Lizard Learners | Read With Me

Reading is often hailed as one of the most fundamental skills a child can acquire. It opens doors to knowledge, imagination, and understanding. But what many of us fail to realise is the Herculean effort it takes for young minds to decode the written word. As educators, parents, or mentors, we're familiar with the process of teaching children to read. We introduce them to phonics , guide them through letter-sound associations, and watch with pride as they slowly string together words. However, amidst this journey, it's easy to overlook the immense cognitive effort it demands from our young learners. Imagine this: a child encounters a simple sentence. To us, it may seem straightforward, almost effortless. But for the child, it's a mental marathon. Their brain must swiftly decipher each letter, associate it with its corresponding sound, blend those sounds together, and finally recognise the word. And this process repeats for every word in the sentence. It's akin to solvi

When it comes to teaching children to read, phonics is often the go-to method. While phonics is a valuable tool, there are other approaches to reading instruction that can be equally effective. In this blog post, we'll explore some of these alternative methods and how they can be integrated into a comprehensive reading curriculum . Whole Language : Whole language is an approach to reading instruction that focuses on teaching children to recognise words as whole units , rather than breaking them down into individual sounds. This method emphasises the importance of context and meaning in reading comprehension . Whole language can be incorporated into a reading curriculum through activities such as shared reading , where children read along with an adult, and guided reading, where children read independently with support. Balanced Literacy : Balanced literacy is a comprehensive approach to reading instruction that combines elements of phonics, whole language, and other methods . T