Ain't the web just darn awesome! I posted this at the bottom of yesterday's post so it might have been lost to viewing by some so I thought I would place it at the top of this post. Carrie loves it! We spent some time on the letters in the first part of the alphabet learning the sounds of each letter. By the afternoon she was able to select the letter and place it in the correct WORD by sounding it out. How awesome, grand, friggin great is that? I'm tellin ya I'm just over the moon and out of the ball park excited about this.
Today Carrie and I will practice more of the alphabet. Carrie knows all her colors, shades of colors, numbers and alphabet. I'm trying to get her to put together words now so she can read. I think this approach using that link above is just the ticket.
She spent the night last night and this morning we will hold a class. She likes pretending we are in school. I must remember to make it fun or else her interest will wisp away like smoke from a doused fire. Fun. That's another ploy those crafty kindergarten teachers use on the little ones. At the tender age of 4 and 5 you've got to fool them into learning. Creep up on em and drag them gently to the knowledge.
I'm awaiting the day when she can sit here and type her own blog. I'll let you know and make sure you have a link to it. I'm positive that you won't want to miss those three letter words and 3 word sentences.
I could be in over my head. I watched these two videos (see below) and then we entered into something called "blends" and at that point I wanted to wave a white flag of surrender. To start with, I was never taught by using phonics. We didn't sound out words and I still don't read by sounding out words. Maybe I should be taking a reading class instead of trying to share my "old" knowledge of reading to this little one. I might cause more harm and make it more difficult on her when she enters school. I talked to daughter this morning about having her go to Head Start this coming year. We have agreed on that and now for the tonsil thing. I know one has nothing to do with the other but I want to have her tonsils out this summer along with her brother. They can share this experience together. What are siblings for but to support each other and moan and groan and share cold ice cream together. It will be a good bonding experience and sure to rack up some memories of their childhood. That 12 yr. age difference between them can be ignored when you are sharing a tonsillectomy together.
I've always believed that if you could read well you could do anything. Accomplish anything and be anything. It helps to be good in math too but we shall leave that alone for now. Reading is what I am focused on and I tend to be a bit obsessive and focused narrowly on what I'm interested in and that would be reading. Who knows. Tomorrow I might be more interested in her skills in finger painting. Ah, finger painting the alphabet? I need to back off. One thing at a time.
I think what inspired this was Carrie in her tub last night and her mentioning to me how she was "concentrating". When I asked her if she knew what that word meant, she nodded and I prodded her for the answer. She said "it means focused". Good enough. She's only 4yrs and her vocabulary is advanced or at least it seems so to me. I think she needs to be around other children her age and Head Start would provide her with time with children her own age instead of all the adults she hangs with now.
Maybe I can volunteer to be a classroom helper? The downside to this Head Start class for her is loosing control of what she learns and how she learns. It's at times like these that I wish we lived in a more liberal state. I'll survive. She can pledge allegiance and pray a prayer but I'll draw the line at denying evolution. How can you include "being a scientist" and deny evolution? I would prefer the prayer be kept at home and the sex education taught in school but that goes directly opposite to the beliefs here. Have I mentioned I don't live in a liberal state? I'm keeping a low profile and surviving.
I found my answer. Good ole You Tube helped me with it. I added the You Tube clip to the last post after finding it AFTER I had written that post. You haven't read my post prior to this one? Oh man! I'll bet you are confused huh? Well, scroll down....and you will understand this "P.S"
I can start from point A and reach point B in explaining something to someone. My daughter says I have the teacher gene. I don't know about that but I do understand to start at baseline and move forward when teaching something new to someone. I have to gather the steps in my head and then proceed slowly and check frequently to make sure the student is getting "it". I can usually watch some one's face and eyes and see the recognition light them up when they get "it".
I am at a loss here on the teaching project. How do you teach one to read? Carrie knows her alphabet. How do I get her to understand the concept of putting the letters together to form words. Is it just a matter of repetition? She can recognize her own name and write her name by putting all the letters together. We practice the large letters and the small letters and now she can recognize the difference. Is it a matter of memorization? She knows we are forming words but does she understand that the forming of words will lead her into reading? She will sit and pretend to read; she will ask me to read the instructions on the Wii game she is playing so she knows what being able to read means. I'm stumped. I'm going to make a visit to the Elem. Ed teacher across the street who is retired. Maybe she can give me a few tips and maybe she will tell me that it is memorizing and I can continue on this path. I'll get back to you on what I discover.
Ah education. Can it be too overrated at this time in our history? I've heard it said "a college degree costs more now and is worth less". Soon the only people with a job will be those with a degree working at Burger King. A scary thought I will admit but still I would like for Carrie to learn to read and I think she would like that too. To this end, Carrie and I have been practicing our alphabet. We are learning the difference between the "capital letters" and the "baby letters".
They do look quite different to a 4 yr old. We get our book and pencils and sit at the coffee table and have our school time. She raises her hand when she wants to speak, something that can't be learned to early. We practice not talking in class unless given permission. We are doing wonderfully and she can write her name and recognize it when she sees it. So far so good but how do I teach her to read and write. Is it all about memorization? Do I teach two letter words to start this? Why don't I know this? I need a teacher friend and one that teaches kindergarten or preschool. The neighbor across the street is a retired primary school teacher. I'm going to make a trip to visit her with a list of questions and hopefully I can get some tips on helping Carrie with her education.
Speaking of education or the lack of it, I now look like those poor toothless people of Appalachia. You know; the ones you see in a movie about mountain people? The ones living far back in the hollows, coveralls, unkempt hair and a few teeth missing from the fronts of their mouths? (cue the music from Deliverance) Well, I lost the temporary crown last night and it's right in the front part of my mouth. It's the incisor tooth or what used to be a incisor tooth before I had to have it extracted and an implant placed with a temporary crown. The temporary crown has to be in place for 4 months to allow the spike that was implanted to heal in the bone. I didn't expect the temporary to stay in place the whole 4 months and for the past few days it has been loose so it wasn't unexpected that I would have it fall out.
I don't think being toothless has anything to do with the lack of an education except for the fact that dental visits are expensive and the better job you have the better dental care you can afford. Dental care is moved down the list of needs when money is scarce. People don't go unless they are in pain which leads to caries and tooth loss. This morning I will make a visit to the dentist to replace the "tooth" and hope it will last for another month. I may have to repeat these visits for the next 3 months until the permanent one is placed.
I have two goals today. I'll visit the dentist at 9AM then visit the teacher across the street a little later today. I'm on my way to the shower and to get dressed in some warm clothing. Yep, it's cold here, at least by our standards.
