We may begin with a phonetic approach to reading. These activities include the phonetic object box, phonetic reading cards, phonetic reading booklets, phonetic reading commands, and the phonetic rhyming words. The aim of these activities support the child in realizing that the written word is a group of sounds represented by graphic symbols that have meaning. Another aim is to help the child realize she can communicate with these written words. The child may then incorporate phonograms and puzzle wordactivities. These activities include the phonogram object box, phonogram shadow box, alphabet boxes, alphabet exploration, phonogram booklets, phonogram cards, phonogram commands, research, spelling, dictionary and personal dictionary. The aim of these activities are to give the child the keys for reading and writing. These also show the child that phonograms are irregularities found in the English language. When the child encounters puzzle words she will understand that some words in the English language cannot be sounded out.
When the child delves into reading classification she will enter into a world of classifying objects. She will work with labeling the environment, cards with labels, definitions, animal collectives, animal families, animal homes, animal sounds and animals and their young. These help the child become familiar with written symbols for words in her vocabulary and expanding her vocabulary. These activities give the child more practice reading. Word order: function of words is very important for understanding that word order matters. The child will work with the article, adjective, verb, preposition, conjunction, adverb, symbol and phrase game, the detective, continuation of commands, the logical adverb game and the logical adjective game. These help the child understand the function and position of words and give her more practice reading.
Sentence structure; reading analysis is another area in written language. There are three stages to reading analysis. These activities are meant to bring the child to the meaning of words and the meaning of the grouping of words to help her interpret. They support the child’s consciousness of transposing words and how sentences can mean different things when moved around. Word study and vocabulary enrichment are other areas in written language. Word study consists of more work with adjectives, antonyms, compound words, contractions, homographs, homophones, idioms, prefixes, similes, singular and plural, suffixes, synonyms, and word families. When the child has become successful in her work in these areas of written language and stages of reading, she is on her way to become a total reader.
“Total reading is the ability to receive all that is offered through graphic symbols. The child not only understands what she reads, but also appreciates the style, the authors feelings, emotions and the entire message the author is trying to convey,” (O’Shaughnessy 2016). If the child is supported throughout her time in Children’s House, we should see the child becoming a total reader before the age of six. The child is in a sensitive period for language from three to six and so developing language is much easier at this time then when the child is no longer in a sensitive period. Word study provides more reading exploration and to learn more about the different kind of words in a sentence.