HI, dear teacher,

As a retired teacher, I do not know how sight vocabulary is now being taught in first grade.  Please share with us how it is being done where you are in the U.S.A.  Is there a lot of drill on flash cards? Do you use phonics to help?  How successful is the method that is now being used?
Thanks for sharing, dear 1st grade teacher.

Fraternally yours (although retired),

Janet

How important is "readiness" ?

Hi, dear teacher,

How important is "readiness" before you start teaching your first graders to read?  Do you ever just reach them regardless of their "readiness"?  Tell us your experience.  Let's see the state of teaching beginning reading throughout the U.S.

Fraternally (although retired),
Janet
Let's Center on Reading

Are 1st Graders Reading?

Hi, dear teacher,
It's been so long since I taught 1st grade - I am retired.  I am wondering how the initial sounds of consonant letters are now being taught - and pronounced!  There was controversy then because the linguists wanted teachers to stop voicing those sounds.  Instead of saying buh, cuh, huh, muh..., teachers were told to leave off the uh, and link the sound to the vowel this way:   bbb...a-bah,  cccc..a-cah,  mmm..a-mah...  Children weren't always  seeing how to link those sounds.
So, how is it nowadays?  How do you do it?  Tell us, so we know what is happening around the U.S.A.
Thanks for sharing, dear teacher.
Fraternally (although retired),
Janet

How Are 1st Graders Doing in Reading?

Hello, dear teacher,

It's been a long time since I taught school.

And, I wonder how today's children are doing in reading.

Are there improvements?

Wouldn't you, too, like to know if methods have improved?

If all the children are learning, not just some?

Are there readiness classes still?

Please share your thoughts on this subject and we all learn how

things are for the children in 1st grades throughout the U.S.A.

Thanks a lot.  Looking forward to your posts.

Fraternally yours (although retired)

Janet

Are you teaching beginning reading?

Hi, Dear Teacher,

Are you teaching beginning reading?  Or, are you an administrator of beginning reading?

Would you like to know how beginning readers are doing in the U.S.A. across the country?

I would.

I am a retired teacher and am wondering if reading has improved for the 1^st graders?

Many children went through “readiness” classes,  to “get ready” to read.  There, they practiced distinguishing likenesses and differences, learned the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, matched words, and so on.

Are there still “readiness” classes in first grade?  Does preschool actually teach the children to read or just get them “ready”  to read?

What percent of a class is successful in learning as soon as they come into the 1^st grade classroom?

What percent are already reading?  What percent need “readiness”first.

Are there new approaches to teaching beginning reading?  Do you start out with the basal reader?

Is phonics necessary right away?  How are sight words taught?

Would you like to help us see just how the kids are doing nowadays?  Will you share your experience in your school…in your community?

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton