I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Reading And Not Reading
When Evan first started learning to read we did word lists and rhyming word book. He loved it, it was fun, and it helped. After a while though, it became a hindrance. He didn’t want to do the books, the lists of words bugged him, and he showed this by purposely reading simple things wrong and grumbling any time I suggested we read.
So we stopped.
I’ve heard people say that’s when you push harder. Or you try to make it fun with games or rewards. But that’s the beauty of homeschooling, we’re not stuck on a schedule where I have to push him through by a certain date. And since I want him to read for the fun of reading, not for the rewards or because he has to, we stopped trying. Completely. I wouldn’t even offer to read to him unless he asked (though I did still read my books in front of him).
Slowly he started asking me to read to him again. Occasionally he would pick up one of his easy first reader books and skim through it. For the most part, he wasn’t interested.
Thursday evening I took Saffron into the dining room to feed her dinner before the rest of us ate (we were having junk, I wanted to reduce her interest in eating with us). There was Evan, at the table, reading from The Boxcar Children. No pushing, rewards, schedules, workbooks, or training. Just accepting that it will happen when it happens and letting go. Unschooling in it’s basic form. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh my WORD – I’m watching it again and again. I MISS YOU SO MUCH, EVAN!!!!!!
I could listen to him say “vegetable” all day long.
This is so cool. I am a huge homeschooling advocate but for my own reasons don’t presently homeschool at this time. I also know that if I was in your shoes and my kid wasn’t “progressing” like she “should” be that I would be a wreck. I have a hard time letting go and just letting things happen naturally, when it comes to certain things. Even though I know it’s pointless and that no one is hurting but me. Anyway, reading this is just a great affirmation for me of the innate abilities our children have and how letting go and giving them space can make a big difference.
As I have said before I was unschooled and wow that is great for a 5 year old! Keep it up!!!
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Summer Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Thank you.
Very cool! We also backed off the word flashcard list I made and the Bob’s books in favor of games with phonics sounds (at his request) and graduating to more complex books read aloud. Now that we have done that, he often would prefer a chapter of Charlotte’s Web to a cartoon which I take it means he is enjoying stories and knows that books are fun and exciting – I think that is the basis of creating a long term avid reader so I’m taking the rest slow!
Go Evan!
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I’m right there with ya. I tend to be less unschoolish when it comes to reading and my daughters did get the basics early, but then resisted. I kept at it, but it was very frustrating. Then I had my son and we found we unschooled more and more out of necessity. I put them in a reading program this summer because I felt they were behind (and others I trust mentioned problems in the religious school setting). Well, low and behold, I find out Girl2 is reading beyond what is expected and Girl1 is right at the expected grade level. That helped me feel more at ease and now they’re reading up a storm on their own. They’re even teaching their little brother to read with no help from me.
I tend to have a bit more structure than some around me who unschool, but still, I completely see the benefits and we love it.
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Summer Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
I like structure, it works best for me. But I also love knowing I can step back and just let it happen. I never epected to be so relaxed about it, but it works.
Awww, bless him! How old is Evan, again?
Summer Reply:
January 9th, 2010 at 9:44 am
He’s 5, almost 6 (in 2 months). Though some days I think he’s going on 16. LOL
Thank you!! I am going to homeschool in Sept. What fantastic inspiration!! Thank you so much!!
Adorable! It reminded me of when I was just starting to homeschool my oldest. I thought I had ruined her for reading. Hooked on Phonics didn’t work for her. Toward the end of the school year, I finally gave up, figuring that we both needed a break. Over the summer, she managed to get the hang of reading all on her own. All these years later, she’s now an incredible bookworm who enjoys her first job as a page at our local library.
)
My youngest taught herself to read by playing video games with her brother. She wouldn’t even hear of me teaching her. She’s an aggressive unschooler.
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