Reading Time! is designed as materials for teaching a small child to learn to read by using a system of key phrases and words.

Each book uses a number of words which are used repeatedly. Additional words are introduced gradually, page by page, to expand the reader's reading vocabulary.

The objective is to help the child recognize words and enable him to read and learn. We believe that if the child can learn to read, he can read to learn. To further enhance the reading process, phonics has been included to help the young learner recognize syllables and sounds.

The Rhyming Fun section, presented in a melodious way, helps the child recognize words and the sounds they represent. This, in turn, helps to develop an emerging sensitivity and recognition of other rhyming words.

We are confident that this series will instill an interest in reading in young learners. They will then want to proceed to more advance reading materials.

The research

The Curriculum of Reading Time!

In a perfect world, children would learn how to read using a combination of three methods of instruction: auditory training, phonics and whole language. It's clear from research that using one of these methods will help only a few children. In fact, using two out of the three methods will still leave numerous children illiterate. However, when auditory training, phonics and whole language are merged, literacy rates increase significantly.

Our approach is to use all three in our instructional methodology.

Auditory training:

The child becomes aware of words at alphabetic and phonemic levels by listening to clear pronunciations and being able to make phonological connections.

Through regular exposure to the same word, children will develop an emerging sensitivity to and recognition of the following:

• a growing awareness of letters and their pronunciation
• an emerging sensitivity to and recognition of rhyming words
• the visual and auditory segments in words
• expansion of key words in relation to situations, for example, walk – walks – walking

Phonics:

The child will be able to recognize, identify and manipulate the sequence of sounds represented in words. Sequencing of the steps is important. Thus, the child is taught words before syllables, continuous before stop sounds (i.e. f, h, l and m before b, c, d and g etc), blending before segmenting, and so on.

Clapping To Words is introduced in Level 1 so that the child learns to recognize syllables by clapping to the syllables.

In more general terms, lessons in phonics help the child understand the following:

• blending of parts of words or syllables into words
• words that rhyme
• relationships between letters and words
• concepts of word clusters, compound words, number words, comparisons of adjectives and adverbs as in comparatives and superlatives
• discrimination, segmentation and blending in phonics
• aural syllabication

Whole language:

This refers to the process of making sense of spoken and written language. Through regular exposure to the lessons, children will develop an increasingly clear understanding of the vocabulary, grammatical structures and concepts and content knowledge that will contribute to comprehension. At the same time, they will develop an increasing ability to see themselves as readers and learners. Reading Time! aims to help young readers demonstrate an increasing awareness and understanding of:

• vocabulary items like root words and word families
• question and answer relationships
• inferences from statements or actions
• literary elements such as plot, characters and setting
• background knowledge of grammar concepts and content

Take note:The lessons in the CD are linked to the lessons in the books. This linkage keeps the material relevant and helps to accelerate the child’s learning skill. So, the benefits of this programme can only be fully realised when the book is used in conjunction with the accompanying CD.

CONTENTS

• 8 stories
• 25 lessons in phonics
• 15 nursery rhymes
• Approx. 205 new words