Ah! Reading and Spelling (and Books to Help)

Learning the rules of the English language is no easy feat. Letter sounds change depending on other letters in the word. Entire words are spelled completely differently when made into a plural. Root words change when you add the -ing and -ed suffixes. It is a lot for kids (and non-native speakers) to learn and a lot to try to teach.

Two books that have helped my young learners are The B on Your Thumb by Colette Hiller and P is for Pterodactyl by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter. Well, if I’m being honest, the first book has helped my kids and the second book mostly brings me joy amongst the insanity of teaching my kids to spell and read.

The B On Your Thumb is a compilation of poems that scaffold reading and spelling for young learners in a very fun, imaginative, and creative way. The poems are delightful and a helpful resource for reinforcing specific skills at home. We keep this book handy whenever we are reading and sounding out new words. You can use this book as a direct reinforcement for whatever reading and spelling strategy is being practiced in the classroom; or you can use it as a launchpad for learning a new skill.

P is for Pterodactyl is a humorous book about so many of the wonky spellings and sounds in the English language. It is quite the tongue twister and brain mixer as you attempt to read English words with atypical spellings and sounds. This book reminds me that learning the rules of the English language is not easy and to have grace and patience with my kids (as well as immense respect and appreciation for classroom teachers everywhere!).

Grab a copy of these books to add to your home library and toolkit.

Written by Brandi Stanton, mom of 2 rascals ages 4 and 6.