Teaching Seth How to Read

Mom: "Okay, Seth here is your word card for today." I hand it to him. He takes it from me and I say the word for him as he is looking at it.

"This says God. You see the sound in the middle?" ( We've just got through reviewing the short vowel sounds) "O"

Seth: Being very attentive, " I know that, O-O-O "

Mom: Pointing to the card once again, "What does this say?"

Seth: "God"

Mom: Taking out his reading primer, "Okay, here is your reading for today (opening up the page to the first story with a picture of the creation), can you read this to me?"

Seth: "This is my reading book? Wow! "

Mom: "Yes, this is your book,what does your story say today?"

Seth: "G-o-o-od." (with a short o sound)

Mom: "Good job! You read a story all by yourself!"

Seth: "I'm done?"

Mom: "Yes, okay now let's do some handwriting."(taking out his handwriting tablet) Seth, I'm going to write God for you and I want you to copy it four times."

Seth: "I can write, I can write it (taking the book away from me) He writes God suprisingly without my help four times...spelling it correctly.

Mom:"Wonderful, you can spell!"

Pointing to the word I ask him "what did you just write?"

Seth: "Jesus"

Mom: " No,(pointing to the word again) "What does this say?"

Seth: "Jesus"

(Mom, a little confused...didn't he know it up to now?)

Mom: " Seth, this says, God"

Seth: "oh" (real calmly)

Mom: " Okay you did good, we're done with your reading. Put your books away"

I just walked away, thinking that was so cute. Now, with everything that he writes and draws, he is writing God...the joys of teaching your own how to read!

I taught my two older boys how to read using How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. They learned how to read in just 20 minutes a day and not even finishing the book. My youngest son, Seth, is a different learner. He needs alot of review and enjoys doing workbooks to reinforce what he's learning. So, I decided to order the Rod and Staff full reading program for first grade. So far I like it for the most part, but there is aloot for the first grader to do (lot's of fillers) I'm still a little confused on the reading vs. phonics part of the program. It teaches reading by sight in the "reading" part of the program and phonics (sounding out) in the "phonics" part. I'm not too sure if I should teach both and spend looots of time doing both and possibly getting confused about where we are or just do away with one part of the program and just do the phonics part. I do like both parts, therefore I don't want to do way with any of them, maybe as I continue to chug along with the program I'll get a better feel with what I should do.....