teaching kids to read

[veganfamily]

Sooo....

we have taken charge of our kids' health so i figured some of you would be interested in taking charge of your kids learning to read. I am going to do this program with my 2 1/2 yr old this fall called " read by five". I love all the concepts behind Waldorf schooling .... i feel like children should be busy with fantasy play during the "elementary" school years. But there is a window at around age three where kids REALLY want to read and are ready to take it all in.

Anyway....


thoughts?

[Denise Nicole]

I home school my DD's and have found that they learn at their own individual pace. I activly participate in "child led learning". And by simply having materials avaialble to them (books, movies, computer programs, games, etc) they WANT to learn! One of my girls began to read by 5 years old the other at 3 years old. Whenever they decide they are ready, eventually they WILL catch-up to their public and private schooled peers, and eventually will most likely soar passed them. My youngest is "gifted" so it has been a breeze. My eldest is a good student and is more "Arts" oriented (music, Art, etc) so I let her pursue those more. My oldest is now "caught up" to her peers in the other areas, but as a Mommy I was getting a little concerned, lol. But, now she is there! Good Luck with your little one!

[Leiloshka]

My son was reading by age 5 using the Frontline Phonics program. I tried it with my daughter and she was just a different child to teach. She got much more frustrated and CRIED at the drop of a hat. She learned all the letters and was reading the beginner books before the vowel books, but I dreaded and she probably did too so we stopped. She's learned this year in kindergarten but is nowhere as advanced as my son at this stage of the game. I thought this summer I'd tackle the program again as a "refresher" and teach the vowels, although she's now already had all this.

I checked into the Sylvan learning center about a reading class this summer, but it was way too expensive for me.

Anyway, my son did great and is still a great reader. He's now finishing 3rd grade and has a Ranger Rick subscription which he loves. :)

[swingbolder]

Kids get interested in reading at different ages. We homeschooled, and I knew some kids who started learning on their own at 3 and 4. My own son didn't really get interested until he was eight or so, and then all of a sudden his reading took off. He's ten now and reading stuff like Lord of the Rings, which is young adult level. I think parents should take their cues from their kids and not push them before they're ready, but if your daughter is showing interest at three then that's great, go for it. :)

[ArcticMist]

I agree with swingbolder. Every child is different and will learn at their own pace. My son learned to really read in kindergarten He knew letters etc before then. He is in first grade and he reads chapter books by himself. Like the Magic Tree House series. I am astounded he is doing so well to be honest. Personally I did not start liking to read until about 4th grade or so and now I can not get enough. Most kids something will click when the time is right and you will heading to the library even more often! Having materials on hand is good speically if they are interested.

[swingbolder]

I agree. I think the main thing is to have a "reading-friendly" environment in your home. Read to your kids often, have them see you reading, have books and magazines, comic books around the house.

[Mina]

before you decide to ruin your toddler's life, you should read "better late than early" by Dr. Raymond Moore. Another thing, I don't think you are familiar with the waldorf concept. you should read about Rudolf Steiner too!!! he is the one who is behind this amazing philosophy.
mina

[AJ Bodine]

I'm so glad I saw this thread, I hs my 6 yo son. He's an only child, so we basically spend a great deal of time together and our entire day is the classroom. He loves art, nature, math and science and does very well with all. I consider our chores and playtime all part of the learning experience as well.

However, he has no interest in learning to read! I've tried Hooked on Phonics and he made it through the first entire level, but he claims to not remember every time we sit down to sound out words. Tears come easy and we both get frustrated because I know he knows a lot more than he's willing to admit to. We've moved to a new town where we know nobody and he really wants to meet other kids. He's asking to go to school, but I know he's not going to be able to be admitted to his grade level because of his reading skill level.

I don't want to push him, but I'm wondering if there's more I can do to inspire him?

[Mina]

don't do anything to pressure him into reading at this age, he is not ready yet. keep reading to him. I have 6year old son too, I homeschool him and I have not started him in reading either.
you should read the book " better late than early" by Dr. Raymond Moore. and you will understand why you should not force him into it or into any formal studies at this age. please read it and you will be amazed by the information in this book.
good luck!!!!

[Conscious Midwife]

When my 12 year old son was around 4 or 5 my then 10 year old daughter taught him how to read. It was so conversational , magical and really not very deliberate at all. One day she was just reading to him and then it seemed like the next day he was repeating back ( mostly sight words) then she did the phonetic thing. No pressure no drama just wow he was reading.

Wish I would have paid more attention then and pattened the technique.

But of course that would have adulterated the process.

[AJ Bodine]

Mina, I will head over to Amazon tomorrow and get that book ordered. Thank you very much for this, I will post back here after I've read it.

Something that I've thought of many times over the years, I'd like to mention here. My son is now almost 7 years old and just this year he's begun sleeping alone without fear and really enjoying his own room/space. We co-slept for most of his life in a big bed as a family. Then when he turned 5, he decided to sleep in his own camping bed which stayed down on the floor next to our bed. Then just this year he said, can I have my own bed in my own room? So we bought him a really nice bed with nice new sheets. I knew when it was his time to be independent and sleep on his own without fear, he'd let us know. And that time has come. He has no desire to sleep with us anymore and he doesn't need us to fall asleep with him in his room. He doesn't dread bedtime like I did when I was a kid.

I always told "concerned" family/friends that he wouldn't walk into a board room meeting right after waking up out of his parents bed. I knew he would sleep on his own in his own time.

Why am I not thinking this way about reading? When the desire is there to learn a particular subject, he will learn easily.

[Conscious Midwife]

It'a amazing how much pressure we put on ourselves regarding the "reading benchmark". All of my oldre children have a passion for reading. One would rather read then anyhting else.

What I notice with my toddlers is that they love carrying their books looking at the pictures, and pretending to read the stories. This is great, fostering the imagination and laying a foundation for comprehension is as key as phonics.

I want to raise critical thinkers with a thirst for knowledge and appreciation for the written word. I believe this comes when reading is a regular component in the household and when the pressure to learn to read isn't overbearing.

Good luck to all!!

[Mina]

Hi AJ!!!!
you see reading, sleeping, or doing math everything is related to each other. we won't do it until we are ready. My kid slept with us from the day we brought him from the hospital until he was 3 years old. he had his own room nicely painted and well decorated but we never told him to go to his room, until one day out of the blue he said "i'm going to sleep in my room " and my daughter the same way. now they know if the wake up in the middle of the night with a bad dream they just come and jump in our bed. no big deal. kids like that they tend to grow up being very secure.
so you see your kid is now ready to go to his bedroom.
let him take his time to get ready.he is just a little guy that wants to make sure he has the security that he needs. that's all. he has a life ahead of him.
you don't have to buy the book if you don't want you,just go to your library and you will find it.
mina

[AJ Bodine]

I get in the habit of buying books, as I'm way out in the country and our library is 45 minutes from here. I will check with them first though when I head to town this week.

This thread has given me much to think about. Last night we read a chapter from "The Magician's Nephew" at bedtime. For the first time in a while, I wasn't thinking in the back of my mind, I wish my son could be reading this to me. In his own time, he will begin reading!

[AJ Bodine]

Oh, and I wanted to add that we are the same way about sleeping. If there's ever a time where our son doesn't feel safe at night, he can just jump in with us. No problem! And I'm certain because of this freedom, he has no issues about falling asleep on his own. No bad dreams, no tears about having to go to bed, nothing. I spent my entire childhood afraid of bedtime and afraid of the dark. I wanted it to be different for him.

[mbf]

Hi Aj, my daughter and I just started the magicians nephew lasy night also ! She cant't wait to find out what happened to Polly ! We have been reading American Girl books for weeks so this is a very welcome change !

She just turned 6 this week and really wants to read BUT is struggling with letter and sound recogintion. I am trying not to push her. She has high frequency words she is supposed to know by the end of the year and can only recall about 4 out of 20 right now.

I am looking into homeschooling and love the Waldorf concept but am afraid/not confident that I will able to educate my children properly.

Enjoy the book !

Mara

[Conscious Midwife]

I am looking into homeschooling and love the Waldorf concept but am afraid/not confident that I will able to educate my children properly.

Enjoy the book !

Mara


My guess is that the average parent is surely more compotent than our current school system.

The great teachers are overloaded by too many personality types, behavior issues and beuracratic mumbo jumbo. The mediocre teachers regurgitate text, pretend to follow ambiguous lesson plans and then pick up their checks. Those in between are struggling to find mentors to help get them to the next levels and are probably overwhelmed by bullying parents and disengaged children. My extreme generalizations come from a year of substituting and 18 years and 3 kiddos in an assortment of academic settings. Plus a family full of educators with stories of both horror and delight.

I have a Sis in the MD/DC area who still has students in her 3rd grade class that can't read, don't always have dinner at home or go days without seeing their parents. Some of these children don't own their own back pack and have parents who don't come to conferences but who call to cuss her out when their children get in trouble.

I ask her why she keeps on and she says that there are always a handful she can make a difference with so she tries her best for all knowing that a few will flurish. Plus she does not let the paper work ,lesson plannind etc... overwhelm her time after hours. Her own children are in a private schools she can't afford so the inlaws help to pay for it. She spends here summers with her children, working on her MAsters ( in educataion) and temping at a bank when $$$ are low.