Dumpling is reading. In fact, she's reading well enough to have opened Cuddlebug's lesson book today and taught her today's new sound, "I." O.k...so that wasn't as difficult as "tion," or "ough," but there is something really wonderful going on when a near-7 year old feels the confidence of her own ability to mentor her little sister in a skill.I've taught, or am teaching 3 very different girls how to decipher the code. Teaching a child to read is difficult work. (Or, it could be that it is just difficult for me.) It requires patience. It demands to be a priority. It will only become more frustrating without consistency.
My method every time has been to teach the phonics and get my daughter reading a little something as soon as possible. And then for a semester or two, I sit and watch and read along over her shoulder. I make correction as she needs it. I yawn a lot and try to hide it. I sit perfectly still to avoid bringing attention to the fact that we've been on that 10-letter word for a full 2 minutes. I sometimes struggle to keep my eyes open. I silently pray she would recognize that she already sounded that word out earlier on the page. I cover long words with my finger to help her see them a syllable at a time. I tell her she can do it. If need be, I tell her that she must do it. I praise her when she is finished and ask her if she enjoyed the story.
And early on, the answer has always been a resounding, "No."
That's the wall they hit once they possess just enough information to be really frustrated that the work is still so arduous. But then they get past it with the help of one resource. With there being 5 years between Fifi and Dumpling, I'd nearly forgot about Its usefulness to this task. When we used It with Fifi, her skill and interest increased by leaps and bounds immediately. And I'm delighted (and relieved) to report that it has worked the same way for Dumpling.
What is this remarkable, sure-fire reading wonder? Well, I'll tell you: the Bible. Sometimes the Living Translation, more often the King James Version. God has blessed and honored our desire to teach the girls to read for the bigger purpose of taking in His Revelation.
I wouldn't have guessed I'd have ever heard my most playful daughter ask me last week, "Mommy, is it time for my reading lesson? Can we read more Esther?"
The Lord is good.
Portrait credit: Child Reading, 1961, Ferol Sibley Warthen
5 comments:
Thank you! I am undergoing the arduous yet rewarding task of teaching Jewel to read. I needed this encouragment, because she is so easily discouraged. ((HUGS)) my friend.
I haven't been here the last couple of days and must say, these are some amazing young women you are raising - congratulations!
At what age do you start teaching phonics. I started with my daugter a little after 4. She is bright a desires to learn. We are going realy slow. You don't think it is too early, do you?
Also, when do you have them start reaing scripture? When they know all thier sounds?
Sorry for all the questions...I just like to know what others think.
Cammie
I'm an advocate of "later is better," and becoming moreso with every child.
Trying to teach something that their brain really isn't prepared for only serves to frustrate them, you, etc.
I would love it if there were one prescribed age to begin the phonics lessons and I'd love it even more if that age was 6. But, children are different. I started my first at 3 because someone told me that 3 year olds can be taught to read. Whoa! Not that 3 year old! Whew. What a teary mess I turned her into. Thanks be to God that I stopped after a couple of days and didn't try again until the prescribed Kinder 5 years.
My second child would rather play and play with little miniatures -- building houses and infrastructure. She'll probably grow up to be a civil engineer or an architect, but meanwhile I force her to learn the things I know she can and should do: reading, chores, potty training, *giggle* riding a bicycle. I didn't sit her down to learn to read until the last reasonable moment -- about 6.
But my third girl wanted to learn at 3 1/2. REALLY desired to learn. And she's a go-getter. I could tell that I was going to break her heart if I said, "no," so I told her that we would do 100 Easy Lessons until we didn't want to do it anymore, and then we would continue it later when she was Kindergarten age. We do a lesson (or 1/2) about 4 times a week, and she is on lesson 57. She is 4 1/2 and that "postponing moment" just never happened.
As for the Bible, we try to include the new reader in family devotion time as soon as there is a word that they can decipher: the, he, on, in, at, God, etc. They recognize the value of this book over all others, and are encouraged that it is for them as much as for their parents when they can put their own eyes on it and make any contribution to its reading.
Hope that helps you know where I'm coming from, Cammie! Thanks for visiting my blog...
Wow, I was reading along in your post and smiling at the "yawning" as Brianna takes that 2min to sound out a 5 letter word lol..I am not patient, especially when she forgets that she just sounded out a word in the previous sentence and forgot already. The Lord is working on me-it's not her, it is me. I loved how you mentioned that it is only more frustrating when there is a lack of consistancy. Then...terrible (or should I say much needed) conviction when I read- "What is this remarkable, sure-fire reading wonder? ...God has blessed and honored our desire to teach the girls to read for the bigger purpose of taking in His Revelation.". Again, wow, my motives needed to be checked in a major way. Thank you Lord! Thank you GB for this post! I have renewed excitement- I had lost the "vision". :)-Heather
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