SUCCESS STEP 2: OKAY, WHAT READING MATERIAL DO I TEACH FOR THAT MAGIC “Five Minutes 2 x a Day” ?
I Thought You’d Never Ask!
WHAT TO DO IN 5 MINUTES?
Actually, you didn’t ask, but I know that after last week’s blog, you’re probably thinking it. “What the heck am I supposed to teach for 5 minutes twice a day?”
Answer: There IS a formula to maximize your time, and you don’t need to purchase reading materials–either mine or others–to do it. You can create them yourself to start with. If you want to buy ready-made later, that will help your crunched “to do” list. But you can get started NOW–as in, as soon as you finish reading this blog.
5 Minutes Is All You’ve Got
So here’s where you start: you’re going to spend those 5 minutes initially on two items: (1) a simple, short personal book that you’ll make, and (2) 10 flashcards or so, from words in that personal book.
Make A Sandwich
You’re going to teach in what I call “Sandwich Style“:
- BREAD: Fast Flash the words in groups of 5; start with 1 group of 5, and after a week or so, add another 5 from the book’s vocabulary. Time: 15 to 30 seconds. (Read the article in that link so you’ll know how)
- PEANUT BUTTER & JELLLY: Read the personal book together. Time: 4 minutes or so.
- BREAD: Fast Flash the words again. (Read this second link) Time: 15 to 30 seconds.
That’s It For Starters
If you do that simple Sandwich exercise for 5 minutes twice a day for 2 weeks, you will be blown away by the results.
If All Else Fails, Read The Directions
Heads up: If you don’t read the directions for “Fast Flash” in the two links I gave you above (one has a video, one has more detail), and read the link for how to create personal books, you won’t get very far very fast. The “Pedal to the metal” I talked about in last week’s blog includes a fanatical devotion to teaching with Fast Flash. Try it. Be a fanatic.
What Next?
Of course, there’s more to this plan. But that’s enough for now. In the blogs to come, I’ll keep going with the natural expansion of reading support. But for now, just go and practice being a fanatic…
I’d love to watch,
When you say ‘read the book together’ for the ‘PB & J’ part of the sandwich…can you elaborate a bit? For example, am I (the parent) reading out loud, tracking the words with my finger, at least the first couple of times we read with each new book? Or am I pointing to the words and waiting to see first if my child can read the word, then saying it if he doesn’t? Thanks!
Good question. In the first place, it’s ideal if you sit across from your child for teaching; this is not “read aloud snuggle time” (which I highly recommend for bedtime, etc.) She should have a “pointer” (unsharpened pencil) so she can follow along, and you also use a pointer. You help her stay on the correct word. YOU read. All you want is for her to follow along and repeat the words after you. As she begins to learn some of the words, when you get to that word, pause and let her try, or you can say “Your turn!” Give her the answer quickly if she doesn’t know it…this is not a test, just an encouragement. As time goes on and your child progresses, she will read more and more of the words, and you less and less until she’s reading it all.
Dear Natalie,
Thank you for the info you are sharing with us!
I just have one question- you are talking about a simple, short book. Can you please specify how many sentances do we have to use for this book?
Thank you so much!