不管是學(xué)習(xí)漢語還是英語，只要是學(xué)習(xí)語言,，最重要也是有效的一點(diǎn)就是閱讀,。英文的26個(gè)字母有兩個(gè)屬性，一個(gè)是字母本身的名字（letter name）,一個(gè)是字母的發(fā)音（letter sound）,， 而后者是學(xué)習(xí)的重點(diǎn),，“音”是英語啟蒙的重點(diǎn)。英語自然拼讀法（Phonics） 通過直接學(xué)習(xí)26個(gè)字母及字母組合在單詞中的發(fā)音規(guī)則,，建立字母及字母組合與發(fā)音的感知,，讓學(xué)生在輕松愉快的氛圍中，了解和學(xué)習(xí)英語字母組合的奧妙,，掌握英語拼讀規(guī)律,，從而達(dá)到看到單詞就會(huì)讀，聽到單詞就會(huì)拼的學(xué)習(xí)目的,。Phonics 作為孩子閱讀的敲門磚,，讓孩子能夠做到見詞就能讀，聽到詞就能寫,，是少兒早期閱讀必備的技能,。

但是，英語中只有80%的單詞可以用Phonics拼讀出來,，那么游離在拼讀規(guī)則之外的那些單詞又該怎么辦呢,？因此，我們就需要找出剩下的那20%的單詞中最常用的部分,，加以記憶,，這些最常用的單詞，英美把它們稱作視覺詞匯（Sight Words）,，也就是一眼看見就能識(shí)別的詞匯,，這些詞匯只有220個(gè)。在兒童英語讀物中,，Sight Words甚至比Phonics對(duì)閱讀能力的影響更大,，兒童讀物的詞匯量是有限的，Sight Words就占了很大的比例,。掌握了Sight Words,，就能夠找到很多難度合適的英文原版書讓孩子閱讀,，孩子們會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)讀原版書原來一點(diǎn)也不難,！

接下來我們就來閱讀一篇神作，為什么說它是神作呢,？因?yàn)樵谶@短短的一篇文章里它就把220個(gè)Sight Words全部用上了,！這篇文章的題目叫做The Best Thing In The World，對(duì)你來說世界上最好的東西是什么呢？

The Best Thing In The World

Once upon a time, there were four brothers who lived in a far away land. Their father was an old king. One day he said, 'I will not live long now. Today you must start out into the world. In a year, bring back the best thing you have found. The one who can pick the best thing shall be the new king.' The first brother said, 'I will look in every city or town. I will buy the best thing I can for my father.' The next two brothers said, 'We will both go on fast ships over the sea. We will find something better.' The last brother said, 'I am going to ask the people here in our own land to tell me the best thing.' The other three brothers began to laugh. 'Then you will never be king!' They said.

The last brother started off. When he had gone about six miles, he met a man. 'What do you carry in those big bags?' he asked. 'The best thing in the world,' said the man. 'These are full of the good nuts which fall from my five nut trees.' 'I don't think that would work,' said the brother to himself, 'I must try again.' The brother went on another seven miles. He found a small brown bird. It had been hurt, so he put it in his coat where it could keep warm. As he went on, he saw a little girl crying. He ran to meet her. 'Why are you crying?' he asked. 'I want to get some water from the well,' she said. 'We use so much. We drink cold water. We wash the clothes clean with hot water. But I do not know how to pull it up. Please show me.' The brother said, 'Hold this bird and I will help you. It does not fly around any more because it got its wing cut.' 'Thank you. What a pretty bird!' she said. 'I wish you would give it to me. If you will let me keep it, I will always be very kind to it. I will take care of it myself. I will make it grow well again.' 'Yes, you may have it,' said the brother. So he gave her the bird and went on.

At night, he went to sleep under a round yellow haystack. When it was light again he walked on. Every day he would walk eight or ten miles. He asked the people about the best thing in the world. Some said it was best to sing. Some said it was best to run and jump and play. Some said the green grass was best. Some liked the red and blue and white flowers best. One man said the best thing was to ride a black horse. He always stopped to help people who needed it. Soon he made many friends. All the people began to like him. They would say, 'See there goes the king's son. He would be just the right kind of king for us.' Every door was open to him. The people would call to him to stop. They would ask him to come and eat with them. After he ate, he would sit down and read to the children. After he read, he showed them how to draw and write. Months went by. He still had no beautiful thing to take to his father. Just before the year was done, he went home again.

The time came when the king called his sons together. 'What did you bring?' He asked them all. The other brothers had many beautiful things. 'And what did you bring?' said the king to the last brother. 'This is too funny!' said the other brothers. 'He has nothing!' But the king was kind to the last brother. 'What did you bring me?' the king asked again. 'I bring only the friendship of your people,' said the last brother. 'That is the best thing!' cried his father. 'You shall be the new king.'

The End