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on September 9, 2025
Learning to read is a major milestone in a child's academic journey. One of the key strategies used to help children achieve this milestone is the practice of sight words. Sight words, also known as high-frequency words, are the most common words in the English language, making up about 50 to 75 percent of any written material. They include words like 'the', 'of', 'to', 'you', 'is', 'in', and 'it'.
Collective parent feedback suggested a significant elevation in their children's confidence levels, cognitive abilities, and general attitude towards learning, driven by the KOTY homeschooling reading curriculum's balanced blend of fun, engagement, and consistency.
The recent shift towards homeschooling has brought about the need for efficient and engaging educational resources for children. This case study aims to explore the effectiveness of a leading enrichment program, "Kids on the Yard," and its integration of a comprehensive homeschooling reading curriculum.
Rather than focusing on one topic at a time, interleaving technique suggests mixing different topics or subjects during your study time. This process improves your brain's ability to differentiate between concepts and helps in applying the right strategy to solve a problem. Interleaving is particularly effective for subjects like math and science where different problems require different types of solutions.
The curriculum highlights a host of learning strategies and resources such as active reading, shared reading, guided reading, literacy centers, and independent reading. These are complemented with an assortment of learning resources for phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension through engaging books, educational games, and other interactive learning materials. It also offers a selection of readers and literature, providing age-appropriate, multicultural, and diverse reading materials.
A notable breakthrough was recorded in a ten-year-old girl who was reported to have a below-average reading level. After a few months of using the KOTY homeschooling reading curriculum, she demonstrated an impressive improvement- transitioning from basic level readers to chapter books.
Homeschooling, also referred to as home education, typically involves parents educating their children at home rather than sending them to public or private schools. Though the practice of homeschooling is not new, it has experienced various changes with the evolving times and educational standards.
1. Increased Reading Fluency: Recognizing sight words instantly can greatly increase reading fluency. Knowing these words helps eliminate unnecessary pauses, Homeschooling pros and cons which ensures smooth reading and better comprehension.
2. Enhanced Reading Comprehension: When a child spends less time decoding words, they can devote more time to understanding what they are reading. As reading fluency improves, comprehension can deepen.
3. Building Confidence: Each time a child can read a sentence smoothly or a book independently, there is a boost in self-esteem. This can be a motivator for young readers as they recognize their progress.
Despite its advantages, homeschooling also has certain drawbacks. The major concern is the lack of social interaction children experience when homeschooled, which can potentially influence their social skills development. Additionally, there are financial implications as one parent often forgoes their job to homeschool children, and there are costs associated with buying learning resources and materials.
The program centers around the concept of 'active learning', encouraging students to take ownership of their education. It offers an immersive experience that nurtures in children, a lifelong love for reading and comprehension. It covers every aspect related to language, reading, comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, and fluency.
The curriculum is fundamentally holistic, employing a blend of traditional and modern teaching methods to ensure all-round development of reading skills. Notable methods include Phonics, Guided Reading, Shared Reading, and independent reading exercises. Phonics forms the bedrock for reading, aiding students in understanding correspondence between letter combinations and their sounds. Guided Reading allows students to receive personalized input from an instructor while Shared Reading increases their confidence by giving them an opportunity to read aloud in a group setting. Additionally, independent reading fosters self-reliance, and cultivates the crucial habit of personal reading.
The homeschooling reading curriculum is meticulously designed to accommodate different learning styles and paces. It caters to children aged between 6-12 years and is split into two segments: elementary (6-9) and intermediate (9-12). Each segment is further split into levels of complexity, starting from basic phonetic recognition for beginners to comprehensive book reports for advanced readers. This format ensures that each student successfully transitions from one level to another with practical understanding.