Teach me to read

DeeDee is reading. I'm sure I have mentioned that before. And, she is growing in her reading skills. Our daily routine now includes reading from simple books, mastering the blends (sm, spr, th, str, st, bl, etc), and looking at the whole word to see if the vowel should be long or short sounding.

Today, part of the phonics assignment Alex and DeeDee had included reading words, marking the vowel sounds and circling the blends. Alex set right to work; DeeDee and I took a little more time for this information to process in her two-year-old mind.

I asked DeeDee if she wanted to read a couple words to me. She agreed, but "only two words because I two-years-old," she held up two fingers to emphasize the point.

I pointed to a word and she worked out the sounds, put them together and gave me the word. I pointed to the second and she did the same; successfully pronouncing the word with great triumph.

I tried a third, and she reminded me she was only doing two. "Well then, since you did two, may I do two, because you are two years old?" I asked her. She agreed and took my pencil from me so she could point to the words.

She pointed to "flag." Before I "attempted" the word, I told her that as my teacher, she had to make sure she knew the word herself so she could tell me if I got the word correct or wrong. So she took the time to sound out the word. She got and quickly told me that it waved from a top of a long stick. So, it was my turn. "Fl-fl-fl -ay-ge- flaygee" I announced.

"No, Miss VJ," she told me with great solemnity, "that's not co'ect. Try again."

"Fl-fl-flage." I tried again.

"No, one more time." She prompted me.

"Fl-flag!" This time I made sure to get it correct.

DeeDee rewarded me with a great big smile and a loud "Good job!"

We went through this routine a couple more times; each time, she feeling like a big girl, teaching her mom to read; and I chuckling inside because she was totally duped into reading more words.

Ahh, it is a great life being able to teach my kids like this!