Friday, March 5, 2010

Reading Made Easy- Our Final Round!

I can hardly believe it. We have embarked on our last journey with Reading Made Easy! I know what you're thinking...how could we? How could we start teaching reading to a 4yo? It flies in the face of every relaxed homeschooling proponent.

Don't worry...we aren't going for college next year. It just really can't be helped.

Really.

You know it's time to start when you hear your 4.5 yo look at a sign and say, "on". Or, "off".

You know it's time to start when you watch him look at a cereal box and say, "Mommy! That says YES!"

You know it's time to start when you watch him read the word, "no".

You know it's time to start when he spells the word "Candy" at the dinner table when he's finished his peas.

You especially know it's time to start when he is at the table with his siblings and his 7yo brother spells the word "half". I7 says, "Half is spelled H-E-L-F.

R9 responds, "That's almost right I. Very good. It's actually spelled H-A-L-F." (to which I smile because all is not lost for my creative girl)

But then J4 adds, "Yeah I, how else will you get the AAAA (think short a) sound in half?"

So yes, it is time. He's amassing sight words without my intervention. Who am I to hold him back?

We'll take it slow and enjoy the journey. We did the first lesson last week and J4 was supposed to give me a sentence about himself. In a family where dictation and writing abound, is it any surprise he wanted to go beyond I am 4 years old to a dissertation on our trip to Boston?

Our last preschooler *sniff*.

He's ready to read!

4 comments:

Elinette said...

That's wonderful and sad I'm sure at the same time. Our little 4 year old has also just recently started RME and like your little ones, he was begging me to teach him to read.

Kisha said...

Congrats on being on your last round of RME, Heather! We're in the same boat. It is such a challenge to keep an early reader's attention span when teaching reading, but Reading Made Easy has been a perfect fit. I wish I had found it earlier for my daughter.

Heather said...

Kisha we LOVE Reading Made Easy here...it's such a great way to teach reading.

Elinette, before you know it your newest addition will be a preschooler!

Donna(mom24boyz) said...

How exciting..I know what you mean though. I think the younger siblings of homeschooled children just naturally get a head start. My 2 year old sits right next to my 6 year old and shouts out the sight words repeatedly. I will not be surprised if he pics up reading at this rate! My 6 yr old says "said"...then the 2 yr old repeats right away! It is funny. Yet, I did not even bother teaching y 6 yr old the alphabet till he was nearly 5.