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Learning to read
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So, my children are young. 3.5, 1.5, and due in February. But we read all the time. A LOT. My children have a lot of interest in books. Both of them. My oldest knows the alphabet, and can spell her name. She sometimes asks me what something says. She points out letters in words (like ” Mommy, thats an A!”) She will grab a book and retell the story. Almost word for word. My question is, has anyone NOT used a curriculum and their child reads fluently? I remember readimg before I went to Kindergarten, and all my mom did is read to me. I havent found a program I really like. I dont recall learning all the phonics rules in school (although im sure i learned letter sounds and ending/beginning sounds/word families) but to say i know phonics rules… I dont. Did anyine do something…. Different? Like those step into reading books, or just do something that is different. Since she has such a desire, we have been gently working on letter sounds. Im using things she likes to help with it. Like instead of using typical words, using words associated with Disney. For instance: A says “ah” like Alice (Alice in Wonderland) B says “buh” like Belle (Beauty and the Beast) she loves it. She also loves moving so ive been coming up with action words as well like hop and jump etc. We havent done this looking at words or anything, just talking and having fun. But she does recognize all of her letters. Just looking for some ideas, without using a stuffy curriculum, that will make learning to read fun.. Thanks in advance!!
Lacy
As simple as it sounds, I would wait and see. I had a daughter like this (still do, only she’s 24 now, hee hee) who taught herself to read when she was four. She was also a pretty natural speller, so even when we started spelling instruction, it came easily for her.
Since your daughter is so young, you could keep doing what you’re doing, which sounds wonderful. The book I used to teach my other two daughters to read is called Phonics Pathways, but imho you really don’t need anything like this with a preschooler. It’s also not CMish, so if you are looking for a CM approach, look at the Delightful Reading sets here at SCM.
And keep reading to her! In my experience, that’s the best way to give children the beautiful sound of language in their ears, which helps mightily with reading and vocabulary later.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Thank you 😊. I know she is still really young, but I just want to fuel her desire and help her along. Teaching my children to read is the one thing im nervous about, and I just want to make sure I dont screw up.</p>
Momma,
You are doing fine! I would not worry about a reading curriculum at all right now. Some children need very little hand holding when it comes to reading. I, too, was a child that started reading around 4 yrs of age. No curriculum. I was curious of letters, the sounds they made independently and the sounds they made when side by side.
You don’t need to worry about phonics at this point. Charlotte included basic phonics not intensive phonics when instructing how to teach reading. Here’s a 4 minute excerpt from Enjoying the Early Years workshop dvd concerning phonics.
Enjoy this time (and ease???) 🙂
I read a LOT to my oldest. He knew his letters and their sounds young, but he didn’t read well until he was about 8. Some will learn to read that way, others won’t. But at their ages, I wouldn’t even worry about it. Just keep reading to them. 🙂
As for fueling her desire, as you mention, I would gently suggest not taking that upon yourself in any other way than you have. That is, she has the desire already and you’re supporting it by giving her language offerings at her level. Desire will ebb and flow, just as it does in most areas for people of any age. All the reading aloud you do will enrich and benefit her in ways that you may not be able to measure or even see. As a homeschooler, you’re allowed to move at your own pace without concern for moving on to the next thing until the next thing naturally presents itself. You don’t need to fuel or force it, and in my experience (having tried fueling and forcing many times in the seventeen years we’ve been homeschooling, truly!), taking on that role can often backfire.
Spread the feast, as Charlotte Mason would say, make the resources available, and very gradually ramp up the structure and formality beginning a couple of years from now. It’s sometimes so hard to hold back and slow down, or continue moving slowly, when you’re so excited about something. But you will be most thankful that you paced yourself when you have been homeschooling for several years, because you won’t have tried to cram all the intensity in at the beginning and you won’t be as prone to burning out.
I don’t mean to lecture, but I hope some of this will be helpful to you. There are so many amazing women on this forum and you will get much wisdom and assurance from them. I know I have!
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