David and I are in complete agreement on wanting to follow the 'Classical Education' model for our homeschooling philosophy (of course we may change our minds too, which is what is so great about homeschooling, Classical is HARD). But we pretty much know that that is where we are headed. A friend lent me the book 'Latin-centered curriculum' and I had already perused 'The well-trained mind' and many other 'classical' approaches, and I was sold. In all this I was introduced to Veritas Press, Classical conversations, and other GREAT resources. I am digressing but bear with me....but still, how to teach my child to read. Do I buy a very well put together and thoroughly entertaining phonics curriculum? or go back to a book I have had forever: 'Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons'? I struggled with this decision until David just said, "Lorraine, try it, she is young, you can quit and do something else, or wait."
And he was right. I knew for certain that I was not going to Push her right now, I want her to love reading, and there will be times when I may push her, but not at four years old...
I read all the critiques of '100 lessons,' had many people tell me 'it did not work for them' and even a 'homeschool expert' tell me to go with a more thorough language arts program, which I completely intend to do (when she gets in kindergarten). But I also had friends tell me it was great, read great reviews, and watched a friend do a lesson with her six year old and she was reading so fluently. One of the main factors was I actually had the book.
And so we started. We are now on lesson 24, almost 1/4 of the way through! After the first four lessons I was ready to quit, she wasn't lovin' it, she knew all the sounds and was bored and ready to get on with things. But once we got to words, words she had to work on, she was hooked, that and I was giving her incentives. She gets a few skittles every lesson, and every ten she gets a prize. I am just trying to keep her interest up and make things fun. One day she asked to do two lessons and even said the word 'fun' when describing them...what a change.
Now, it is getting harder, and we have a ways to go...but I am liking it. I may not use this same book with Bella or Tobin, depending on their learning styles and Sophia may not even get through it but we will see...and she is reading, simple words, simple sentences. So we plod on in the reading game:
After the first ten lessons her prize was a trip to a local play place, here are the pics from our trip:
No other kids were there, I knew this would be the case, it was too early, but Sophia said she just wanted to play with Bella, so we went. On this particular day the taxis were on strike so we had to take a tuk tuk, which can't really go into the city, so we went a round about way, and had to walk a bit. But we got there and had a blast:
On the way home we had to take the city bus, which I have never done before, I have only taken buses out of town, never in town, it was fun, the girls liked it, and it was a really short ride (small town remember).
