Painless Reading Lessons Using Disney Videos/DVDs, Disney Books, Blank Adhesive Computer Labels, a Glue Stick, Blank Note Cards, Craft Sticks, Construction Paper, Staples, and Colored Markers
1. Buy a collection of Disney picture books to go along with a Disney cartoon. (Check Amazon.com, Half Price Books, garage sales, Goodwill, library used book sales, etc.).
2. If the child has very poor reading comprehension and is easily distracted, place the labels over the words in the books. Replace the words in the books with large, very simple text in question/answer format. The questions will be one color and the answers another color. Also label all characters and objects in the books.
3. If the child is able to read the book as written, place the labels with your text under or beside the author's text.
4. If possible, choose at least one Disney book that very closely follows the movie you have chosen (many pages and pictures) to "label up."
5. Read the labeled book to the child and/or have the child read it to you. Sometimes, it is good for the parent to read the questions and the child to read the answers.
6. Watch the Disney movie that matches the book with closed captioning or English subtitles "on."
7. Options for your other Disney books that go with the same movie:
a. Label them in the same manner as your long Disney picture book for reinforcement. (Struggling readers.)
b. Place blank labels over all of the text in one of the books and have the child put his/her own text in the book. c. Cut pictures out of the books, paste them on blank note cards, write information about the scene under each picture, and have the child sequence and retell the story.
d. Cut pictures of the major characters out of the books, paste them to note cards for strength, have the child cut around the pictures that are glued to the note cards, and affix to craft sticks. Then have the child or the child and you use the puppets to retell the story or do a character interview.
e. Have the child cut pictures out of the old books himself/herself, glue them to construction paper, and explain his/her creation. Ask the child questions about it and have the child connect his/her art to the Disney story.
f. Staple several pieces of construction paper together and have the child create a book based on the characters--cutting pictures of the characters out and pasting in the book, using the markers to draw
background and text, etc.
Note: You can use Disney Digital Books (sometimes available free through a public library) and Disney Read Along DVDs to enhance the lessons.
