When I look back, I kind of wonder if Eastin would have learned much of anything in "regular" school early on. She is what you call an active learner -- a loud active learner -- and was even more so in kindergarten. She could sit still and quietly in class (I saw her do it in Sunday School), but it took so much of her energy and concentration that she couldn't focus on what was being taught. So, she either would have behaved in class and learned nothing, or she would have tried to understand what the teacher was talking about and gotten in trouble every day for acting up.
I vividly remember teaching her to read. I was using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. She had all the sounds of the letters down pat, but the idea of a verbal word being written on paper just wasn't clicking with her yet.
But the day came. We were on the sofa, sounding out words from the book. "B - A - T", she said a couple times. And suddenly, miraculously, I saw the light come on. "BAT!!", she yelled. Then she jumped to her feet on the sofa and started acting it all out for me: "That's like you TAKE A BAT and you SWING IT AT A BALL!!!"
"Yes!" I answered. "Good! Have a seat!"
"OKAY!!", she yelled and plopped down beside me again, obviously thrilled with herself and this new discovery.
Next word: "M - A - D . . . MAD!!!" she hollered, and she was back on her feet towering above me with her hands on her hips and her face scrunched into a scowl. "That's like, I am REALLY, REALLY MAD AT YOU!!"
"Yes!" I answered. "Have a seat again!"
"OKAY!!"
Within a few months, she was reading Junie B. Jones chapter books and coming into the room every few minutes to announce, "GOOD NEWS, everyone!! I finished ANOTHER CHAPTER!!" She's still a fanatic reader. The librarians' eyes bug out every time she brings her pile of twenty books up to the desk to check out.
Ah, my precious little loud girl! I will forever be grateful that I was there at that magical moment. I am SO glad we decided to homeschool.
1 comment:
In an age of TV and video game and the fact that some kids don't like to read, knowing Eastin loves to read for fun is exciting. I enjoyed reading your post because I enjoy the part of you being there. My boys love to read too, but my oldest REALLY loves to read. I was so proud when he was 16 and drove to the public library to get his own books (still). He now has the library card on his key chain. When we were on vacation in Denver this summer, we had to stop at a bookstore so he could buy 3 new books, even though we had a dvd player in the car. Knowing at 18 he still loved to read that much just made me feel good.
I hope the same for Eastin and Leslie, that the passion continues, especially as homework, teen years/social engagements, computers and such become more foremost in their lives.
Julie W.
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