Thursday, December 22, 2011

Motivation to learn to Read…

Well Zach has found a real reason to learn to read. LOL not just read, but really read and become a good reader at that. He has decided that his younger sister just can’t be reading better and faster than he can. Talk about the inhumanity of her being able to sound out words faster than he can. So not fair that he is trying to sound out a word and she comes up behind him, looks at the word, thinks, and then blurts it out before he has a chance.

Oh goodness, want to hear two children argue? Have Chantelle come into the middle of Zachariah’s reading time and blurt out his words before he can.

“Ellie!! That was MY WORD!! Let me find my words for myself!” He shouts to her.

All dignified she simply states to him, “well you were not finding your word fast enough.”

“But, it is my homework and MY reading. I have to find and read my words.”

“Well then find them and read them faster.” She retorts back, stomping away because he has just slammed the book shut in her face.

A few minutes later I have either Zach or Ellie snuggled up to me reading a book alone away from their brother or sister, happily reading to me. Throughout the process I gently remind both kids to stop, slow down, sound out words, and think about what they are reading. Once the book is finished we talk about what they just read. Within just a few minutes the other child has joined me and the process begins again without arguing and me alone with one child.

However, I do not see reading being much of a struggle for Zach to much longer this school year as he has a real desire to catch up with his brothers and sisters and begin to read the “real books” as he calls them. He wants to read the Harry Potter, Warriors, and other books we have on the shelves or are getting from the library. 

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