UPDATE: OK, I had a closer look. He is no fan of flashcards or videos (these are “extreme measures”), or “formal instruction,” but he does encourage that you try to teach your child to read in other ways.
This strikes me as strange. If he’s not opposed to early reading per se, and if flashcards or videos are simply fun for a child, then why wouldn’t he be in favor of those as well? Of course, he could have all sorts of reasons, I know. But I get the sense that most people who are opposed to them are offended by the very idea of encouraging early reading in the first place. Well, who knows; maybe he discusses it in the book. I might get a copy.
So…I signed this book out through our inter-library loan (ILL) service - 3 week loan (Why is it that all the books I want - early learning stuff - is always on ILLs?). Thankfully, upon request, they were able to give it to me for another 3 weeks!
Anyway, it took me a while to get into it. At first it was a bit of a “Yeah, yeah…I know that” book. Oh, it was interesting enough and affirmed a lot of what I believe to be true as a parent and a former brick & mortar classroom teacher, but I was looking for new and practical ideas. I am SO GLAD I hung in there!
Mr. Gentry does not harp on screen time, in fact, I think he only mentioned it once so far (I’m about 2/3 through it). What he does do is describe the learning that is going on. I am actually finding it quite fascinating now. Even as a classroom teacher I did not know some of the stuff he writes about (not that classroom teachers know everything! lol ). For instance, how very important early writing is and how it is connected to early reading. I knew this to be true, but just HOW true I did not! There are quite thorough descriptors on how to determine where your child is at (in both reading and writing) and how to support him in that stage and stretch him to the next. I have read the parts pertaining to my son, but think I’ll purchase this book for my own library - just too many good parts to photocopy and stay within the law!
If you haven’t picked up this book yet, it’s worth a read especially if you feel like you’re in a bit of a slump or feel like you might be missing something. It will guide you to look at and assess your child’s progress and be more productive with your teaching time. Try your inter-library services if money is tight.
