A Glance at Reading Readiness

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="2fd2f283.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Crooked Pines Ministries"><U><IMG SRC="040bf930.gif" border=0 width="191" height="147" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>A Glance at Reading Readiness</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Ba"><U>A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Bark</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Pleasing Palette"><U>A Pleasing Palette</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Treasure So Fine!"><U>A Treasure So Fine!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion"><U>Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aunt Bettys BBQ Sauce"><U>Aunt Betty's BBQ Sauce</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back to School"><U>Back to School</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Beginnings of Habit"><U>The Beginnings of Habit</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Being Poured Out"><U>Being Poured Out</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broccoli Chicken Casserole"><U>Broccoli - Chicken Casserole</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Educ"><U>Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Education</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Choosing Curriculum for the new year"><U>Choosing Curriculum for the new year</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives"><U>The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dwelling in Safety"><U>Dwelling in Safety</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fall: The Season of Change"><U>Fall: The Season of Change</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promise"><U>Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promises</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For the Love of Ginger"><U>For the Love of Ginger</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Covenant Journey Part 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Pure Vessel Part 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!"><U>Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure"><U>The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in t"><U>Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in the Lord</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have You Been Working Out?"><U>Have You Been Working Out?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="His Love"><U>His Love</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Educators and their Books"><U>Home Educators and their Books</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homeschooling... 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Woodis </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="26212160.gif" border=0 width="530" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >    “Can you read me a story, Mommy?” “Mommy, what does that say?” “Mommy, what does that word mean?” Do these questions sound familiar? Most any parent has heard questions like these at one time or the other. They are one of your first indications that your child is interested in learning to read. Interest does not always indicate physical readiness. In this article, I would like to take a glance at reading readiness and hopefully give you a few tips that will make this newest adventure go by a little easier. </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Age of Readiness </B></div> <bR> <div>      Reading readiness is not determined so much by age as it is by mental and physical maturity. True reading may not occur until the age of 8-10 years old. The very first, and perhaps most important skill needed in reading readiness is the ability to speak. Children learn to speak by listening to us. We, therefore, must talk to them about everything, and not baby talk. Don't be afraid of using words that you deem too hard or too big for your small child. This is the surest and easiest way of building your child's vocabulary. If your child doesn't understand, he will surely as what the word means or why? Have you ever met a child that didn't? </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Building Vocabulary </B></div> <bR> <div>      When you speak to your child talk to him as you would another adult. Describe things to your child in ways that will excite his interest. Don't say, “the cup is blue”, say, “the cup was a beautiful, royal blue and it was so shiny I could see myself reflected on the side of it.” This will enhance your child's vocabulary and language readiness. This will also make your child want to see that cup! That in turn, elevates your child's level of reading readiness. All of this talking has another benefit, it teaches good listening skills. Listening skills are needed for reading comprehension, and proper expression when he is reading a passage. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Reading Aloud </B></div> <bR> <div>      Another good way to improve your child's vocabulary and listening skills are to read to your children on a daily basis. It is important that you read anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours or more per day. This doesn't have to be all at one time or all from one book. Choose a variety of books on a variety of topics, but be care in your choice! There are so many books out there that talk down to children. Their minds are so hungry they need real, living books with ideas galore. If you are not sure which books to choose try one of these:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Honey for a Child's Heart” by Gladys Hunt  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Books Children Love” by Elizabeth Wilson,  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“The Never-ending Rushton Reading List” by <A HREF="http://www.cindyrushton.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cindyrushton.com"><U>Cindy Rushton</U></A> </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“All Through the Ages” by Christine Miller. </div> <bR> <div> In the book, “Teaching Tips & Techniques”, Rebecca L. Avery says, </div> <div> “Reading readiness includes listening improvement and oral language development. Should you strike either from the subject, it is left incomplete.” </div> <bR> <div>      If your child has not developed the habits of attentiveness, listening and obedience, the tasking of learning to read becomes nigh unto impossible. Reading aloud will help to build these skills in a most enjoyable way. I can't think of a more pleasurable way to learn than snuggled up with someone you love and a good book! </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Evaluating Your Child </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="2553e570.gif" border=0 width="62" height="87" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div>      If your child is interested in reading, interested in learning to recognize letters and words, and wants to “read” with you, can pronounce letter sounds and recall letter blends from word to word, your child is ready to learn. How do you know if they are ready for these steps? Within each child God has placed an ability to easily memorize, please don't confuse this as a readiness to read. While reading does include memorization, it is just one aspect of it. </div> <bR> <div>      As you are evaluating your child, please be aware that boys do mature slower in their ability to complete encoding and decoding functions necessary for reading. This is a biological fact. </div> <bR> <div>      All thought processes are based on basic motor abilities. The following is a checklist to determine your child's motor development. This list is from “Tips and Techniques” by Rebecca L. Avery. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Motor Development </B></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can hop. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can hop on his right foot and on his left foot. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child is not clumsy. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can skip. The child can jump rope with both feet off the ground. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can throw a ball directly at a target with one hand. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can catch a ball gently tossed to him. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can walk on a predetermined line. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child easily keeps his balance while walking on a line. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can walk up and down steps without holding on to the railing. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can tie his shoes. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child can cut with scissors and use a pencil. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Right or Left? </B></div> <bR> <div>      Your child will also need the ability to determine left from right. Simple questions and activities can help you determine if this skill has been obtained. Have your child extend his left foot then right foot, left hand then right hand. Have your child arrange objects from left to right, then pay attention to where he starts when asked to count the objects. Since all reading progresses from left to right, this will be an important skill. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Visual Discrimination</B></div> <bR> <div>      Visual discrimination is another area that must be developed before your child can read. Here are some easy ways to determine your child's maturity level in this area. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child match shapes? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child sort buttons according to size, shape or color? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child sort silverware? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child sort crayons according to color? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child match letters according to shape, not identity? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child remember an object after you have covered it? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child draw a simple shape from memory after the object has been shown then removed? </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Auditory Discrimination</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child distinguish the difference in musical notes? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child identify rhyming words? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child distinguish between sounds that are close or far? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can the child count sounds when repeated? </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Can your child hear and follow instructions without having them repeated? </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Language Usage</B></div> <bR> <div>      There are also the skills of language usage. How many of us have ever been frustrated by understanding a person who had never learned to speak correctly? They seem to have a language all their own. While this may be cute as a child, it </div> <div> will become a real handicap when they begin to learn to read and spell. Reading aloud is an excellent way to develop a child's language skills. To develop this skill you use narration, which is simply having the child tell the story back to you. Incorporate rhymes and poems into your read aloud time, they are great for teaching relationships in word usage. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Don't Push!</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div>      To push your child to read, before he reaches these levels of maturity will only produce choppy, stress-filled reading. Very little confidence can be built around this level of skill. At this point, reading is pure work and extremely exhausting </div> <div> for the child and parent. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Reading is Catchy</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div>      At some point, every child <I>“catches”</I> the interest to read. For some it will be a genuine interest, for others it will be because their friends or cousins can, or because they are tired of waiting for someone else to read to them, and for others it will be a result of a need for information. Whatever the reason being, when the child is ready, the real work begins. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Habit of Frustration </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="25c53310.gif" border=0 width="339" height="49" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div>      When your child is laboring to read, a habit of frustration may develop and this habit can lead to a deep-seated dislike for reading. This is very hard to overcome! In order to prevent this habit, supply books that are fully on his reading level and make your reading times no longer than ten minutes. </div> <bR> <div>      Additionally, the results from this struggle to read are very little. There is little to no reading comprehension. The child is working so hard to read that he has no idea what the story is about. There is no pleasure in this sort of reading, no rewards. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Large Print, please! </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="25e4c3c0.gif" border=0 width="76" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div>      When you begin choosing books for your early reader, always choose books that have a large print. The muscles in your child's eyes are developing at this point, also, and you need to be certain that you don't over work these muscles. A large print will make it easier for the eyes to discern the material and reading will be more pleasurable. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Phonics </B></div> <bR> <div>      A good phonics program is a must when learning to read successfully. You must know the letter sounds and blends if you are going to decode words. Which program you choose depends greatly on your child's learning style. We are using <A HREF="http://www.shoelacebooks.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.shoelacebooks.com"><U>“Simply Phonics” by Laurie Hicks</U></A> for basic letter recognition, letter sounds and blends. This program is simple to use, it has no brightly colored pictures to distract your child and the lessons are short. </div> <bR> <div> You might also choose: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Sing, Spell, Read and Write” </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons", </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Alpha Phonics”. </div> <bR> <div>      I encourage you to look over several different programs and decide for yourself. You might want to get a good basic text and just use it for a reference. </div> <bR> <div>      There are several wonderful tools available to guide you through the learning to read adventure. Some teach phonics, some letter and letter sound recognition and others teach sight-reading. All have their merits and I believe that a good combination of the three will net a confident, successful reader once your child is mature enough to grasp the concepts. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Design Your Own Program </B></div> <bR> <div>      How about designing our own? Say to your child the short sound for the letter "a" and see what word pops out of his mouth. Then, write it down to go with the short sound of “a”. Continue this process for the entire alphabet. Now, have your child draw a picture for each word. You make this into a poster, worksheets, flash cards or a book. </div> <bR> <div>      Once you have done your individual letters, you may want to start on your letter blends. Say är, är and he says car. Then, you can make the car go far on a road of tar! These are all easy words that use this letter blend. Follow this same pattern and make several more blends. </div> <bR> <div>      Using this concept you can design a phonics program tailored to your child's interests. Refer continually to a good phonics reference book for the order in which you should introduce the sounds and blends. That's the only way I can be sure I don't leave any out. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Building Confidence </B></div> <bR> <div>      Bible memory is a great way to build confidence in your young reader. There is a two-fold benefit to Bible memory. First the child is hiding God's word in his heart. Second, once the verse is memorized, the child can “read” it from the Bible himself. Can you imagine his joy when he can “read” the Bible for himself? It is easy to work in some of your newly learned letters and blends as your child “reads” the Bible. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Bible as a First Reader </B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="26056380.gif" border=0 width="86" height="56" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>      When Emily was first learning to read we used the Bible for our reader. We started with John chapter one. We read from this passage on a daily basis, adding one verse at a time, as she mastered each one. It worked out that she was a new Christian at this time and I have long believed that this book from the </div> <div> Bible should be a primer for new Christians. Emily grew to love this book and knows a great deal of. </div> <bR> <div>      Some other books that have easy text and are great places to start would be Palms and Proverbs. You can go straight through, if you like, but I would recommend picking and choosing your verses. When you begin reading in the Psalms, start with short chapters filled with praise or maybe the ones about children. When you pull verses from Proverbs watch for verses that contain encouraging subjects or words they already know. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Following Along at Family Altar</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div>      Another good tool is to have them follow along, verse by verse, during family Scripture reading. As Jessie reads from his Bible at our daily family devotions, he calls out each verse number as he comes to it. This way, Parker-Daniil can follow along, too! </div> <bR> <div>      Parker-Daniil is learning to recognize numbers, follow the progression of a story, and recognize often-repeated words. It is very important that you provide your child the exact same version of Scripture to follow along from. It makes Parker-Daniil feel so “big” to be able to keep track of what Daddy is reading! </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Beginning Sight Words </B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="2644e330.gif" border=0 width="78" height="51" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>      Bedtime stories are another good time to foster this emerging skill. Sit your early reader next to you or on your lap and let him “help” you read. Beginning sight words such as it, at, to, the, and, so, or, for she, he, etc. are good words to start with. It will thrill your child to no end to be able to help you read the story. Can't you just imagine his joy as he proclaims, “Daddy, I helped Mommy read stories tonight!” Can't you see the sparkle in his eyes and the raptures of joy on his face? </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Habit of Daily Reading </B></div> <bR> <div>      Even after your child has reached the point of maturity, reading will still require work to learn this new skill. Great patience will be required on the part of the parent/teacher. Realize that when you begin the process of learning to read </div> <div> you are committing to an investment of time. The child will need to read aloud no more than 10-15 minutes per day. But, the child needs to be read to on a daily basis at least 30 minutes. Listening to your voice and hearing the words will help the child learn to modulate his own voice and pronounce some of the harder words. </div> <bR> <div>      Make these times enjoyable. If the task is becoming frustrating, put it away. There is no hurry! Remember to schedule this activity after the child has been up, moving around and had some fresh air. His brain needs to be freshly oxygenated so he can think clearly. Never expect him to read shortly after a math lesson, that is too much stress for his thinking muscle! </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Planning for a Lifetime of Enjoyment </B></div> <bR> <div>      Learning to read should be an exciting time for a child. A whole new world is opening up to him and new adventures are as close as the next page. First, determine your child's reading readiness. Second, choose or design a phonics program that best suits your child's learning style. Third, plan to devote yourself to this process and be patient. Last, enjoy this time with your child! </div> <bR> <div>      Create a plan to equip your child well with this new and most important tool. You are giving your child the ability to read God's word for himself, so this is exciting! You have been blessed with the opportunity to see your child enter a whole new phase of his life. Praise God for this blessing and remember to pray before each lesson. </div> <bR> <div>      Don't ever let Satan tell you that you are not skilled enough to teach this to your child. God gave you the ability and He will provide the resources, step out on faith and go for it! No one else is more qualified than you! </div> <bR> <div> This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication you please contact Jessie and Mary Woodis at <A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U>jessiew@hiwaay.net</U></A> for permission and more details.</div> <bR> <div> Crooked Pines Publishing</div> <div> Jessie and Mary Woodis</div> <div> 1365 County Road 74</div> <div> Florence, AL 35633</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U><IMG SRC="2ff474f0.gif" border=0 width="71" height="79" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A> <A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U>jessiew@hiwaay.net</U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="A Glance at Reading Readiness"><U><B>Back to the top</B></U></A></div> <div> apple book line by: <A HREF="http://www.countryclipart.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.countryclipart.com"><U><IMG SRC="2676f490.gif" border=0 width="111" height="73" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> background in sidebar and graphics by: <A HREF="http://www.graphicgarden.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.graphicgarden.com"><U><IMG SRC="2fe80450.gif" border=0 width="128" height="69" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> This page last updated: February 2003</div> </td> </tr></table></body>