Lesson 2 on Reading Lessons

So I have many things to post about. One of which is my new curriculum for the year, a special giveaway, and of course an awesome memory master type for those of you that are trying. But before I get into that I wanted to touch back on something that I know is important to us all... READING!

If you remember in a previous post, I spoke about how there are three "main levels" to your child's reading ability. The first one is called "Independent", the second is called, "Instructional," and the third is called, "Frustrational". You can read more about each one if you feel the need to refresh at this link.

I then spoke about how I would give you clear steps to take your child from an "frustrational" level to an "independent" level. This strategy and the future ones can be used while reading any leveled text with any curriculum. The one I use is called "All About Reading"- but regardless as long as the text is something that you have been teaching off, this strategy is very helpful.

This strategy is called "Shared Reading", I also throw in a little picture walk which help with comprehension.

In a classroom, the teacher usually has a copy of the text and does not point on the student's book, but since I only have one copy of the reader, I point above as he points out below. The purpose of shared reading is to allow the child to hear the text before he is expected to read it on their own. It builds familiarity and comprehension each time you read it aloud. It also helps them track the words to sounds as you are teaching them to match an audible word to a print word.

This reader is especially important as it is phonetic based. Most leveled books (even those found in libraries) are often whole language based. Thus bringing in words that are heavily learned through memorization and not sounds, i.e. sight words. However this program teaches them words they are learning in their lessons and transfers them directly into a story. I will post more about this curriculum soon.

Here is a quick demonstration of a picture walk. You might have to turn your volume up to hear him, but you can hear me relaying the questions. 

Here is the video of Tony and I doing shared reading.

This is the second step after a picture walk to get him familiar with the text and ready to read. 

Ok, that's all for now. I hope this is a quick strategy you can implement in teaching your kids to read. Remember this can be used with any leveled reader. :) 

So have fun and go do a little shared reading today!

Blessings,

Crecia

As We Finish...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.- Hebrews 12:1

Does this scripture apply to you at the end of the race or during the middle? Maybe even before you begin, I'm not sure, but it just seems to apply to me right now.

As I get ready to finish things I always spend time reflecting. Call me analytical, retrospective, whatever, I just often find myself reflecting half way through and near an end. 

As my first year of home schooling has come to a rapid end, I am looking back asking God what I did well, and what I didn't do so well. I'm beginning to look for ways to tell myself the job was well done, because as in many things in life, there is no way to measure our success as parents until .... until they are all grown.

Recently I received a very sweet and honest email from a new friend who has been blogging longer than I've been teaching and has an amazing website. She warned me of blogging too much, of sacrificing more than I can see at the time. She told me how she saw God correct her and teach her that the relationships in person mattered more than those online. Now I know many who read this, aren't bloggers, but it still applies. 

It still matters if we are on the internet, on our phones, on our iPads, being pulled away by anything that "slows us down". 

As we are finishing this year, I'm so thankful of emails like these. Emails that speak truth in love. I have to say I listened. I realized it before I finished that the people running beside me were more important than placing in the race.

Do you ever feel like you have to prove yourself? You have to place well? I know I do. 

I love admitting that I don't have it all together. If you come to my house you will see. My laundry is piled high, my closets over flow with stuff needing to be organized, my thighs haven't seen a good work out in months (and it shows)- all of it! 

But only if I allow it. 

I can stuff, shut, and wear pants to hide it all. 

I can, but I won't. 

As I finish I want you to know my hope for you is that we finish this year off well. Not in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God. My prayer is we focus not on what our children didn't learn (in terms of memory masters), but on what they did learn. 

I value assessing, I like seeing and marking growth. But I feel like when we finish often we look for a medal, a place, and might lose the purpose of the race. 

For as we finish, let us run- not walk to the finish! Let us know we have done it! 

What would Easter be like if we all just walked into church on Sunday, exhausted? But yet, as I talk to moms all around the community, they look "done"- "tired"- and "exhausted". I get it! 

I understand. I pray we would take account what makes us feel that way and pick up joy as we cross the finish with our families! 

We have completed a year of classical education and haven't quit. That alone is worth a celebration. It doesn't have to be perfect or filled with a ton of the best blogger's activities to be worth celebrating. Because no one's life is perfectly done. That is the joy of God's gift. We are imperfect and yet He still called us. There is joy in that, He is proud of you for obeying.

Here is my prayer for you...

Father God, I know you know every single person who reads this post. I thank you for the families that have given me their time and attention throughout this past year. I pray that you would instill in them a sense of true satisfaction for all they have done this year. I pray Father, you would remind them of what to carry past the finish and what to leave behind, I pray you would help us to not focus on others' accomplishments, but be more focused on what we have done to please You! 

As we finish this race, I pray you could give them the joy they began with and the satisfaction of a job well done in your eyes. 

I pray this because I need it. 

I pray this because I know you are cheering me to the end! 

Thank you, Lord. 

Thank you. 

Amen.

Blessings,

Crecia