The Book
After trying a few different programs to teach my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter to read, I finally settled on Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading (OPGTR) and I haven't looked back. It was exactly what I had been attempting to create on my own. OPGTR is a simple and straightforward step-by-step guide to teach phonics word families. It is not overly-complicated or gimmicky and it is easily customized to fit your needs. Even nervous beginners would be able to pick this up and start working with their child quite effortlessly. It is also very popular among veteran homeschoolers who really have tried it all. Finally, it is gentle enough, many have had success teaching their 3-4 year old children to read.
The Lessons
Each lesson should only take about 10-15 minutes at the most per day. I thought it was ingenious to include all the different forms of letters your child may come across as they begin reading, perfect for my middle son, who notices everything. For example, it shows I as I and I; it also explains the different a's: a and a. The book is broken up into 25 sections and totaling a whopping 231 lessons. You can find information on the topics of each lesson here at the Peace Hill Press website under sample. Every lesson consists of an intro to the sound you will be learning, some scripting for the teacher to read to the student, some words that use the sound, then some sentences that include the new words along with review words from the previous lessons. After the lesson, there are some optional activities offered if you want to take it further or slower. The author encourages one new lesson and review two to reinforce mastery of each sound.
My Experience
Both my son and daughter knew the phonics sounds for the alphabet, so we skipped the beginning lessons and went straight for section 3. The routine I have finally settled into works well for teaching two at a time. While the book is scripted, I do not read the script to them. I pre-read it before the lesson to make sure I understand what the lesson will be about, then make it up as I go. First, I have each of them read the whole word wall from previous lessons before beginning the day's lesson. Then, I made my own flashcards with each word and sound so they could each take turns reading the words. Once we finished, I would put the flashcards on the word wall for review the next day. I also printed out all of the sentences into larger print using a page or two for each lesson. I would then have them take turns reading sentences. After they were finished with their sentences, I would give them one page of copywork with two short sentences from the lesson. This daily routine, reinforced and improved their reading and writing skills dramatically.
This simple, direct, ready-to-go phonics book has truly helped my children learn how to read. I hope you will find it helpful as well.
Where to Find It
You can find it in paperback or PDF form at Peace Hill Press. Ready-made flashcards and a complete combo pack that includes a parents guide audio companion and magnetic letters for a multi-sensory approach. Prices are subject to change, but at the time of posting they were:
Paperback: $29.95
PDF: $23.95
Flashcards Printed/PDF: $7.95/$6.35
Audio Companion CD/Download: $8.99/$6.99
Combo Pack: $55.00
Note: I'm not an affiliate with OPGTR, just a grateful homeschooling mom.
