I have written before about my frustration with the Whole Language Method of teaching a child to read, which is only equal to my frustration with an entirely phonics-based reading program. For my third attempt, I think I have finally reached a balanced approach. To do it, I had to let go of some of my previous opinions of the way Kindergartens are run in traditional schools. I also had to drown out the noise from the unpleasant unschoolers in my local area. Definitely not representative of the general population of unschoolers I’ve come in contact with, but wow, do they give the group a bad reputation.
My five year old has been asking me to teach her to read since last spring. She has already learned to sight read and write several words, much more than the other two ever did on their own before Kindergarten. I attribute it to her being around her literate siblings and wanting to be able to do what they can. Anyway, I have started finding K lessons online and either using them as is, or modifying them to suit her personality and learning style. It’s all been low-key, and she seems to be enjoying herself. Originally, she had planned on knowing how to read at the end of Day One, but I think she’s gotten into a happy pattern of learning at a realistic pace. What I once viewed as a giant waste of time (and paper), I now see for the useful methods they are. When kids spend enough time both sight reading and learning letter sounds, they learn to read. It doesn’t have to be boring, and it certainly doesn’t have to be forced on them.
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