I have been testing LR for a couple of weeks and in the past few days I have started to wonder…†What can I remember about a time when I hadn’t learned to read words?â€
The answer for me is that I have no memory of a time when I couldn’t read some words - any more than I can remember a time when I couldn’t talk. I have been told that I was quite a fluent reader by age 4yrs.
So I asked round my adult family and friends;
• Some could remember having reading lessons at school, and
some could not remember reading lessons at school.
• Some of those said that they had unhappy memories of the process and remembered the frustration.
• Some of the others said that they had no problems with learning reading at school.
• Some of the family said they started reading at home and couldn’t remember a time when they couldn’t read. Two of my own children came into this group. My 3rd child was homeschooled until he was twelve so he learned at home anyway, his memories are of all his learning mixed in together
:laugh:
I would be interested to know how many of the people who are testing Little Reader remember a time when they could not read. Here are babies and toddlers who will have a different experience…it seems that they ALL love Little Reader fun…
• Do you think our kids will remember a time of being unable to read?
• Will it feel to them as though they have always been able to read because of starting so early?
• Do you think the same will apply to Maths and Music?
My theory is that we remember stuff that is linked strongly to our emotions…for example I remember reading my first billboard because I felt so great 8)
I vaguely remember learning phonics in k4-k5. I do remember that we were on our way to my dance recital when I was about 4 or 5, and my mom said we need to stop and get her a r.o.s.e (spelled out). I said you’re going to get me a ROSE! Everyone was amazed and made a big deal about it. I’ve always loved to read.
Nikki, that’s great! You busted the spell-it-out trick parents always pull.
(OMG, as parents using Little Reader, we’re never going to be able to do that with our kids! :blink:)
I wonder if anyone can remember learning whole words before phonics. Probably not because it happens when children are really young. The last big article I finished for BrillBaby was Whole Language Vs Phonics - I hope you’ll find it interesting.
It was fascinating to research; I learned a lot. It seems some people are worried about teaching whole words (the way Little Reader and Your Baby Can Read do) - because elementary-school teachers in the US have been taking a whole-language approach to reading instruction, without ever teaching phonics… and that has caused some serious reading problems.
While our babies are too young to learn phonics, I think it is their enjoyment of LR/YBCR that speaks volumes. My DD Naimah sometimes gets really bored when Baby First is on! (carpe diem, you might know it - it’s British. Not a very high-quality program, but we occasionally resort to it while getting ready in the morning.) But when it comes to reading, it’s a different matter…
Yesterday evening I paused YBCR as my husband walked in the door, so we could all greet each other. Nim got really mad! :tongue2:
Also, she recently learned the sign for “book,” and now asks us to read to her! She loves Goodnight Moon (great colors - I really recommend the lap edition), We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, and the YBCR books. Dr Seuss is too advanced, and when I try to read one, she will simply shut the book! Goodnight Moon has a wonderful rhyming cadence; Bear Hunt has tons of repetition and funny sound effects (the wind going “Hoo woo, hoo woo” always gets Nim smiling). YBCR is just single words of course - but Nim still loves it!
I just wrote a blog post about Nim signing “book,” which nearly made me miss my ferry to work this morning… :wub:
8)