A good reading program is the basis of a good homeschool curriculum. So how should you begin designing your reading program and what do you need to know?

Review the National Standards for homeschool reading but do not expect to find solutions or structured guidance from the Standards. And maybe that is a good thing, Continue Reading

Lots of research has been done over the years to determine what elements should be part of an effective reading program. Obviously, whether a child is home schooled or attends the traditional public school system or a private school, he/she needs to acquire the same set of reading skills as his peers, in order to become a successful reader.
So choosing a homeschool reading curriculum for your home school should involve the same evaluation criteria as used for any school’s reading program. There are many ways to implement a program, but most importantly, be sure that the following components are included in your curriculum, whether it is a program you buy from a home school publisher or a curriculum you put together yourself using worksheets, books, software, flash cards and any other tools you see fit.

1. Phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and concepts of print
Phoneme awareness and letter-sound knowledge are the basis for learning an alphabetic writing system. Children who have poorly developed phonemic awareness at the end of kindergarten are likely to become poor readers. Explicit instruction in sound identification, matching, segmentation, and blending, when linked appropriately to sound-symbol association, reduces the risk of reading failure and accelerates early reading and spelling acquisition for all children.
2. The alphabetic code: Phonics and decoding
In addition to phoneme awareness and letter knowledge, knowledge of sound-symbol associations is vital for success. Accurate and fluent word recognition depends on phonics knowledge. A good reader can encounter an unknown word and decode the word. Once a word has been decoded, the reader then can use the context to determine the meaning of the word.
3. Fluent, automatic reading
Beginning readers need to apply the decoding skills they learn to fluent, automatic reading of text. Children who are reading with adequate fluency are more likely to comprehend what they are reading. Reaching an independent reading level means that the child recognizes more than 95 percent of the words and can read without difficulty in decoding.
4. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is critical to reading comprehension. Knowledge of words is the foundation of comprehension. At school age, children should be acquiring new vocabulary at the rate of several thousand words per year. New vocabulary is primarily acquired through books – either by reading or hearing books read aloud. A child needs to develop the ability to actively process word meanings, which develops understanding of texts.
5. Text comprehension
Comprehension instruction should start at school age. Comprehension is dependent on an extensive, working vocabulary. Children should be provided with abundant opportunities to work on building their working vocabulary even before they by being read to and being engaged in a variety of narratives and texts. By asking children questions about the texts and engaging them in discussions about what has been read, parents and teachers can check that students comprehend.
6. Written expression
Reading and writing are interconnected and enhance each other. Starting in first grade, children will benefit from repeated and consistent opportunities to organize, write, and edit their thoughts. A child should be given writing assignments that suit their abilities. Even while they are learning letter formation, spelling, and sentence generation, children can be taught to compose in stages.
7. Spelling and handwriting
Students learn spelling and handwriting more readily if those skills are taught explicitly from first grade onward and if they are applied in the context of regular writing assignments.
8. Assessment  and Monitoring
Beginning and early readers should be frequently assessed as the best prevention for falling behind and failure. Difficulty with phonologically-based reading skills is a strong indicator of continued problems in reading and should be addressed early on. Early intervention prevents difficulties later on.
9. Motivation
A good reading teacher will inspire enthusiasm among young readers and help them to develop an appreciation for reading. The child who likes reading is likely to read more and through the experience, to become a good reader quickly..