Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

A couple of years ago I heard about the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It is based on the Distar method for teaching children to read. I was a bit skeptical that I could teach my child to read at a first or second grade level in just 100 days, but the book came with such a great review from a friend that I figured it was worth trying. The book is scripted for the parent with instructions and pronunciation key at the beginning of the book. The beginning of the book is very important to read because the Distar method is different from other methods and likely different from how the parent was taught. The method is simple though and has specific things to say to correct an error and also tips on how to encourage.

Allyssa was about 100 days away from being 5 at the time, so I figured that I'd give it a shot and with any luck she'd be reading by her birthday. The book is designed for parents to teach one child at a time, doing one lesson every single day until the book is finished. We took a few extra days, but finished within 115 days of starting. By the time we were done with the book, Allyssa was reading! She is now 6 and reads chapter books on her own, although she still prefers picture books to chapter books without pictures. She is capable of reading the Little House on the Prairie books and comprehending the material (I ask questions about what she has read).

With such success with Allyssa, I decided that I would teach David, Jr. to read using the same book. I did not plan on starting until he was about 4 1/2, but at barely 4 he started asking to learn. I figured that I might as well start. We are now 72 lessons in (going a bit slowly this time due to some summer traveling), but he is doing great! He reads signs in stores and billboards while we are out and about. He reads the pancake syrup bottle at the breakfast table. He can read paragraphs in the 100 Easy Lessons book. Soon, he will be done and very ready for Level 1 and 2 books for practice and confidence.

I recommend Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons to all parents of children who are not reading yet (age 4 to 6 or so) who can commit to lessons every day. The lessons include handwriting, but we do not do that part at our house. It takes us about 30 minutes to go through one lesson; some children can do the lessons more quickly than others. This book is a wonderful resource to parents!