It is essential for beginning readers to know how each letter of the alphabet sounds, and how to break words into smaller components by the sound of letter combinations. Understanding the basic phonics of language allows the new reader to approach words they've never seen before. Teaching students how pairs of letters, both vowels and consonants, is critical to eventually forming whole words. This reading accommodation strategy is quite simple and should include a teacher or parent breaking up the word and sounding out each letter with the student in a comfortable, pressure-free environment, either at home or in the classroom. For example, 'run' should be sounded out with each letter for the student, allowing the opportunity for the student's participation: r-u-n, run. The teacher can further this method by asking the student to clap upon pronunciation of each syllable of the spoken words, helping them recognize the relationship of letter components.
It is imperative for first graders to read aloud, whether that be with other students, parents and teachers or by themselves with supervision. Accommodating the reader with this method increases their awareness of the words and their letter combinations, and allows for connections to be made between the sound of the word and its use in-text, as well as greater context. This strategy is highly recommended for auditory learners.
Allowing students to work in small groups of comparable skill level under teacher supervision allows them to advance at an even pace. These groups can be tailor-made for learning skills as well, as auditory or kinesthetic learners can be bunched together to maximize the efficiency of reading sessions.
A key strategy to accommodating new readers is to provide them with a rich learning environment. This can mean maximizing an area for smaller, sometimes osmotic or unintentional absorption methods of learning. Teachers can arrange the classroom, or parents a room in the home, with letters or graphics of animals pronouncing letter combinations, as well as a word wall. It means having a comfortable place within a room where students can relax. Bean bags, couches and chairs are excellent tools to aid new readers. Combining reading time with snack time also adds incentive for new readers.