[philman_36]

Why is it Bird and not Berd/Werd/Werd?
Ummm...because you have a higher intellect than the child you're teaching and you will teach them those things as they grow older and become more familiar with words.
You aren't expecting a child to know this on their own, are you?

Even in teaching with phonics there is a process of progress over time, isn't there?

[BenKenobi]

“Even in teaching with phonics there is a process of progress over time, isn’t there?”

Yes, but this is simple stuff. :) That’s my point.

[BenKenobi]

Question:

When did you teach the alphabet, before or after you did this?

“Through imagery and audio input.”

So you taught her phonics. :)

“The way I did it was to write out the word (starting with personal words like Mommy, Daddy, hand, arm, leg nose, etc.) in large letters (about 4”) on poster board.
Or you can buy flash cards like I did with my son and cover up the picture while they learn the word. Then you use the image and the word together.”

What you are doing is teaching the child that the word “bird”, when you say it is the same as the letters on the page. If you took the picture away from it, the child learns the sound and associates the sounds with the word.

I suspected as much.

“It was easy for me. It did require patience and knowing my children well. So no matter what anybody says it worked for me and my children and I’ve been proud of them as a parent when others stated how well read my kids were. “

I am not saying that your approach was unsuccessful. I am arguing that your approach was not ‘whole word’.

?I guess the mileage varies for different folks, but saying outright that it doesn’t work at all is BS.”

It doesn’t. Whole word takes away the audio and leaves you just the pictures.