Today was another one of those hectic days. One of my nieces had an appointment, so the other two came to stay at our house. My sister got caught up in town and the girls wound up staying with us a lot longer than we had planned. Not really a big deal, but it didn't leave any time for school work. Before they came over, the boys completed one assignment each... Jordan did phonics and Shaun some math. But that was it.
After dinner I told the kids that they would have to finish some more work before bed. Shaun did his reading and spelling and Jordan finished his math. Shaun did really, really well with his reading tonight. Maybe we should do it in the evening every day? I'm not sure what that was all about, but he was more focused than he's been in a long time and he was able to read his entire selection with just 2 helps from me... and he knew all the answers to the questions without having to go back and look anything up. I was proud, to say the least.
Jordan's reading is also coming along. I took a good friend's advice and started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with him a few months ago. I was surprised at first, because it turned out to be the same method Shaun's teachers used to help him learn to read in kindergarten. It looks really strange, but it works. Here's a sample page I found online:
I figured that if it worked for Shaun, it would also work for Jordan. I seem to be correct so far. The lessons are short, which always works best for my children and contain lots of review. Jordan has responded really well. He read his first book a few weeks ago, which was really exciting- even if the pages each contained only one word.
The other day I was boxing up all of the K12 stuff I need to ship back and going through all of the materials that I get to keep. I found a whole set of paperback phonics readers that are mine to keep. I browsed through them and thought I'd give them a try, even though Jordan might not be quite ready yet. And then tonight, Jordan and I curled up in my bed and he read aloud the riveting story of "Sam and Pam at Bat". This is the first "chapter" of the level one phonics reader. He worked so hard and was so proud of himself. And of course I was proud, too. Even when he stumbled, he kept at it with fierce determination and when he was finished he looked up at me, grinned from ear to ear and said, "I'm good at reading now!".
We called Shaun in so that Jordan could show off his new skill. And then something happened that I never dreamed would take place: my children began fighting over who was going to read a story to me first.
Voluntary reading time. Not something that happens every day around here.
After dinner I told the kids that they would have to finish some more work before bed. Shaun did his reading and spelling and Jordan finished his math. Shaun did really, really well with his reading tonight. Maybe we should do it in the evening every day? I'm not sure what that was all about, but he was more focused than he's been in a long time and he was able to read his entire selection with just 2 helps from me... and he knew all the answers to the questions without having to go back and look anything up. I was proud, to say the least.
Jordan's reading is also coming along. I took a good friend's advice and started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with him a few months ago. I was surprised at first, because it turned out to be the same method Shaun's teachers used to help him learn to read in kindergarten. It looks really strange, but it works. Here's a sample page I found online:
I figured that if it worked for Shaun, it would also work for Jordan. I seem to be correct so far. The lessons are short, which always works best for my children and contain lots of review. Jordan has responded really well. He read his first book a few weeks ago, which was really exciting- even if the pages each contained only one word.
The other day I was boxing up all of the K12 stuff I need to ship back and going through all of the materials that I get to keep. I found a whole set of paperback phonics readers that are mine to keep. I browsed through them and thought I'd give them a try, even though Jordan might not be quite ready yet. And then tonight, Jordan and I curled up in my bed and he read aloud the riveting story of "Sam and Pam at Bat". This is the first "chapter" of the level one phonics reader. He worked so hard and was so proud of himself. And of course I was proud, too. Even when he stumbled, he kept at it with fierce determination and when he was finished he looked up at me, grinned from ear to ear and said, "I'm good at reading now!".
We called Shaun in so that Jordan could show off his new skill. And then something happened that I never dreamed would take place: my children began fighting over who was going to read a story to me first.
Voluntary reading time. Not something that happens every day around here.
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