Introduction, Intuitives as Early Readers, Kindergarten Question, and...

[Myrrh]

Hi there,

 

My firstborn (first grader) taught herself to read when she was 4. My second child (4) taught herself to read when she was newly 3 and then to write when she was 3.5. My third and last child (2.5) might be reading but he seems like more of a numbers guy :) All of them have been late potty trainers (DD4 was reading before she learned to use the toilet!).

 

I'm a writer, my husband skipped first grade because of his reading ability, and I suspect that all of my children (especially the girls) have an intuiting preference, as do my husband (ENFP) and I (INFJ). I'm an MBTI practitioner, and in my studies I have read that intuiting types are the most likely to read early because they are better able to recognize letters as symbols (since we tend to think more metaphorically).

 

DD6 asked me to homeschool her in January so I took her out of first grade and we've been using WTM with good success this past semester. DD4 is in preschool three mornings a week, but I'm desperate to get her little brother in there when we start our new school year, and she's pretty eager to join her big sister in our homeschool, so my question is, what are some ways to do early kindergarten (she won't be 5 until the end of January) for a child who's already reading at a third or fourth grade level? I really don't want to push her into first grade and I know she's not at a maturity level to handle SOTW or other 1st grade subjects. Are there any packages or curriculum you recommend for K or should I just wing it? Structure is my crutch and I'm nervous about homeschooling two at once (though it has to be better than homeschooling one and dealing with an energetic toddler!).

 

One last thing that may or may not make a difference. DD6 prefers me reading to her than reading aloud (though she does it very well) and she only likes to read books to herself that are illustrated (i.e. not chapter books yet) even though she's probably reading at a middle school level. DD4 prefers to read to me! (really nice at bedtime when I'm wiped out). Her pronunciation is not totally clear (still has that cute preschooler voice) and she tends to rush (sometimes it seems like she's reading in her brain and not saying the words aloud so it seems like she's skipping them).

 

One very last thing. Although my girls have the technical skills to read way above their grade levels, they don't have the cognitive ability or emotional maturity to understand/appreciate literature geared for older ages, so I am saving certain classics for when they can actually process the stories better. I even feel this way about the Chronicles of Narnia though I know they could understand them on a literal level now, and even some of the metaphorical aspects, especially DD6. And I won't even consider them seeing the films until after they read the books. I'm thinking 4th grade at the earliest. Does anyone else think this way?

[rowan25]

Hi! :) I enjoyed reading your post. Much of this sounds very familiar!!

 

My firstborn (first grader) taught herself to read when she was 4. My second child (4) taught herself to read when she was newly 3 and then to write when she was 3.5. My third and last child (2.5) might be reading but he seems like more of a numbers guy :) All of them have been late potty trainers (DD4 was reading before she learned to use the toilet!).

 

My daughter also read very early. She revealed it at 2.5, but for reading as fluently as she did, it had to have happened much earlier. Which is really scary!! And yes, she too trained late, though I believe more from a personality/control issue than anything else.

 

I'm an MBTI practitioner, and in my studies I have read that intuiting types are the most likely to read early because they are better able to recognize letters as symbols (since we tend to think more metaphorically).

 

This intrigues me. I remember taking a short version of this test in high school, but that was many moons ago!! Could you pm me with more information and where to find it? Thanks!

 

 

so my question is, what are some ways to do early kindergarten (she won't be 5 until the end of January) for a child who's already reading at a third or fourth grade level? I really don't want to push her into first grade and I know she's not at a maturity level to handle SOTW or other 1st grade subjects. Are there any packages or curriculum you recommend for K or should I just wing it? Structure is my crutch and I'm nervous about homeschooling two at once (though it has to be better than homeschooling one and dealing with an energetic toddler!).

 

This was my problem last school year, except my daughter was 4 and made 5 in late March. Plus my son just turned 2 last weekend. For this past year, I started with workbooks from Walmart. Phonics was boring, math caused tears. I went with Math U See and started her in Primer since it's more of an overview and I felt she could use some success. It has been very, very easy for her, but she doesn't always think so. That was a good move for us. For reading, I left the cheap workbook and went with McRuffy's complete program. It was a total waste. It's a great program, but not for a 4 year old reading on a 3rd grade level. Mostly over the last year, I was winging it, trying out various things and doing lots and lots of research. Structure is my crutch as well, so I was so hoping to find a "box" to put her in. I tried Moving Beyond the Page, which was designed with Creative and Gifted students in mind. It was ok, but it didn't hold her interest. I think it would at the upper levels, but the 5-7 range bored her. Mainly I let her read whatever she wanted and we read higher level books to her. For next year, I'm going with 1st grade material with the intention of going as slowly as need be.

 

One last thing that may or may not make a difference. DD6 prefers me reading to her than reading aloud (though she does it very well) and she only likes to read books to herself that are illustrated (i.e. not chapter books yet) even though she's probably reading at a middle school level.

 

Again....sooooooooo familiar!!! DD loves us to read to her and seems to prefer it. The only ones she will read aloud or to herself are illustrated books or a few early readers (usually numbered 2 or 3). If she is in her room by herself, she will read chapter books, but won't tell us. For instance, my husband has been reading the Magic Tree House books with her at night. One night, he's reading along and she says "oh, the next part is really good." Apparently during her rest/nap time, she had been reading them!!! But can I get her to check out books like this from the library on her own?? NO!

 

One very last thing. Although my girls have the technical skills to read way above their grade levels, they don't have the cognitive ability or emotional maturity to understand/appreciate literature geared for older ages, so I am saving certain classics for when they can actually process the stories better. I even feel this way about the Chronicles of Narnia though I know they could understand them on a literal level now, and even some of the metaphorical aspects, especially DD6. And I won't even consider them seeing the films until after they read the books. I'm thinking 4th grade at the earliest. Does anyone else think this way?

 

Yes, I completely agree. I read Oliver Twist at 6. I completely understood it on a literal level and was horribly upset by what I read. This does tend to hamper my search for books from time to time, though.

 

Anyway, welcome. I mostly lurk on this board, but everyone is very helpful and very understanding. Something that many of us don't really get in real life!

[Myrrh]

Thank you for sharing your experiences--it is SO nice to have someone to relate with :) I haven't been very active here either but hope to partcipate a bit more now that I've got a semester of homeschooling under my belt and am finally coming up for air! I will PM you soon about the MBTI--PM me if I forget. I'm too tired to think straight right now.

[ElizabethB]

My daughter was also reading before she was potty trained! She was reading at about that grade level at the start of K, I did Webster's Speller with her, at the end of K she could read anything, but preferred board books or non-fiction books in areas that interested her. She also liked reading the Bible. She still doesn't read much fiction.

 

I would try Webster's Speller from the white board.

 

Board books are great, they are written at an advanced reading grade level but are interesting and are a good fit age/emotion wise.

 

I also like older books for young children, they are written at higher grade levels yet are not emotionally beyond what they need to be hearing.

 

We did manage to potty train our son before he learned to read, but he could spell a half dozen words before he was potty trained. He also learns addition fairly easily, I was worried for a while that he would have his addition facts memorized before his sister, but we got a Flashmaster and switched to Singapore, and she's doing fine in math now.

 

Both my husband and I are INTP's, although he is borderline E/I and J/P, and acts as an ENTJ at work.

 

Here are some older books based on the syllable division in Webster's:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllabledividedb.html

 

Webster's was designed for use in one-room schools, so it is easy to use with children of different ages. Use it more for spelling for your older children and more reading and just a little spelling for your younger children. (They can also do oral spelling or "written" spelling with magnetic letters if writing is difficult.) Start with a few syllables every day, then have each child work where through a bit, when they start being at different sections, they will still have a common base of the syllabary, so they will learn from watching the other children's lessons, built in review and pre-view.

 

You'll need 3 or 4 small white boards and a bunch of white board markers. (I just had 2, one for each child, but with 3 children, you might need one for you and 1 for each of them. My son just liked to draw on his and feel like he was part of the action, he was 2 when she was doing K.)

Edited May 29, 2009 by ElizabethB

[Arch at Home]

I read good stories to my children whether or not they have the cognitive or emotional maturity to understand it on the level of the intended audience. The best example of this is that just before they were 2, 4, and 6 we took them to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I had prepared them by have read them a children's version and they had seen the Kenneth Brannaugh's film version. Did they understand every word, get every joke, or catch the sexual inuendos? No but did they enjoy it? Most definitely. My children are now hooked on Shakespeare participating in numberous classes and small productions including the more adult themed Othello and Macbeth.

 

I find that good literature can be understood on many levels. I hate to withold a good story just because they don't understand it on the intended level.

[Myrrh]

My daughter was also reading before she was potty trained! She was reading at about that grade level at the start of K, I did Webster's Speller with her, at the end of K she could read anything, but preferred board books or non-fiction books in areas that interested her. She also liked reading the Bible. She still doesn't read much fiction.

 

I would try Webster's Speller from the white board.

 

Board books are great, they are written at an advanced reading grade level but are interesting and are a good fit age/emotion wise.

 

I also like older books for young children, they are written at higher grade levels yet are not emotionally beyond what they need to be hearing.

 

We did manage to potty train our son before he learned to read, but he could spell a half dozen words before he was potty trained. He also learns addition fairly easily, I was worried for a while that he would have his addition facts memorized before his sister, but we got a Flashmaster and switched to Singapore, and she's doing fine in math now.

 

Both my husband and I are INTP's, although he is borderline E/I and J/P, and acts as an ENTJ at work.

 

Here are some older books based on the syllable division in Webster's:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllabledividedb.html

 

Webster's was designed for use in one-room schools, so it is easy to use with children of different ages. Use it more for spelling for your older children and more reading and just a little spelling for your younger children. (They can also do oral spelling or "written" spelling with magnetic letters if writing is difficult.) Start with a few syllables every day, then have each child work where through a bit, when they start being at different sections, they will still have a common base of the syllabary, so they will learn from watching the other children's lessons, built in review and pre-view.

 

You'll need 3 or 4 small white boards and a bunch of white board markers. (I just had 2, one for each child, but with 3 children, you might need one for you and 1 for each of them. My son just liked to draw on his and feel like he was part of the action, he was 2 when she was doing K.)

 

Thank you--I will look into your recommendations :) Amazing that you both are INTPs--I would think that would be a rare coupling!

[Myrrh]

I read good stories to my children whether or not they have the cognitive or emotional maturity to understand it on the level of the intended audience. The best example of this is that just before they were 2, 4, and 6 we took them to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I had prepared them by have read them a children's version and they had seen the Kenneth Brannaugh's film version. Did they understand every word, get every joke, or catch the sexual inuendos? No but did they enjoy it? Most definitely. My children are now hooked on Shakespeare participating in numberous classes and small productions including the more adult themed Othello and Macbeth.

 

I find that good literature can be understood on many levels. I hate to withold a good story just because they don't understand it on the intended level.

 

For me, it's somewhat a personal thing. I was exposed to a lot of media--visual and written--which was beyond my comprehension at a young age, and I still have memories of my confusion. This confusion coupled with overexposure also caused me to not be interested in revisiting some books at the age when I finally could have understood/appreciated them.

 

There's also the concept of too much of a good thing and of hidden treasures. I don't want to hand them everything, and I want them to have the thrill of discovery.

 

One criteria I use for books/movies is the ages of the characters in the story. If the characters are older (or in the next age bracket), I usually wait. Of course this doesn't work for everything and especially since most of their favorite books don't have human characters (primarily animals), but even then, you can get a sense of age.

 

All that said, I think taking them to see the play (and them not only be able to sit through it, but enjoy it) is wonderful. And repetition can be a great thing--I love the WTM classical history and science model which repeats every 4 years.

 

I've also had to relax my position on what they'll read/watch since having two more children--they're close in age, but the middle and youngest are definitely being exposed to things earlier than their big sister was. The good thing is that my middle child has the disposition to walk away when she's bored or scared, and my youngest is too young for it to matter.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Myrrh

[fourgrogs]

Sonlight curriculum might just be a perfect fit for you. Lots of good readers and read a-louds, detailed schedule, and easy to follow. We did SL first grade for early kindergarten, but you could look through the catalog for the best level to fit your needs. The catalog lists the reading level for each book, which is SO helpful when choosing books for precocious readers. It also has an advanced reader list that you could choose. The Sonlight catalog is a treasure to have in your hand when you visit the library or attend a used book sale.

 

We have a rapid learner in our homeschool that also read fluently at 3. I suggest you don't try to hold your child back. Don't try to keep them in Kindergarten if they can move forward with joy and smiles. I tried to "do" Kindergarten for 6 months with my 5 yr old and he was bouncing off the walls. I didn't know it was boredom being manifested. During that time he said, "Mom, I want to learn history, I want to learn about all of the wars."

 

We skipped ahead to first grade in language arts & math, added science, health, spelling and poetry, and started Tapestry of Grace for his history craving. He also started playing violin that year.

 

This year we are doing another grade skip for him, moving from 4th to 5th. We are still loving TOG. It is perfect for bright kids.

 

Hang on tight, we parents are just along for the ride with these accelerated learning kiddos!

[chai]

I have a daughter who seems similar to your oldest. We spent a lot of time on history when she was 4-7. I would usually read aloud for about two hours. (Now that she is 10, we still do a lot of history because she loves it, but I only read aloud for an hour. Dh reads more at bedtime.)

 

My dd was ready for SOTW1 at age 4, but I sometimes needed to paraphrase sections or skip them altogether. Perhaps that is a possibility so that you can keep the girls together.

 

Have you seen the 1000 good books list at Classical Christian Educators? It is a great list of books broken down by reading level and indicates which ones will make good read alouds. I've used this extensively in choosing our books. I also like the Sonlight book list; I believe that it has a read-aloud age suggestion so you can tell what my be appropriate for younger children.

[Myrrh]

Thank you both for these great suggestions. I'm ordering the Sonlight catalog and reading that great list of books on the classical site. The main reason I've shied away from Sonlight packages is because we own quite a few of the books already (which I've picked up secondhand) and because it's so expensive, what with all the books being new. But even if I were to track all the rest of them down at used prices, it would still probably be too expensive to do all at once. So the library is a great option and keeping the catalog/lists with me when we go to thrift stores. eBay and Half.com are my main used book suppliers online.

 

I definitely won't hold her back if she shows signs of wanting to go ahead, but right now she's expressing a lot more interest in arts and crafts than literary pursuits, despite her advanced ability. The good news is that my mom, who's a watercolorist, just offered to take her some of the time to do art projects at her house. DD4 really doesn't like change and she's had a lot of it lately, so I want to make this transition out of preschool as smooth as possible for her. Knowing she can keep exercising her hands-on creativity and go to Grandma's house should be a big help! :)