I bought this book last year, but I forgot about it and did not use it all. According to this book, there are 128 common words which children must know before entering P1.
Yesterday I saw the book on the shelf, and decided to test my boy to see whether he can read them. He could read all the 128 words. Next I asked him to spell the words without looking at them. He can spell all these words with ticks shown in the photos below.
I am surprised that he knows how to spell so many words correctly ! He has a very strong foundation in phonics, and I think that really helps him to spell phonetic words. He has been reading the Ladybird Key Word series everyday, and he has read the common words hundreds of times already, so he can spell many non-phonetic sight words too.
Phonics and reading consistently really make spelling very easy !
29 comments:
Hi Tamarind,
You are really great mother.I am really grateful that you can prepare so great teaching method/ tools for ur little kids and able to share wf us.
Let me introduce myself..I am Radiance. I am Spore PR here (fr MALAYSIA) wf 2 boys -20 mths and 37 mths. I wanna to introduce my elder boy tp phonics but really don't know how to start? I have never learn this when i was little/in school. I am a electronics/electrical engineering graduate fr University Malaysia and my HB also an mechanical engineering graduate fr NUS. But both of us never know abt Phonics..we just straight away pronounce the words out. Both of us never of such keen to send our kids to course, enrichment class,etc at such young age. we can teach them ourselves everything. Why waste so much $$ for such things which actually we can teach them ourselves?
After I saw ur blog, ur teaching method is v interesting, and i will adopt/apply/ use it to teach my boy..But can you pls advise how to start off? any DVD/VCD kind of aids tht may help? I really zero in phonics
thks
Hi Radiance,
Thank you for your compliments :)
I am also an Electronics Engineering graduate. I studied in NUS. I am now working as a lecturer in a polytechnic, teaching Maths and computer programming.
I also did not learn phonics when I was young ! I started to learn phonics when my girl attended the Montessori phonics class. At the end of every lesson, the teacher will teach the parents how to practice phonics with the kids at home.
The Leapfrog DVDs are excellent :
1. Letter Factory
2. Talking Words Factory
3. Code Word Caper
Watch these DVDs with your child to learn phonics ! These DVDs are available from amazon.com.
There is also an excellent and free website to learn phonics : www.starfall.com.
Your children must first learn all the letter sounds. One easy way is to let them watch the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD. Once they know all the letter sounds very well, the Talking Words DVD will teach them how to join letters to from words.
It is important to practice regularly. You can copy the list of words from my blog, starting from the "a" words :
3 letter words (a)
Then continue to words containing "i", "o", "e", "u", etc.
Also refer to my blog about the methods I used :
How to teach phonics
Is tower.com n amazon.com shipping free above 25? Cos after i check-out it stated amount which include shipping charge. Any idea on tat?
Hi SweetiesLover,
For amazon.com and tower.com, shipping is free within the United States only.
thks Tamarind
i have ordered some...but it take few weeks to reach here
I would like to pass on a blog award, will you please contact me through my blog:
www.homeschoolblogger.com/ShiverAcademy
Thanks,
T8ermomma
Hi Tamarind
I am trying to use your method to teach my daughter who is 3 years old in Sep. I have started Peter and Jane Series last week. She is able to identify "Peter, Jane, and" but lost her interest once we reach page 3 "here is". How to motivate her? I am thinking to enrol her to phonics class and unable to decide to go "I can read" or tiong bahru "Montessori". Can you advise? thanks.
Hi Christel,
My girl attended Montessori phonics enrichment class. I like the Montessori methods.
You can also try to get her the Leapfrog Letter Factory and Talking Words Factory DVDs which teach basic phonics.
Also checkout my blog
How to teach phonics
My older child will soon be 37. I used exactly the same method when she was just 2+. By five and a half years old, she was reading and writing way ahead of her English classmates in London. We were living there then. The Peter and Jane series is wonderful. My younger child who will be 33 soon was also an early reader.
We also did flash cards of Chinese characters using 3"x3" vanguard paper. We scattered the cards on the floor. It was such a wonderful game we played when my daughter rushed for the cards when we called out the word. Soon she used the cards to make up phrases and then sentences.
A headstart in reading and subsequently a love for reading have stood both my children in good stead. Once a language has been mastered well, the rest of the school subjects took care of themselves. Writing in English is now a part of their livelihood.
OlderMum,
Thank you so much for sharing ! What you have written is very helpful !
Hi Tamarind,
I'm starting my gal on Peter and Jane too. Can i know if you use the C books or just the A and B. My concern is, is the C books necessary to learn spelling?
Quote:
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Hi Tamarind,
I'm starting my gal on Peter and Jane too. Can i know if you use the C books or just the A and B. My concern is, is the C books necessary to learn spelling?
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I only used the A and B books.
The C books are not necessary to learn spelling, though they are helpful.
Having a strong foundation in phonics is most important for the kids to spell easily :
How to teach phonics
Hi Tamarind.
Your blog is very impressive. Thank you so much for the phonics method.
By the eay, which PCF does your children attend, planning to put my child next year.
Warm regards,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
My kids attend the PCF kindergarten at Jurong West, opposite Jurong Point.
Every PCF kindergarten has different curriculum. Not all are good. Find out more about the PCF near you before sending your kids there.
Other good ones I have heard of:
PCF Chong Pang Blk 309
125 Serangoon North
Hi Tamarind,
Thank you. You have imspired me to create a blog although it's private..hee hee...also I am say you are such a nice mon patiently teaching your two children.
Your blog is really a wonderful reference point for all moms...arigatou gozaimasu
Even the hotels that you recommended is so useful as I am planning to go to Japan next year and I have been confused with the wide selection of hotels to choose from.
Warm regards,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
It's my pleasure to share my teaching experiences with other mommies !
Enjoy your trip to Japan!
Hi Tamarind, for your comments on good PCF
Other good ones I have heard of:
PCF Chong Pang Blk 309
125 Serangoon North
Is it in Serangoon North or Chong Pang ?
HS,
There is one PCF in Chong Pang, and one PCF at Serangoon North. These are 2 different PCF kindergarten :
PCF Chong Pang Blk 309
BLK 125 Serangoon North Ave 1
You are refer to PCF website :
http://www.pcf.org.sg/
Kindergarten > locations
Here is the good review I have heard :
Written by PrincessMomma (from Singaporemotherhood forum) :
PCF Chong Pang Blk 309 is GREAT... it is Reggio Emilia Inspired.. Teachers work closely with children to cater their needs and interests.. teacher dont just teach, they facilitate, nurture and cultivate values...
and the centre doesnt believe in drawing the curtain... parents can just pop by to see what's happening in the class.. All teachers are professionally trained and held at least a Diploma In Early Childhood Education...
Children there are constantly being encouraged and have high self-esteem.. Children are not afraid of making mistakes, they can make a mess coz that's how children learn.. Even we as adult tend to make a mess at times.. =p
and if natellehcim said that her child couldnt even write when he was there, then what makes transfering to 317 better since she also had to send the child for enrichment class?
the point is, parents should view kindergarten as a place for children to develop his/her personality, confidence, social skills, building their motor skills and literally have fun during their early childhood days... Coz just when else can children have fun once they hit P1? If they're already being stress out in kindy, what make them happy in primary??
Play is very important..
A lot of life meaningful lessons are learnt through play... A child can just play the "water play" area, we should see the process that goes along with it, during that play, the child pick up maths, science concept such as measuring the water level, sink and float, heavy and light and etc..
And also if a child can spell Hippopotamus today, how can we be sure that the child can spell it again the following week..?
think about it... just a thought to share... =)
Click here for the comments for 125 Serangoon North PCF :
PCF kindergarten
Scroll down to read the post at the bottom.
Hi Tamarind,
Thanks for the info on the PCF.
For the Leagfrog Letter Factory DVD, can this be bought locally ?
If no, then those that we order online, any issue with playing the disk on our DVD player, I understand there is some region code issue.
Thanks for advising
Hi,
It is best that you have a player that can play DVDs from any regions. Most people I know have no problem playing the Leapfrog DVDs ordered from www.amazon.com.
To be safe, try to borrow from the National Library first.
National Library
Go to advance search, enter "Leapfrog Letter Factory".
Dear Tamarind
Need ur advice. My 33 months gal has been attending Zoophonics since June. My 19 month old boy not yet.
What is ur opnions on Zoophonics, I can Read and Julia Gabriel
did u try Julia Gabriel hols Programme b4 ?
Hi Jo,
My boy attended Zoophonics when he was 2 years old. We haven't been to I can Read or Julia Gabriel.
My boy did not learn anything during the few months when he attended Zoophonics once a week. The teacher did not put much emphasis on teaching the letter sounds. She only spent about 5 minutes going through all the 26 letter sounds. Then the rest of the time the kids were singing, listening to stories or doing arts and crafts.
My boy learned all the letter sounds from the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD.
Tamarind
thanks for ur prompt reply =) i m actually very worried and panicking for my 37 months gal ( i calculated wrongly yday )
she is currently attending a PCF near my hse, but nothing like the JW branch u mention. After 12 months there, she still cannot carry a decent conversation with us. She has been attending her Zoophonics since June on a weekly per hr basis.
Really dun noe how i can help her.
She can express her wants, like I want to drink milk, can i drink milk please.can i have biscuit pls..basically all related to food.
And i have been heeding ur advice to let her see starfall, unfortunately, both my kids r not keen in Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD
Wondering how do I ensure that she can cope when she reach P1.
Ur son was in Zoophonics for how many months? my hb actually felt that my gal has not learnt anything much, but i din pull her out as every weekend she look forward to Zoophonics
What r the courses u recommend that should I send my kids to if I want to help them ease thru their P1 education without difficulty..
so stressed, esp after 1 class @ Jukia Gabriel and seeing 3 years old conversing so well..
Hi Jo,
My son was in Zoophonics for 5 months.
Don't stress yourself too much. Every child develops at a different rate. Just be patient and read to her everyday. She is still very young. By the time she is 5 years old she should be doing fine.
Looking for good enrichment classes is not enough. It is more important to spend at least 15 to 20 mins teaching her using effective methods everyday.
Besides the Leapfrog DVD, you can also use ABC books, puzzles, etc to teach her the letter sounds at home.
I will be creating a new webpage to share some of the resources I used to teach my boy ABC. I will post the link here later.
Hi Tamarind
Thanks =) Will try my best.
Thanks for the latest post on abc
ZOOPHONICS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!! Don't send your kids there....I have poor experience and they are holding on to deposits to tie you down and treat your child badly once you give them a month's notice. Please bewarned. Siglap branch is the worst! The receptionist Lily is a hypocrite.
Keep up your good recommendations
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