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SaraP
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Would anyone share with me their philosophy on teaching reading?
On the whole I am very much in favor of an unschool approach until the age of 7 or 8 (at least), but I wonder whether learning to read is an exception because so much more independent exploration can be done once one can read fluently.
My 5yo DS 'gets' phonics easily, but he doesn't like doing it - doesn't want to sit still, doesn't want to make his eyes focus on the words on the page, gets annoyed even when I casually point out words in books I am reading to him - and I hate making him do it.
My inclination is to back off for a while and see if he shows interest on his own, but I'd be interested in other people's thoughts.
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Willa
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Sarah ---
I always used a low-key, stop and start method to teach my kids. We use 100 Easy Lessons -- doesn't work for everyone, but it works well for me and all my kids so far.
With my first two emergent readers, I made a chart with 100 squares and gave them a sticker for each square as they completed a lesson. I think I gave them a few M&Ms after each completed lesson too. 100EZ lessons is a lowkey program but I pushed a bit hard because I was pregnant with my 5th and we were moving to another state, and I wanted them reading before the chaos came. They were also my first readers and I was anxious about messing them up.
My next two readers started when they were age 5 but partly because of life circumstances I dropped the phonics whenever we hit a road block. It took them longer to learn -- they were both about 9 before they were what I call literate -- ie reading Redwall, Narnia etc. But the process was almost painless and fit very naturally into our family life.
My special needs 7 year old is my present emergent reader. He has been almost entirely unschooled in his reading. When he was 3 and 4 he had an hour of Homebound Headstart once a week -- she'd bring fun puzzles and games -- quite MOntessori and let him choose between them. By the time he was five he was familiar with the letter names.
Last year, when we was six, he worked occasionally on handwriting practice using Handwriting without Tears. He has a phonics V tech game that talks about letter names and sounds and he plays it often. He has mastered most of the games and so he can match the letter names to the sounds.
This year we've started working more seriously with 100 Easy Lessons. He LOVES this book. As soon as he gets impatient we drop it but usually I get tired before he does. He also enjoys the HWT book and spends a lot of time scribbling in it.
He also has a few phonics games online that he likes to play. Starfall is a nice site.
I plan to do it rather the same with my present 3yo when he is that age.
I have never tried to have them sound out words when we're reading because I think I have the kind of kids that resist that.
I wonder if your 5yo has some visual immaturity? I noticed some in my kids that learned to read a bit younger. Raymond Moore has written about the Integrated Maturity Level in several books about holding off on formal academics, especially close work (writing and reading) until readiness comes. He advocates a more MOntessori type approach in the early years
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| The Moores' contribution to education is best known for their emphasis on the philosophy that children, especially boys, need individualized attention, chiefly between the ages of 5 and 10. Even those with high intelligence have many times not reached IML (Integrated Maturity Level) at the same rate as their age mates. The Moore Academy does not advocate that they should have no education while they are in this early maturing stage; however, a no-stress approach is urged, with much emphasis on social studies and science, arts and crafts, and music appreciation. We believe phonics can be taught, but without pressure to perform, and with an easy, fun approach that uses learning activities, followed by phonetic readers. Writing is another "pressure-point" that deserves care in instruction. Writing in cornmeal, or sand, sky writing, and lots of dictating to Mom helps to bridge the gap between ability and performance. Math is also taught with lots of hands-on manipulatives, and real-life applications. |
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My philosophy in a nutshell I suppose is to start a reading program as early as possible --- in utero in fact -- but at first, entirely by input ---- ie, reading aloud and sharing books for fun. Letter puzzles and games have had some usefulness in my experience but better if they are just around the house and used for fun than done as a task. Then gradually introduce some work with letters and sounds and writing but when there's an obstacle, back off and try a different approach or just go back to the reading aloud and enjoying.
That's just me. If I were you with a five year old I suppose I'd stop for a while and just enjoy books again. He's so young, Just FWIW.
More about writing than reading, but there's a nice post about early childhood learning at Lissa's
Lilting House and I think it applies.....
She mentions that Charlotte Mason doesn't advocate formal academics too early -- here is Charlotte Mason's "A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six", which is here:
Quote:
1. To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters
4. to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child
5. to copy in print-hand from a book
6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
7. to describe the boundries of their own home
8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach
9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history (my note here, we may want to substitute early American for early English!)
10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views
11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.
12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees
13. to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape
14. to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed
15. to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.
16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences
17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song
18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations. |
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Willa
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organiclilac
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My son is 5 1/2, and it has been HARD for me to be patient with his reading progress. He knew all of his letters by 18 months, with no active teaching on my part, just reading some alphabet books at his request. I thought, "He's a reading prodigy! He'll be reading in no time!" Around the time he turned 3, we started the Little Stories for Little Folks program, and he quickly learned the sounds for the letters. Then came time to put it all together... and we hit a wall. He was exactly as you describe: "doesn't want to sit still, doesn't want to make his eyes focus on the words on the page, gets annoyed even when I casually point out words in books I am reading to him". I knew he COULD do it, he just didn't want to. The more I tried to encourage him, the worse it got, so I simply quit. I still read to him, but no active teaching. And little by little, he's started to make an effort on his own. He voluntarily tried to read the words on my sweatshirt a couple of weeks ago. (West Point - I had to tell him what sound "oi" made, but he got all the rest himself.) He looked at a can of chicken soup, and asked why "ch" makes the sound that it does. And, when "typing" on the computer, along with all the nonsense he banged out, he showed me where he typed "wyzul". He told me it was "weasel"! Not bad, eh? I am glad that I stepped back and let him explore reading on his own, because this is just so fun to watch!
(I just have to add that the reason he tried to type "weasel" is because he had been watching "The Sound of Music", and thought that was the eldest girl's name, instead of Liesl!  )
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vmalott
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| Posted: Oct 17 2006 at 7:57am | IP Logged
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Here's our experience FWIW...
My oldest child (12) learned to read in school. Next oldest (10) is the first to be homeschooled from the start. In his K year, I naturally started him learning to read. We used 100 Easy Lessons, but he was wiggly and very impatient with the amount of repetition and the "dumb games" (his words). So, I backed wayyyy off...this was right around 9/11...I backed way off on everything and we unschooled for quite some time.
Anyway, he at least had a little grounding in phonics and the rest he did on his own. I can't say we completely unschooled reading, because he didn't just pick it up. And I'm not comfortable advising folks to completely unschool reading.
Buuuuut....he did learn to read after that initial introduction to phonics. How? He started working by reading the backs of baseball cards and the titles of programs on our satellite TV so he could watch ESPN. At 10 he reads fairly well and is one of the only kids who will actually volunteer to read aloud in his CCD class. Now, spelling? He has horrible spelling...we're working on that! 
The next in line (7) also was impatient with 100 Easy Lessons, so we switched to Little Angel readers. She still enjoys reading from them to me. Our newest emergent readers are 5 and almost 4. The 5yo is showing impatience with 100 Easy Lessons *AND* Little Angel readers, so I'm thinking of backing off. The 4yo LOVES phonics/reading lessons and already knows the letter sounds! This was all just following his lead, not mom-imposed.
Anyway, I do think that backing off for a little while might give your son some time to process things in his mind in his own time without any external pressure. You might be surprised like I was one day when my oldest son read something out of the blue. "How did you know what that said?" I asked. He replied, "I read it mom," with that 'duuuhhh' tone in his voice. 
Valerie
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SaraP
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Thanks, all!
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rose gardens
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| Posted: Dec 09 2006 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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SaraP wrote:
| Would anyone share with me their philosophy on teaching reading?...My 5yo DS 'gets' phonics easily, but he doesn't like doing it ...My inclination is to back off for a while and see if he shows interest on his own, but I'd be interested in other people's thoughts. |
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I don't consider myself an unschooler, (but what some people call unschooling looks like my homeschooling.  ) Anyway, if you don't mind my opinion, I'll share.
I have twin 5 year olds--one reads and one doesn't read much beyond his name. When my now eight year old learned to read at age six, I had to back off a bit as he wasn't ready. My older children learned to read at ages five and six, but that was with the encouragement of their private school and lots of tutoring by me in the evening.
I like children reading independently at young ages, but one resulting tragedy can be that parents often stop reading to children once they can read. Even if young children can read, the level of early readers is often not very interesting and they may loose interest in reading. If you want your child to enjoy reading, keep reading books to him that he enjoys and make the experience enjoyable for him. At age five, I don't think you need to worry that he doesn't read independently yet. I think you should trust your instinct to back off for a while.
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Sandyone
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| Posted: Jan 11 2007 at 7:45am | IP Logged
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SaraP wrote:
Would anyone share with me their philosophy on teaching reading?
On the whole I am very much in favor of an unschool approach until the age of 7 or 8 (at least), but I wonder whether learning to read is an exception because so much more independent exploration can be done once one can read fluently.
My 5yo DS 'gets' phonics easily, but he doesn't like doing it - doesn't want to sit still, doesn't want to make his eyes focus on the words on the page, gets annoyed even when I casually point out words in books I am reading to him - and I hate making him do it.
My inclination is to back off for a while and see if he shows interest on his own, but I'd be interested in other people's thoughts. |
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My two boys were late readers. My first received a Nate the Great book for his 9th birthday. That was the first book he read. If he had been in school, I'm sure that he would have read sooner, as he wouldn't have wanted to be a Big Dummy. He had the skills to sound out words, but he could never remember a word he'd just read and it was very painful. He just turned 12 and has discovered Louis L'Amour. His nose is always in a book these days. (I just re-read your description of his annoyance with your teaching efforts. That was how this son was!)
When my younger son was 8, he went to CCD and when he came home, he was incredulous. "Mom, there are kids in my CCD class who can *read*!!" He had no idea that there was something "wrong" with not reading at his advanced age. At this point, he was nowhere near any kind of reading readiness.
He still had trouble with some of the letters when he was 9. He's 10, now, and is plowing through A-Z Mysteries like there's no tomorrow. He has eagerly attempted Charlotte's Web several times, but it is too frustrating for him. He loves reading easy books to his younger sisters. He can read words at higher grade levels, but his comprehension is lacking. If this boy had been in school, he still would not have been able to read. He'd be in remedial classes for everything because reading is so important to school success. Since he was at home (with his brilliant, caring mother Tee hee!), he is just moving along at his own pace and feeling very good about his reading skills.
Incidentally, what inspired him to really learn to read was watching his older brother read (and laugh his fool head off at) the Garfield comic book collection that he'd inherited from their uncle. He was very happy when I warned him that he'd be just as annoying (because of being off, reading, instead of playing together) once he learned to read.
My oldest daughter is 7 1/2 and she is picking up reading. Again, if she had been in school, she would probably be reading. She gets frustrated easily, so we're taking it slowly. Some days, she zips through. Other days, she hits a sound that she can't remember and she just shuts down. Who knew that reading could be such an exercise in character assessment??
I do wish that my kids would be early readers, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. My 5 year old daughter isn't showing much interest in learning the letters, so she won't be an early reader. I'm hoping that she'll be reading around 7, though.
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Mary G
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| Posted: Jan 11 2007 at 8:43am | IP Logged
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Ladies -- thanks all for sharing these "words of wisdom" with all of us and answering SaraP's questions.
I'm struggling with this a bit right now. My two middle kids -- 8 next week and almost 7 -- are really trying to read. Thomas (8) will do it but doesn't have the confidence to just read on his own -- he worries too much but I know he can read and understands all the concepts. Maggie (almost 7) HATES to have to sit down and practice reading -- she would much rather "write" the story herself, and not read.
I do lots of read alouds, with them next to me as I read, pointing out words or oddities (boy, does English have TONS of exceptions). I'm taking a pretty low-key approach, but I know that my older two (who were in parochial school) were reading pretty fluently by 6 or 7 -- but at what cost?
Has anyone successfully taught reading without "teaching" reading -- by just working through it step by step at the child's own pace? I mean, without charts or programs, or twaddle readers? I tried 100EZ and couldn't stand it -- I didn't understand why a child should make the leap from odd looking letters to the printed word -- we got through lesson 30 or so when Thomas was 5 before I said, phooey!
Any words of wisdom from you unschoolers?
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Sandyone
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My daughter did a bit of 100EZ. What really helped was the "say it fast" portion. It helps her to blend well.
In the book Hop On Pop (is that twaddle? I like that book!), the front cover has a bunch of words that all end with the same letters. She just up and read them one day and that was my cue that she must be ready. We also have a set of little books from the "Now I'm Reading!" set. These are by Nora Gaydos. My MIL had bought them and they really helped my 2nd son (the 9 yr old new reader). They have few, simple words that are repeated through the book. The second set of 10 introduces long vowel sounds. After that set, my son took off and was filled with confidence.
I have found lack of confidence to be the biggest stumbling block for my kids. If these simple books build their confidence, I'm all for them.
I don't feel like I've had to work very hard to teach my kids to read. The hardest part is having to wait until they're so darn old before they do it! We don't advertise that they can't read, but now that the boys are doing so well, I tell anyone who will listen that they were late readers.
Waiting is really very important!
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Karen T
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I'm always so encouraged when I come here and read about these late readers, esp. boys. It really does seem very common in boys compared to girls.
My oldest ds learned in ps with some help from me, at age 5-1/2. My other two kids have been homeschooled from the start, and ds who will turn 7 next week is just beginning to sound out words. Dd is 5 and is at about the same level, but does it with much less frustration! I did push ds a little at first but backed off and let him show me when he was ready. Now he's able to sit and do some phonics (Phonics Pathways works best for us - tried 100 EZ lessons and didn't care for it) for a short time. he gets tired after more than 10 min or so, not b/c he's frustrated with the work, but b/c he has better things to be doing in his words!
He did tell me the other day that the words were too small and this was with relatively large print, so we have an appt with the eye dr. next week. He's been checked twice already, at age 4 and 5, and I've been told he will be near-sighted b/c he was not farsighted at that time, which kids usually are (I was very nearsighted and wore glasses/contacts until LASIK surgery 8 yrs ago). So if he is ready for glasses now that might solve some of his reluctance, too, but I think he's just more interested in being outside and making things!
Karen T
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ladybugs
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| Posted: Jan 14 2007 at 11:55am | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
I'm struggling with this a bit right now. My two middle kids -- 8 next week and almost 7 -- are really trying to read. Thomas (8) will do it but doesn't have the confidence to just read on his own -- he worries too much but I know he can read and understands all the concepts. Maggie (almost 7) HATES to have to sit down and practice reading -- she would much rather "write" the story herself, and not read.
I do lots of read alouds, with them next to me as I read, pointing out words or oddities (boy, does English have TONS of exceptions). I'm taking a pretty low-key approach, but I know that my older two (who were in parochial school) were reading pretty fluently by 6 or 7 -- but at what cost?
Has anyone successfully taught reading without "teaching" reading -- by just working through it step by step at the child's own pace? I mean, without charts or programs, or twaddle readers? I tried 100EZ and couldn't stand it -- I didn't understand why a child should make the leap from odd looking letters to the printed word -- we got through lesson 30 or so when Thomas was 5 before I said, phooey!
Any words of wisdom from you unschoolers? |
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Well, Mary, I don't know if my experience will count as wisdom but all I can say is with my first child, we did alot of what you're doing with your children - read alouds and putting my finger under the words as I read.
She learned just by doing that.
Now my other two girls, learned last winter/spring when we had to put them in the co-op. Juliana is still slower than others but she got glasses in May and just got stronger lenses in December. For a long time, I've been wondering if she doesn't have some dyslexia, but I've been trying to get all the other ducks in a row before I investigate that route. Sophia is progressing well and really WANTS to read.
With Joseph, he seems to be picking up things just by being read to. Although, the other day I did give him a list of words: cat, bat, mat, fat, sat, hat, etc...to give him some incentive and he copied them into his journal and then we read them together.
I recently took the kids to see Night at the Museum. A trailer for Spiderman 3 played and at the end of the trailer when the date for release was shown, Joe Max said, "Oh, that says June!"
Needless to say, I was thrilled.
Anyway, I offer my experience with Isabella for what it's worth. Her personality is very much a go-getter. She's very driven and persistent.
Hope this helps someone.
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SaraP
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Just a quick comment on late readers: I have a cousin who was homeschooled and didn't read until he was 8 or 9 (which caused my aunt great concern at the time). This same cousin is currently a candidate for a PhD in physics at U. Penn.
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Topic: unschooling and learning to read
