read what is written next to the sink. Is the child waiting for you to give him lunch? Ask him to name which syllables are hanging on the refrigerator. Do a little, but as often as possible. Step by step, the child will learn the syllables, and then slowly begin to read,” the specialist said.

Speranskaya is sure that in this way the child will learn to read much faster than after daily classes, when parents seat the child at the table with the words: "Now we will study reading ..."

“If it is really difficult for you to give up such activities, then pay attention that the nervous system of preschoolers is not yet ripe for long and monotonous lessons. Children spend enormous efforts on the analysis of graphic symbols. Learning to read for them is like learning a very complex cipher. Therefore, it is necessary to observe clear timing in such classes. At 5.5 years old, children are able to hold attention for no more than 10 minutes, at 6.5 years old - 15 minutes. That's how long one lesson should last. And there should be no more than one such “lessons” a day, unless, of course, you want the child to lose motivation for learning even before school,” the speech therapist explained.

How to properly explain to a child how to divide words into syllables

When teaching a child to divide words into syllables, use a pencil. Mark syllables with a pencil using arcs.

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“Take the word dinosaur. It can be divided into three syllables: "di", "but", "zavr". The child will read the first syllables without difficulty, but it will be difficult for him to master the third. The kid cannot look at three or four letters at once. Therefore, I propose to teach to read not entirely by syllables, but by the so-called syllables. This is when we learn to read combinations of consonants and vowels, and we read the consonants separately. For example, we will read the word "dinosaur" like this: "di" "but" "for" "in" "p" The last two letters are read separately from "for". If you immediately teach a child to read by syllables, he will quickly master complex words and move on to fluent reading, ”the speech therapist is sure.

In a text, syllables can be denoted in much the same way as syllables. Vowel + consonant with the help of an arc, and a separate consonant with the help of a dot.

Naya Speranskaya gave parents a recommendation to memorize syllables/syllable fusions for as long as possible, and move on to texts only when the child suggests it himself.

“If a preschooler is not eager to read, then there is no need to put pressure on him. Automate syllables. Take your time. Learning should take place gradually, from simple to complex. The reading technique develops over time, ”added Speranskaya.

Another important clarification from the speech therapist: when the child begins to read words and then sentences, parents need to clarify the meaning of what they read.