FAQ's
How did you develop this? What makes it work?
The evolution of So Simple Sightwords came about through some general observations I made over time. I noticed that students typically were stumbling over the same words year after year, in both reading and in spelling. I also noticed that the students were able to remember the 100+ songs and dances I taught them during music time throughout the year without effort, and with much enjoyment.
Thinking about the effect music and rhythm hooks have on the majority of people, regardless of age, was really the cornerstone of my project. Prior to researching my thoughts and ideas, I used logic. If a song comes on the radio from our youth, for example, isn't it amazing that we can recall most of the words and melody? This, on top of the ability of my students over the years to have such wonderful recall of songs we have done in class, led me to want to use the file folder we have in our brains for music to also file away some words. This, over the years, has been a basic practice of teachers as a way to assist in the memorization of basic spelling and/or information. What began as 12 words gradually turned into 77 cheers for common, frequently used words. The children truly own these words after interacting with them through the So Simple method. Because of this ownership, reading and writing fluency have greatly improved, as well as the students enjoyment and confidence in academic areas.
The So Simple Sightwords At-Home program teaches 66 of the school version's words. Using these efficient "file folders" children already possess to store up essential sight words is such a fun and low-stress way to develop proficiency!
What is the difference between the left and right brain?
Reading is a left-brained skill. As children, the right brain is filled with all sorts of "files" of recognizing family members and the emotions these people bring, to learning and remembering songs, having family experiences, learning how to use objects, etc. The left-brain is used for learning the names of objects and building vocabulary. As children learn to label letters, their left brains are beginning to build files to learn to read. It's important to expose children to print at an early age in order to have those left-brain "file folders" ready for achievement in reading fluency, writing, and speaking effectively.
The right brain, in my opinion, is the FUN side of the brain! That's where we store our experiences, and where we're able to recall memories quickly through music and movement. (I like to say the right brain has all of our "big fat files" of information.) In a nutshell, the right brain looks at the whole "puzzle", while the left brain looks at each "little piece". I began to teach my students to learn to read sight words using this side of the brain, because we can readily access vast amounts of information, experiences, and emotions with just a small amount of music and movement. When I began teaching my students sight words in this manner, their reading ability, confidence, and ability to communicate also reached higher levels. At this point, my program was published for schools, and is now used throughout elementary schools in the country. The reading proficiency of students rises as does their ability to feel successful.
How soon should my child begin reading?
It's SO important to expose your child to the printed word from an early age! They don't have to come to school having had a private tutor and be above grade level, however. It's always such a joy teaching children who have been print-exposed and have a basic foundation and as a teacher, it's MY job to teach your child the finer points of reading, fluency, comprehension, and writing skills. If your child comes to me with letter/sound sense, and knows the direction of print in a book, he/she will have quicker success in school. If your child has a grasp of a number of essential sight words, your child's reading level will be higher, and the overall school experience will be more success-filled and positive from the start.
Do I make my child do this every day?
"Affective filter" is the term used in the school setting which really just means "stress-level." If a child is under stress, learning won't occur. Therefore, as a teacher and as a parent, I have worked on keeping the success potential high, and the stress-level low. When working on sight words, reading, and writing, I especially work on keeping the atmosphere full of music and humor, but with a structure and a set of expected behaviors established. At home, when working with my own kiddo's, this would mean taking time to read with the TV off, (not long when they're young, 10-15 minutes can be enough, especially for your more active kiddo's!). When you're practicing sight words or reading print with your child, keep it positive. If your kiddo is not in the mood to take on the challenge for 10-15 minutes at that point of the day, don't force it. It will only lead to reading being a "chore," rather than fun! A Month of Ideas: 31 Fun and Simple Activities to Reinforce Your Child's Reading Success! gives fun and diverse ways to practice what is being learned. The Practice Sentences book gives quick reinforcement and guaranteed success as the sentences are read and re-read.
When will my child begin to read?
Just as all children learn to walk at different times, they also "put their reading hats" on at different times. When parents come to me stressed that their child isn't reading as well as their neighbor's child or older sibling, I point out that while we learn to walk at different times, somehow we all end up walking quite well over time! It's the same with reading. While one of your children may pick up these sight words quickly and get through all 66 words in a short time, another child may take longer.
The school-version of So Simple Sightwords actually uses 170 days to teach all 77 words to school-age children. Your child may learn 25 words from age 4 to 5. That is wonderful! Your child may not be interested yet. Learning is an ongoing experience. Expose your child to the words in So Simple Sightwords At-Home one at a time. When a "cheer" (sight word on the DVD) is learned and can be consistently repeated, move on to the next word. As a new word is learned, continue to review the previously learned words.
How important are upper-and lower-case letters in my child's writing?
In doing the activities that involve writing or creating letters, don't be too worried about upper and lower-case letters. It's very normal for children to work with upper-case letters first, as their motor skills tend to lend themselves to these letters at the beginning writing stages. If your child is spelling the word "like," for example, and can sing the "cheer," and then spells it out in all capital letters in writing, don't stress about correcting this. Even in first grade, I work with my students on using lower-case letters appropriately throughout the school year. One stress-free way to work with your child on this is to look at the word he/she has written, then re-write it using lower-case letters. Without saying, "My way is right, yours is wrong," you can say, "Here's the other way to make an 'e'," for example. Especially in the preschool years, letter knowledge in any fashion is valued!