Top Ten Myths of Reading 2

Myth 2. Teach the capital letters.

Truth: Instead, teach only the lower case letters, at first. They are the most common in written language. Young children don’t have to know capitals to start reading. And many capital letters don’t look anything like their lower-case partners. Children easily pick capitals up later, too. Never start with them. Again, Keep it simple for success (KISS your child).

            Young children are hungry to learn new things. Children make all kinds of learning leaps if given the right foundation. One mother taught her preschool daughter Kaitlyn the lower-case-letter phonics using The Godfrey Method. Then Kaitlyn taught herself which upper-case (capital) letters match the lower-case ones by playing on the computer. Her mom opened a blank word document for her to play ‘typing.’ All the letters on a keyboard are written in upper-case letters. So as Kaitlyn pushed an upper-case key, a lower-case letter would show up on the computer screen. She quickly figured out which upper-case letters to push for the lower-case letters desired.

     The largest problem I see with early reading programs is always teaching the capital letters with the lower-case ones, simultaneously. No, no, no! Wise parents will give their children a jump-start to reading by following The Godfrey Method starting with "A Funny Boy Was Prince River" and building from there with the Spy Code spelling rules, as found in previous blogs.

     The next biggest problem is using electronic or software programs to teach young children. No, no, no! These separate the child from the parent for key bonding moments while learning. They can also induce ADD, ADHD, Epilepsy, Dyslexia, and several other problems in a young child's brain.

     Hold your child on your lap or next to you on the couch and have a joyous time discovering early reading the right way - together!

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