There are so many ways to teach a child to read, English, and it does not start by teaching him/her how to recite the alphabet! I know this comes as a big surprise to many, but learning to read comes long before 'A,B,C's'.
I wish to introduce you to the concept of pre reading. all the foundation that is built before letter sounds are ever considered. Parents you do need to give yourselves credit for a lot of the development and learning that takes place before a child goes to pre-school or nursery; or any school setting.
Pre reading covers:
Songs
Rhymes
Stories
Riddles
Poems
Pictures/photographs
Conversations
Communication
Think about all of these items and be rest assured that the building blocks of reading are established on these very practices
Here's a link to an article about teaching children to read
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Children-Reading_ep_46-1.html
