You may find that there are some words which cannot be sounded out using phonics rules (eg 'one') or which, by itself, cannot be easily explained to a child (eg 'is', 'to''). Such words form part of the 'Sight Words' list or commonly known as the 'Dolch Word List' and mastering them may enable a child to read more efficiently as the words in the list is said to make up 50-75% of all words used in books.

An example of the Dolch Word List can be found in this website.

Here is what I did with my then-5yr-old boy:

The Signing time series teaches young children and babies the American Sign Language (ASL).  While sign language was traditionally used by people with speech and hearing disability, there is a growing community who use it for children who have difficulty communicating verbally. This includes children with autism, babies and toddlers who could not speak and even children with more serious disability.  Some even claim that teaching signing to babies will lead to earlier reading and boost IQ. 

Even without these intrinsic benefits, this DVD series is easily one of the best production of children's educational DVDs for young children.

Teaching a child to read independently is the most important life skill that you can teach him.

Learning phonics is the first step to reading. Most parents will send their kids to phonics enrichment classes. However, even if you pay money to send to such classes, the teachers will still tell you that you must practice with your child at home. 

I have been teaching my boy phonics at home for about 8 months.  I am a full time working mummy,  and I can only afford to teach him about 15 minutes a day.  Checkout my blog about my method of teaching, as well as the teaching materials.

http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/

Discipline is about far more than responding to misbehavior. Effective discipline - teaching your son (child) character, attitudes, and skills - is something that should happen every hour and every day of your lives together. At its heart, discipline is a powerful expression of your love for your son (child). ~ Cheryl L. Erwin

Reviewed from a book titled  "The Everything Parent's Guide to Raising Boys" by Cheryl L. Erwin, below are some salient points extracted from Chapter 6 - Discipline as Teaching, that particularly interest me...

Connection and Learning

My wife and I attended this great event last month. It's called 'Firm Foundations', organized by the National Health Promotion Board for parents of young children.  It is rather well organised with relevant topics on caring for young kids, best of all, it costs only $3 per parent!