Some mothers are born teachers. As for me, I find the very idea of flash cards tedious. I didn’t like using them when I was in school and I like them even less when I’m working with my own child. When it comes to teaching my son the basics, I’m all for using whatever modern learning aids I can find!
When he was first learning to read, we invested in the Preschool Prep Meet the Sight Words DVD series. I wasn’t entirely sure they’d work, but it seemed worth a shot since they had gotten great reviews from all of the parenting magazines I read.
The basic premise of Meet the Sight Words is that each word is introduced in a short cartoon that helps the child remember what the word is. There is lots of repetition, which kids love! As a grown up, you’re likely to find the cartoons slightly annoying. However, they really do help to teach your child to read! After about two weeks, my son had mastered all of the sight words and could point them out in his favorite books. And, because he learned them watching cartoons, we were still able to stress the “reading is fun” message that is crucial to a child’s academic success.
They were not available at the time my son was learning to read, but Preschool Prep now makes books to complement the lessons learned in the DVD series. If your child is struggling, I imagine the consistency between the DVD lessons and the books would be helpful.
Have you used Preschool Prep products to teach your child? If so, please share your results!
photo credit: Preschool Prep
