Here is an overview of the different learning stages children go through, and the levels children work at in the English group. Included are suggestions for links to relevant learning games in case you would like to follow your child's progress up close:
BASIC LEVEL1: Learning the letter names; the basic ABC; how are the letters called? This is usually covered in Kindergarten, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries. We work with letter cubes, stamps and lots of hands-on games to teach or enhance this knowledge. Starfall is an Americanprogram which kids seem to like a lot. This link helps kids practice the letters and their sounds:http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/index/load.htm?f
BASIC LEVEL2: Knowing the sounds of the letters is the basis for all reading and writing. The letter is called 'E' (ee), but we say 'e' as in 'egg' - and so on. Jolly Phonics is the basic program we use to learn the sounds. More info: http://jollylearning.co.uk/
DECODING & BLENDING - Once the first letter sounds are known (S-A-T-I-P-N in Jolly Phonics), the decoding of simple words such as c-a-t and s-i-t is a small step. These words are called C-V-C words (consonant-vowel-consonant). A game to practice decoding skills is:http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/phonics/play/popup.shtml, orhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/index.shtml
READING: We use the Oxford Reading Tree books and a series called Jolly Readers (non-fiction books, three levels of non-fiction readers, from the publisher of Jolly Phonics. Oxford Reading Tree now offers more than 230 booklets featuring Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories (now joined by 36 brand new adventures). The books contain parent/teacher guidance notes in every book. More info: http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/oxfordreadingtree/introduction
TRICKY WORDS: Once your child starts reading English, (s)he will quickly run intot words that are 'tricky' - they can't be sounded out, such as C-A-T. Words like bike, cake and hope have the 'magic e'(which hops over the consonant and makes the vowel say it's name) - such as the sound 'ay' as in cake. This game helps to get used to 'magic e':http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/tricky-words/five-prize-bikes
Other tricky words are the ones with long vowels, such as words with ay, oa, ee, oo, ea etc. The kids learn that 'when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking'. Learning to read these is easier than actually spelling those words correctly - but with practice also that will happen - usually not before third grade though! A fun exercise in the classroom (as one of very few 'frontal' instruction moments) is:http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/fpoem.shtml
