At a Glance
By: Michael Levin, M. D. and Charan Langton, M. S.
Age Recommendation: 4 years old to 8 years old
Use: To teach decoding and phonics skills in order to build a foundation for reading.
Homeschool Method: Any
Rating: Three out of four golden apples. Recommended for a child just beginning to learn the basics of reading.
What is The Reading Lesson?
The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons, is a program to use with beginning readers to build a foundation for reading. The program focuses mainly on a phonics method of teaching. The Phonics method teaches a child to decode through a process of introducing letter sounds first and then making combinations of sounds and finally learning how to put those sounds together to form a word. The method is sound and effective. The book consists of 20 lessons that are easy to follow and implement in your homeschool. Since the book is designed for children 4 to 8, it is easy to use with multiple ages as well. You will proceed at your child’s pace through the program.
What did I think?
The method used in the book is sound and proven. The program is easy to understand and implement in your daily homeschool. There is no need to supplement unless your child is a struggling reader or dyslexic. I think a more multi-sensory and intensive approach may be needed for a child with special needs. The program is not colorful or distracting. The words are clear on the page and easy to focus on for young children. The order of lessons is logical. If used properly and daily, which is not difficult or overwhelming, the program will be effective for a child just learning the basics of reading.
You have the option of purchasing additional items for the program such as The Reading Lesson CD, The Storybook CD, and the Writing Lesson CD. The CDs are appealing to children with animation and, of course, Giggle Bunny to help them along.
Teaching a child to read feels like a daunting task. The Reading Lesson, makes the task much easier for the parent and the child. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes a day. If you thought teaching a child to read would be overwhelming then this will be a place to start that will bring relief to you and your child.