Method

Games with letters and words form an integral part of the method. So the first thing to do is invest in a variety of play letters, words, and pictures - to illustrate meanings.

When choosing play letters and words, look for chunky ones that are fun to manipulate. Consistently name letters and words at every stage of the games you play.

Suggestions for games include:

• Singing the alphabet song and pointing to each letter.

• Building towers out of alphabet blocks.

• Using floating letters to spell words in your child's bath.

• Using letter magnets to spell words on the fridge.

• Matching up word and picture magnets.

Resist the urge to correct your child during such games. Upside-down letters and nonsense words are integral to the learning process. According to Kailing, children "will do a written-word version of many of the same things they do when they learn to speak. They will 'babble' with their toys." Also, remember that everything you do to help your child learn to read should be fun. Be enthusiastic and your child will be; make a big production out of hide-and-seek with letters, and your child will scamper off in search of that letter 's' you so "desperately" need.

Besides playing with letters and words, you should read to your child regularly - and point at the text as you do so. Text pointing is the most important Native Reading technique. The key is to understand how to do it (and how not to). Run a finger under the words, treating each one equally. Resist the urge to pause over any "important" or "interesting" words. When text pointing is done unobtrusively, the correlation between the written and spoken forms of language is something your child will take in on a subconscious level.

Other techniques for bringing the written language into everyday life include:

• Labeling things around the house (including Mommy and Daddy!).

• Consistently pointing from a word to a picture of the thing (or better yet, the object itself).

• Regularly spelling out your child's name (this will naturally be a subject of intense interest!).

• Playing games with rhyme and alliteration (rhyming storybooks are a great jumping-off point).

• Using music - for example, by printing out the lyrics to your child's favorite songs and singing along while text pointing. The rhythm and flow of music aid memorization and can improve a child's ability to read aloud, notes Kailing.

Don't be afraid to include seemingly confusing words - such as those with silent letters - in the games you play. "If children encounter the exceptions and complications of language in a natural manner… they will learn these complexities most instinctively," writes Kailing. Similarly, he recommends introducing both upper- and lowercase letters from the get-go.

The main goal of the Native Reading method is to create a home environment rich in correlations between the written and spoken forms of language. If you do that, says Kailing, your child will easily and naturally learn to read at the same time as he is learning to speak.