**There are many approaches to teaching reading but you only need to follow one – phonics**

Phonics has been around for over a hundred years so it has passed the test of time. The other approaches to teaching reading seem to come and go. The whole language approach was very popular a few years ago and all it managed to do was lower the literacy rate. But because of its colorful books and intelligent stories it will always be available.

To teach reading I start with phonics then move onto the beautiful colored books with the good stories.

Even teaching phonics can get complicated as there are many approaches to teaching reading with phonics. Nowadays we have the computer and the internet with a number of very good computer based online phonics courses. The online phonics approaches to teaching reading that I have used are very good. You leave your kid alone in front of the computer and the computer teaches your kids. But you have to bring in the whole language books to see how much your children have really learnt.

I prefer an offline program that has been teaching kids for over a 100 years.

We are talking about the Montessori approach to teaching reading. Montessori uses a combination of sandpaper letters and phonics and it is very effective but you the parent have to be involved. You have to be there to teach your kids or an older child who can already read can set up the words and phonic sounds.

There are many approaches to teaching reading but you have to find the approach your child likes as they are learning to read.

For more information about phonics courses I recommend including a Montessori course see our Teach Reading page.