Sahmamma wrote:This is my first post here, so I apologize if it sounds like I am venting. I have no one else to talk to about this but my dh. I am having problems with my dd and need some advice.
A little background, we started homeschooling this past fall/2010. Both my oldest son and dd were having problems in school. We have three children ages 9, 6.5, and 3.5. My dd turned 5 less than 2 months before starting kindergarten. She did well at first, learned her alphabet and the sounds of the alphabet letters. Then, they started sounding out words....great! Then they sent home a list of sight word to memorize. It completely ruined her. At the end of kindergarten if I even mentioned reading a book TO her she would break down in tears.
I started using hooked on phonics with dd this past summer and she did great. I then transitioned into the My Father's World first grade curriculum and she did well with that. However, she still really struggles with reading. She is a slow reader, really has to think of the words, but I KNOW she can read the bible reader, but she just doesn't want to. What do you do when a child just doesn't want to read? My children are all very stubborn children. Most days I love homeschooling, but days like today are stressful and make me want to throw in the towel. She needed to read the Food in the Desert story in her bible reader. She did well for the first two pages and then just melted. She started wiggling, flopping around, not holding the book, she never wants to point to the word she is looking at, she guesses the words and doesn't blend the sounds, starts whining and not trying at all. It took her 1 hour and 15 minutes to read it. Way too long.
I just don't know what to do. She is progressing, just very slowly and I am starting to wonder if it is too much information too fast for her? She does forget some of the reading rules we have learned. Has anyone been in this situation? My son was completely different, he took to reading like a fish in water. I am really struggling with my daughter. I feel like she isn't even on first grade level and I worry that she is going to be behind.
I already break things up for the kids, so if I break things up any more I don't think we will get everything done. FYI, I also have a little boy that is going to turn 4 soon. My kids are all very active and they all get distracted very easily, my oldest has ADHD. I can't even read a book to them all together because they start poking at each other and aggravating each other, so I have to read to them all individually. I feel like I don't have enough time in the day to get all of this done. UG. Thanks for reading if you got this far and sorry for venting.
((((hugs)))) and welcome along!
Even veteran homeschooling parents have seasons like this. so it's ok. and many of us have active learners. It's normal. you're normal. hang in there!
I'm going to start with a link to a "classic" thread on this forum written by David Hazell. Called:Advice when kids hit a plateau in learning to read
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3313
It's a classic around here, but it's a common thing to happen with many children learning to read. It's like it gives us permission to repeat lessons, slow it down a bit.
Set a timer for your dear daughter's reading out loud time. 15 minutes tops and say "let's just see how far you can get today on this."
Do the reading games in the manual.
I let my children play on something like starfall.com and computer games like jumpstart and reader rabbit. I don't even know if those still are sold. I"m really old. LOL
It's ok if MFW 1st grade needs to be finished in the student's 2nd grade year. The phonics in MFW 1st is very accelerated. 6.5 years old is still early for many children in the learning to read stage. You might use books on CD from library that come with the picture book and snuggle on the couch together and point along with the words and enjoy story together
Hoping to hear lots of encouraging dialogue on this thread.
blessings,
-crystal