Is teaching reading really difficult?

Unfortunately, many people have been led to believe that the teaching of reading is difficult. It is not! There are only 44 phonograms (sounds) that the student must learn to sound out the entire English language and with this knowledge she will have the tools to quickly read anything.

Do you have to be a certified teacher to use Alpha-Phonics?

No. If you are a reader then you can teach reading, no matter your formal education. In teaching it you may actually improve your own reading abilities.

My child tries to read from right to left. Is he dyslexic?

Probably not. Dyslexia is actually quite rare. Simply emphasize that they read from left to right in the beginning and they will quickly catch on.

What about comprehension?

Comprehension is something that is learned – there is no magic bullet. Once the student has learned the sounds and has become a good reader, comprehension builds on itself.

How does my child learn spelling?

By the time the student finishes Alpha-Phonics they will have learned about 3500 words. If you do the dictation as taught they should learn to spell these words and be on their way to being a good speller. Also, writing and dictating words and sentences goes a long way in teaching the spelling of those words. And, after all, the spelling and comprehension of words is a life-long affair for all of us and we all seem to get better at it as time goes by!

If I like some of the features of one program and the features of another program, can I mix them?

We highly recommend that you don’t mix programs. Mixing programs can be very confusing to a student.

When do I start teaching my child?

There is no precise age at which to start. We have found that age 5 is a typical age to begin reading, although many kids have learned successfully at the age of four. One consideration is that they need to have a reasonable speaking ability so they can be understood and corrected.  The child must really want to as well, her enthusiasm making it much easier.

There are no pictures or illustrations in Alpha-Phonics. Why not?

These are distractions that we refer to as bells and whistles. If the student is not learning to sound out the words they will rely on the pictures as cues to the words and will be at a loss when they try to read the words alone with no prompts. They need to sound out the words. Don’t worry about boring the child. They will learn quickly to read words and sentences and have fun in their achievements. Before you know it they’ll be reading everything they see!

Also, we have found that older students and adults find them to be “childish” and condescending.

Should I teach my child cursive handwriting?

There are some very good reasons for learning cursive. One reason is that using script is a lot easier on the hand than printing. In fact, we recommend that cursive be taught first! Having nice hand writing is a valuable asset and it’s not that difficult to learn.

How long does it take for a student to learn how to read?

There is no definite time and it may take longer or less depending on the child. Try not to pressure them and let them take their own time.

I’m a working parent. How will I make the time to teach my child to read?

You can do it - just take your time if you have to. If you can spend just 15 or 20 minutes per lesson you will succeed.

How do I start?

There are complete instructions for every lesson in the back of the book. Each lesson is very short as are the instructions for each lesson. The first is a bit longer because it includes tips that you will use in the following lessons.