Learning to Read~

Evie wants to read so much and really is ready for two reasons:
1. She's asking to learn.
2. She knows her letters and sounds.
So...

I ordered two things:
1. Reading-Literature: The Primer
2. Moveable Alphabet

We took a picture walk through the first story, The Little Red Hen
then echo read it.

Picture Walk is when the child tells what might be happening from the pictures. Echo Reading is adult reads a line and child reads back. 

 I made her word cards from the story and she built them with the moveable alphabet then read to me.
Calla wanted in on the action so we worked on making her name~

Each day we have added to our word making, and Evie is learning to read in her own time!

Waiting for them to ask is a beautiful way for children to approach a new adventure... just like riding a bike and swimming.

Reading~

We were SO happy to have daddy join us for Bible @ Breakfast this week~

One morning while I worked with the boys, SJ helped the little girls do their book work.
She decided they needed an emergent reader so she wrote two identical ones
and taught them to read them~

 She decided they should be published and earned the Caldecott Medal as well~

Here's a little video of the teacher in action~

Reading Success~ Growing Whole Hearts/School

We have two avid readers in our house so far, and the smaller ones are not far behind.

We took a break from the library mainly because our new dog chewed 4 of our books unbeknownst to us, and when they went through the check in process we were charged $60. WHAT???

 Now instead of checking out more books than we can keep up with, we have pawned it down to 1 per child and 1 listening set as well.

Much more doable and easier to store on our shelf~

With 6 children needing one on one time with reading, I need all the help I can get.

Ways to Increase Reading Success (even when you can't sit with them):

1. Library Books~

 Allow your child to choose ANY book he/she likes, and they are way more likely to pick it up and 'read'. Imagine Payne's surprise when he picked up his book this week, The Carrot Seed, and I casually mentioned he could probably read most of the words inside, then read most every word on his own to which he exclaimed, "I can read REAL books!" And that spurred Will to find it too, and he read it~

2. Limit Television~

My kids have very limited television time. It is not something we use to kill time. My favorite request is 'find something to do', and they are very good at it! The photos above were taken after school or through the afternoon when they choose reading as they're 'something' to do.

3. Reading (Listening) in Many Different Ways~

You can see above we have DVD players, CD players, and tape players they can use for listening to stories. Remember me saying if they can work an iPhone, they can work household appliances? Same goes for the players I listed. We have lots of books on tape from when I taught school, and we love Audible and Librivox. Having the choices in baskets out where they can see is important too!

4. Allow Books anytime especially at Rest Time and Bedtime~

We have three book shelves full of books under their desks and one in each of the bedrooms. It is always okay to pick a stack of books for rest time, AND never a complaint for bedtime if they are allowed to take a stack to read while they wait for their tuck in. Works like a charm!!!!!

5. Read in Front of Them~

Scott and I make it a habit to read aloud to them after baths each night as well as being seen reading around them. I really prefer real books but if I do read digitally, I read on a Kindle and not iPad... just sets a better example as real reading and not surfing the web. :)

BONUS:

We are finding since the kids have begun memorizing scripture for Awana, they are realizing the wonder of reading. It is finally clicking that every word spoken can be written and therefore read. This has especially been true for the boys, and we couldn't be happier for them!

Reading Success~ {Listening Style}

We have two avid readers in our house so far, and the smaller ones are not far behind.
We took a break from the library mainly because our new dog chewed 4 of our books unbeknownst to us, and when they went through the check in process we were charged $60. WHAT???
 Now instead of checking out more books than we can keep up with, we have pawned it down to 1 per child and 1 listening set as well.
Much more doable and easier to store on our shelf~

With 6 children needing one on one time with reading, I need all the help I can get.

Ways to Increase Reading Success (even when you can't sit with them):

1. Library Books~

 Allow your child to choose ANY book he/she likes, and they are way more likely to pick it up and 'read'. Imagine Payne's surprise when he picked up his book this week, The Carrot Seed, and I casually mentioned he could probably read most of the words inside, then read most every word on his own to which he exclaimed, "I can read REAL books!" And that spurred Will to find it too, and he read it~

2. Limit Television~

My kids have very limited television time. It is not something we use to kill time. My favorite request is 'find something to do', and they are very good at it! The photos above were taken after school or through the afternoon when they choose reading as they're 'something' to do.

3. Reading (Listening) in Many Different Ways~

You can see above we have DVD players, CD players, and tape players they can use for listening to stories. Remember me saying if they can work an iPhone, they can work household appliances? Same goes for the players I listed. We have lots of books on tape from when I taught school, and we love Audible and Librivox. Having the choices in baskets out where they can see is important too!

4. Allow Books anytime especially at Rest Time and Bedtime~

We have three book shelves full of books under their desks and one in each of the bedrooms. It is always okay to pick a stack of books for rest time, AND never a complaint for bedtime if they are allowed to take a stack to read while they wait for their tuck in. Works like a charm!!!!!

5. Read in Front of Them~

Scott and I make it a habit to read aloud to them after baths each night as well as being seen reading around them. I really prefer real books but if I do read digitally, I read on a Kindle and not iPad... just sets a better example as real reading and not surfing the web. :)

BONUS:
We are finding since the kids have begun memorizing scripture for Awana, they are realizing the wonder of reading. It is finally clicking that every word spoken can be written and therefore read. This has especially been true for the boys, and we couldn't be happier for them!

Another Reading Idea~

I have a classroom set of magnetic letters and these little containers from IKEA
so I wrote two words on each lid then placed the letters inside to make the words~

 I hung them on the side of this awesome rolling cart from IKEA as well.
In each basket on the cart, I placed materials I would need to read aloud
as well as read with each child sometime during the day~

 I don't really stress 'word work', but I do think if you put a fun activity out for them to choose,
it is very likely they will learn while they are 'playing'~

The boys are reading their sight words everywhere, and they are so excited about it,
the little girls are becoming interested as well!!!
Win win!!!

How to Teach a Child to Read~

Being a teacher my whole adult life has given me thousands of opportunities to teach a million different skills.
One of the most rewarding and exciting is teaching a child to read.
There are as many ways to teach a child as there are books for them to read.

I am coming to realize the later I wait to begin formal reading lessons, the quicker they catch on and the hungrier they are to try.

Just this past weekend, Evie came down early one morning holding a chapter book saying she really wanted to read just like her big sisters.

I decided to empower her and this is how I did it~

 I wrote the word 'and' on a post it note with 5 little bookmark tags attached~

 I challenged her to pick a page and search for the word.
When she found it, she would mark it with a tag and look for it again.
This went on and on and on~

 The key was to meet her where she was, and go with it.
She now knows the word 'and' in other places too so she believes she is a reader!

Half the battle to reading is enthusiasm and I wasn't about to squelch it!!!

The other thing I have come to realize is, they will listen to a story anytime, anywhere and these are the books we are reading right now~

 Yes, all of them at the same time during various lessons or times of the day.
They are able to remember what we read last and predict what is coming.

All this reading spills into their play too~
{Searching for things like Pippi Longstocking: Thing Finders}

 Every child is different and allowing them to mature on their own time table
sure makes relationship building all the more sweeter.
And THAT sums up the beauty of home schooling in a nutshell!!!

Reading @ Night with Dad~

Confession:

We are hot and cold with bedtime reading

 because I am reading to them so much during the day BUT~

when we read find just the right book

{The Wind in the Willows},

We can count on the kids to make sure it happens!

Lots of positive research supporting dads reading to their children!

{Thankful for a dad who is ALL in!!!}

Fairy Tales~

While the K girls are LOVING their nursery rhymes each day,

I found the older kids some fairy tale books~

and they have been a huge hit this week.

Each story has a listening CD which they play in the DVD player.

Perfect timing as I start a Brave Writer project about Fairy Tales with SJ next week.

Win for me because they can listen whenever they choose then come to me to narrate.

"Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift." — Kate DiCamillo

Reading~

One of the best strategies for fluency and reading is learning sight words~

Payne loves building them with clothespins and reading as quickly as he can.

Great practice for sure!!!

{His favorite thing is to spot them in other places! THAT is real reading!!!}

A New Chapter Book Reader~

SJ has finished her first Magic Treehouse and started on her second~

LOVE seeing EK set the example for SJ and then the rest follow as well.

They get a big stack of books and take them wherever they go. :)

The Reading Life!!!

A Big Mystery Box~

UPS dropped off a package that I DID NOT order. :)

I was curious and opened it but kept from the kids.

I took it into the school room and introduced A Big Mystery Box game.

I had them first guess who they thought sent it

and then what they thought was in there~

The suspense was so exciting!

We opened to find a collection of 28 Magic Treehouse books from Memommy~

It was like Christmas morning.

Everyone was SO excited and grabbed ones they liked.

EK has already plowed through about 3 of them and SJ is reading her very first chapter book!

What a wonderful surprise from the best Memommy in the world!

Thank you mama... we love you SO much!!!

A Book Party~

A sweet friend Sheryl was moving away and thought of us when packing boxes~

Scott picked up this huge box of books and this morning a Book Party happened.

Everyone found just the right thing for reading.

EK has read ALL the Magic Treehouse books in the pile

and EC hasn't put down a Pony cookbook yet.

Thank you Sheryl for sharing with us!!!

Moments to Remember~

Setting up in the mornings is working so well.

I go before everyone is up to set up all their materials and make checklists.

I love our schoolroom and have one more addition to share later this week~

 Because SJ got a teaset for her birthday, it has given EC a new love for her set as well.

I can't think of a better K activity to start the day~

 The boys are really flourishing with the BOB books~

So proud of them!!!

5 Habits to Foster Learning to Read~

So far we have 2 out of the 6 kids at home reading on their own and when I say that I mean able to read to themselves whenever they want for enjoyment.

I believe there are 5 habits that foster learning to read and we are still very much in the LEARNING phase for most of them.

1. Reading as much as possible to all, couples, and individuals:

I would call my homeschooling style to be eclectic in that I pick and choose from various sources for our curriculum choices as well as implementing my own ideas. 

All that to say I believe READING to the kids as much as possible is so important. We read the Bible, BFIAR book, FIAR book, chapter book, Living book with history, nature books, animal books, as well as any favorite book they might pick up from a stack around the house. 

Having books spread around the house in baskets, on shelves, and in rooms is key in loving books/reading. I also read little emergent readers with them as well. 

2. Listening to books on tape/CD/audio: 

I have a pretty big stash of books on audio from my teaching days and they are used often. Again the key is to have them out in a basket so they seen. I have also found listening to the audio version of a chapter book via Audible after we read each day really helps the kids comprehend the text better. 

Don't forget about borrowing audio books from the library as well. Such a great habit to enjoy especially in the car or on walks. We even love this when lying out under a tree on a big blanket.

3. Playing Reading Games on the Computer or IPad:

The best hands down program we use is Reading Eggs. It requires a fee for each child using it but our children love it and are very motivated to move through the levels. It quizzes their knowledge every so often sending me an email with their progress. 

As seen in the photo at top of post, many of them can be found standing around watching another play. They are learning even in that moment as well.

If you search for me on Pinterest, you can find a ton of IPad games we love as well under my Technology tab.

4. Watching Letter Factory:

Every single one of the kids have loved The Letter Factory as well as the many videos made by Leap Frog. The videos are sequential and skills build on themselves as videos are watched. I bought my videos in a set HERE. 

5. Explode the Code~

I have talked often about this great resource. All 6 kids are working through the books at their level. I buy the books once, put pages in sheet protectors, and use dry erase markers to complete. Saving trees and money!

Would love to hear about your favorite resources!!! 

Homeschooling the 3Rs~

One of the things about our schooling at home is it allows us days off when we need them

AND days on even when one has had surgery or broken a bone.

Today was one such day and I had known we would need a little pick me up so

I ordered some amazing books to open on our first day after WP's surgery~

{3 Rs: Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic}

 1. Reading: 

I started with a couple of board books for bitty girls then Alfie for the boys... ALL were a hit! 

EK has been wanting to see the Paddington movie so I knew she and SJ would love the book. 

As we read the first story, we learned he was from Peru 

so we opened up this big MAPS book and did a little geography too~

 And before we knew we were doing science with our IPads researching all the animals 

that lived there as well as other items on the map. Great discussion!

2. wRiting~ 

There was a letter from the author of Paddington explaining how he came to be an author.

It sparked a great discussion of story writing 

and we grabbed our journals

to perfect our writing skill.

I pulled out a drawing book I had used with EK and SJ long ago

and had a little drawing lesson with the bitty girls~

They did an awesome job!!!

And so did the bigger kids as well~

There were other books in the box we will get to later

as well as this wonderful Zingo game for sight words.

I had originally thought of the boys with it but Evie and Holly wanted to try

and they did awesome looking and matching the words~

The boys played and practiced reading the words.

The big girls played and practiced spelling the words.

Finally our day ended with their regular Math U See work.

I'd say Homeschooling the 3Rs is just what this crowd needed!!!

Foundational Learning~

The Bitty girls are learning their letters and sounds...

(and didn't want to do anything in their drawers) SO

I pulled out our Leap Frog Letter Factory video and popped it in~

 I wrote the alphabet on a page in their journal and they trace the letter when they sang its sound.

Evie was rockstar at this and Holly was loved the singing!

I was back and forth between all kids and loved snuggling up to hear SJ~

 read a chapter from her Henry and Mudge book!

Back to check on bitties and found they had drawn a crowd~

 After the video, I put out the ABC stamps and they stamped all the letters

while remembering their sounds. 

(Evie helped Holly find her spot)
Gotta Watch THIS~

The boys had their own reading time going!

Partner reading is the best!!!

Post about EK's contribution to the morning HERE!

Everything Beautiful

Animals in Winter~ {The Snowy Day}

Science seems to be on the brain this week.

I had EK gather our books this am: Bible, The Snowy Day, and on of her choice

{will always be non fiction}

so she chose Animals in Winter~

(loved how Bible corresponded with our animal sort)

After reading, we sorted Arctic Animals and read from our Apologia Science book.

Just one paragraph sent the girls in pursuit of creating a zoo.

They've been working all afternoon making the zookeepers and visitors!

Loved looking around today to see everyone choosing their own reading~

and enjoying it.

The bitties wanted to read too so we played an alphabet game with the letters

I found in the Target $1 spot~

 I held up a big card with letter and sang the Leap Frog song~

"The A says a, the A says a, every letter has a sound, the A says a".

They had to find the matching one and hand to me before song was over.

We sang through every letter and they LOVED it.

I think this will be an everyday thing for a while.

{Add what starts with that sound next}.

Reading Game with the Boys~

Last week the boys started reading an emergent reader called What Is It?

and their new sight words were is and it.

It has been super tricky for them but we are persevering. 

After we read through the book, worked on making words with clothespins,

and the sight word cards,

I gave then each a dice with the words: a, and, it, it, is, is

on it~

I sat the token discs out for them and they each rolled dice.

If they could read the word rolled, they grabbed a token.

If they couldn't, I read for them and they rolled again.

The goal was to empty the token container as fast as we could.

So again, the game wasn't against each other but against the token container.

The boys had great fun and learned their new words to boot!

They can't wait to play again tomorrow!!!

EK and SJ~ {Writing and Reading}

These girls are really becoming independent learners in so many ways.

EK has always loved horses and it's awesome when our curriculums overlap

causing even more interest in subjects like Ungulates.

EK wrote her own chapter book~

In Apologia science, we are learning all about Ungulates.

In history (Beautiful Feet), we are reading about Abraham Lincoln which has horses in it.

We decided to pull out Little House on the Prairie to read.

Everyone has loved listening and today we began watching season 1 together.

Evie never sits and watches tv ever but for some reason she watched this!

Go figure...

Then there is SJ who asked if she could read a Little Critter book~

 Her face was priceless when she realized she could REALLY read it!

Gotta love when that big light bulb comes on.

Now she is the cool sister that everyone piles in beside to have a listen~

THAT is one of many sweet homeschooling blessings!