Slow Schooling Chapter 15: Teaching Reading

Not just learning to read, but CHOOSING to read.

Monday, June 18, 2007 09:52

Of Spitballs and Speedbumps

I should have known better. But once my children found my stash of Calvin and Hobbes books, they were hooked. Suddenly anything else worth reading was buried under blankets, clothing and toys, and I was sure to regularly find grubby little hands clutching collections of stories of this little boy with his stuffed toy tiger. Soon I was fielding questions such as,“Mom, what’s a spitball?” and trying to join in on the laughter about Calvin creating speed bumps all over the grassy lawn (all the while I’m giving the “don’t you dare” look).

My five year old graduated directly from easy phonic books and plunged into spending copious amounts of time giggling through the exploits of these characters.... It just goes to show you that while boxes of expensive phonic and reading programs may make you feel better about giving your child a “good education”, it won’t give them the same motivation to read as the opportunity to learn about storing s…