Tip # 1
Get a liner. A liner is a small piece of cardboard or ruler or folded paper that is placed under a row of book print. A liner is usually 1 1/2″ wide by 6″ long and easy to make. The best are made from an old file folder. By placing a liner under a row of print, the eye is forced to go in a straight line across the page by blocking out the other visual distractions. Using a liner will increase reading speed by 1/4 and also enhance reading comprehension.
THE REASON it works: The human eye is drawn to interesting things. On a page of print, interesting things may be the spaces–not the words, or it may be bold print or italic print or oddly shaped letters. The use of the liner will train the eye to follow one line of print. It also trains the eye to move along the print. A person who uses their finger to follow a line of print will read slower because of the brain time it takes to move finger, see word, read word, move finger, see word, read word, move finger. The liner cuts that down to move liner, see word, read word, see word, read word, etc. Use of the liner cuts out approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the brain work and lag time. Use one until the reader becomes very proficient or whenever the reader is tired or the information to be read is boring.
Tip # 9/29/2004
When teaching someone to read let them pick out and say the words they know as you come to that word while reading the story to them. Have a child point out words they know to you every time they find one. This jump-starts them into reading and the joy of ‘treasure hunting’ a new word.
Tip # 3/11/2005
You cannot skip the spelling words. Memorizing spelling words is how we learn to read when phonics doesn’t help. The dough was tough to work and made the cook cough. Notice that cough, dough, and tough are all spelled similarly, but are not pronounced the same at all. Only memorizing words and using them in speech and sentences will work on words like these and the English language is full of them.
Wind the clock. The wind is blowing.
These tips and others are included in the small book So…Teach Them to Read & Write…Easily by Nina Sipes available at www.amazon.com and our own order page.