I wasn't planning to homeschool my 3 yr old...

[Frelle]

I discovered today that my 3 yr old daughter can read. She reads about as well as my 6 yr old (which is not well, beginning level BOB books with sentences like "Mag has a rag hat").

 

Felicity has been in a 2 yr old preschool class this past year, along with a pre-k homeschool co-op class once a week. At the pre-k class, they did a letter per week packet in class.. picture of an apple with a worm in it as a craft on the front, tracing the capital A on the front cover, practicing writing the capital letter on the inside facing pages, etc. We read to her often, she has always loved books. In fact, a week before her second birthday, she looked up at me while looking at several books on the floor and said "I can't read". It has frustrated her for some time, but I didnt really think anything about it.

 

Anyway... so she sounded out MOM a few weeks ago with my prompting. Yesterday she walked up to my bed where a Dr. Seuss book was sitting. Since MOO was in big letters on it, it must have caught her eye and she pointed to them and said M O O Mooooo. I decided that since she randomly came upon a word and sounded it out and read it, maybe I'd just sit down with her and see what she did with a book.

 

I grabbed a simple book, like the BOB books but not one of them. I had never seen it before, and neither had Felicity. This was an unfamiliar book to both of us.

 

I pointed to the first word. She quickly sounded out L I Z and said Liz. She went on to slowly sound out and read "Liz is six", "Liz is at bat" , "Liz can get it", "pig" and "cat" before she grew tired of reading and asked me to finish the book.

 

I guess my question is... should I just continue sitting with her and having her read bits of books like I did today, or should I start with something like Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons? Any resources for the really young reader parent??

 

Thanks!

[Emmy]

You know, she could be really gifted - or she could just be a natural reader kwim? My 3rd son did the same thing at 3yo - at the time I pretty much thought it was due to having two older brothers going through phonics at the time, there was a lot for him to overhear and learn my "osmosis" :p. He's 5 now and reads but doesn't read at a 3rd grade level or anything. I also didn't try for that.....he didn't have the patience to sit and go through the OPG or do reading lessons all the time so what I've done is read a lot to him and then let him set the pace on learning to read. When he asks for a reading lesson we do one. When he asks to read a early reader I help him with that. When he asked for workbooks like the big kids I got him the Explode the Code books. Mainly though I just read to him a lot, got him audiobooks to listen to and let him play and be a preschooler. I was always afraid to push him and had 2 kids ahead of him to teach as well (and a baby to take care of....) so it's worked for me.

 

This fall will be his official kindergarten year and he's pretty much ready for first grade so we're going to do that and just call it kinder.

 

Anyway - you'll probably get a variety of replies but that's how I handled it. I'm sure some would say I should have taught him more and sooner.

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

She was 3-1/2, though, when I picked out the first Dick and Jane book at the library and brought it home to "practice" with her. Before I had a chance, she started reading it out loud and only needed help with 4 words! She's now 5 (Feb. birthday) and about halfway through 1st-grade McRuffy Phonics and Reading. However, we ditched the formal reading questions long ago because she gets frustrated when I ask her the comprehension questions. It is just not challenging enough for her. So, we just use the stories for a read-aloud and call that portion done. She likes to read lots and lots of nonfictions books. She particularly likes space books and any animal or dinosaur books she can get her hands on. Next year I'm just going to concentrate on having her read and narrate books for history and science and keep getting her tons of books from the library.

 

I have had a really hard time challenging my daughter. I'm so afraid of pushing her that I think some of my choices have held her back a little. I try to just follow her lead as far as level goes so that she remains happy and still has a thirst for knowledge. That is what I would recommend for your daughter, too. Let her keep reading and reading if she wants to. Get her lots and lots of books and let her tell you all about them when she's done. As far as a formal reading program goes, that's up to you. But for us, we're just going to keep reading and testing for comprehension on our own.

 

Good luck!

Edited May 13, 2009 by Mommy2BeautifulGirls

[musicianmom]

In your situation, given that she is already reading words, I would use 100 Easy Lessons. However, I would skip to the lesson where the "stories" (actually just one sentence for the early ones!) and pictures start. Don't get caught up in all the drills, just let her read the words and stories. My dd liked 100 Easy Lessons because of the silly pictures and stories.

 

I've pretty much given up on phonics for now, we'll work on rules and such when she's ready for spelling lessons. I'm just letting her read.

[earthmother]

In my opinion, I would just continue to read read read to her. continue to point out words and ask her what certain words are but do it informally. I would read lots of books including chapter books such as My Father's Dragon and Charlotte's Web. In my experience as a mom to gifted readers and as a teacher, I have found nothing turns off kids more than formal reading instruction at that age. Now, granted your daughter may love formal lessons but I really believe it can kill children's love of reading and learning. Just my opinion

[Marie463]

I could have written that exact post last summer!

 

Like you, I wondered what to do. I soon discovered that phonics instruction - in a formal sense - was absolutely not the right answer for him at 3 years old. I borrowed a copy of Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, opened it up to the section that would be most fitting to where he was at at the time...and he made it very clear that he had no interest in it whatsoever. So...we just decided to step back and let him progress at his own pace. In addition to making early readers available to him, we also just kept reading to him (like always)...and he has thrived!

 

Here's a couple of things that have worked for us:

- We gave him a flashlight to use in bed after "lights out" and make certain that he has a stack of books close. The rule is that he has to stay in bed, but that he can read until he is ready to fall asleep.

- Make it a game when you find that they are needing some actual instruction. For instance, when it came to contractions our ds became frustrated b/c he just didn't know what they were. I made a quick matching game (won't = will not)...we played 3 or 4 times and he got it. Little did he know that he was "learning." :-)

- This is a no-brainer - but when she starts to show an interest in something (aka butterflies, or whatever)...check out some nonfiction easy readers on that topic. You'd be amazed at how many easy reader resources are out there!

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

Here's a couple of things that have worked for us:

- We gave him a flashlight to use in bed after "lights out" and make certain that he has a stack of books close. The rule is that he has to stay in bed, but that he can read until he is ready to fall asleep.

- Make it a game when you find that they are needing some actual instruction. For instance, when it came to contractions our ds became frustrated b/c he just didn't know what they were. I made a quick matching game (won't = will not)...we played 3 or 4 times and he got it. Little did he know that he was "learning." :-)

- This is a no-brainer - but when she starts to show an interest in something (aka butterflies, or whatever)...check out some nonfiction easy readers on that topic. You'd be amazed at how many easy reader resources are out there!

 

:iagree:

 

My daughter likes to pick out several books before she gets in bed. Sometimes she will read to her little sister. (The sad part is, sometimes she only wants to read something once or twice, then she is done with it. Thank God the library is only 3 minutes away!)

[PCA]

Wow, I find this SO amazing! I have heard of 3 year olds teaching themselves to read and I find it so interesting. None of mine (so far) have taken to reading easily, so your 3 year is just amazing to me! Would love to hear how she progresses in her reading!

[Mommy22alyns]

I pointed to the first word. She quickly sounded out L I Z and said Liz. She went on to slowly sound out and read "Liz is six", "Liz is at bat" , "Liz can get it", "pig" and "cat" before she grew tired of reading and asked me to finish the book.

 

I guess my question is... should I just continue sitting with her and having her read bits of books like I did today, or should I start with something like Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons? Any resources for the really young reader parent??

 

Thanks!

 

 

Just keep doing what you were doing. The really young readers can get tired of reading (in a session) and I imagine it must be a big effort. So pick up a simple book, let her read part, and take over when she's tired. Or read a book out loud, but run your finger under the words and let her read some simple words you come across - that gets them following the text. I'd keep it informal and let her lead the way. That's what I've done with both of my girls. :001_smile:

[budeb]

She sounds like my son at that age. I bought Reading Made Easy... we got to about lesson 30 and he took off. He is 6 and is an absolutely wonderful reader... pretty much self-taught. He reads chapter books way above his grade level. At the time I was told to hold him back because he would get ahead of his peers. Well... I didn't... and here I am homeschooling. Something I never dreamed of doing but am absolutely loving it!!!!

[JeanM]

She sounds like she is doing great. Personally I'd start with either "100 easy lessons" or OPGTR if she is interested. My boys both liked the "100 easy lessons" book. We didn't do any of the writing, and if they got tired of it or frustrated I'd drop it for a week or a month and then try again.

 

Have fun! I miss having little ones around.

[Truscifi]

My ds5 did a similar thing. I just read with him when he wanted to, and didn't start formal instructions until the he turned 4. Also I found that at first he would get tired after about 10 or 15 minutes of reading. Not just tired of reading, but actually tired. That much brain work is draining for a young child. But I didn't push him, and it wasn't long before he was asking to read harder books. Then he really took off and is currently reading on a 3rd grade level. So I suggest letting her go at her own pace. You can always try formal lessons to see how they go, but don't make it a chore.

[Frelle]

Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions!! I love having so many wonderful moms to bounce things off of!

[~Jenn~]

Ds began reading small books around 3 as well. I didn't do much other than continue to read to him and keeping him supplied with books that were at his reading level. I kept increasing the difficulty of the books to keep him challenged and he would just read those and move on to harder books.