blondeviolin Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 ...and I am dying inside. If it wasn't for her constantly pestering me to teach her, I would wait for another year at least (She will be 5 at the end of July.) Nibbled to death by ducks, indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplemom Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 3words: I SEE SAM. My dd started at 4 very slowwwwwwlllllyyyyyy, but didn't start something more formal till she was 5 1/2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peplophoros Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 UGH! Me too!! The worst is when he wants to make up a millions sentences using the CVC word he's just read....and we have 20 more to go on the page. Torture. :bored: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 You have my sympathies ;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm teaching #2 and #3 to read at about the same time. It is torture on both counts!! I hate teaching reading! It is no fun and requires more patience than I possess! So, I'm so sorry! And I know how you feel. We need a virtual support group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Oh, I can definitely sympathize. My little one is insisting on "reading practice" but she's not yet blending sounds into words. So I have to listen to her sound out the letter sounds and then make some random guess as to what word it is. M-A-T says "circle" apparently (because in the BOB book Mat is drawn with cirlces). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Yep. Hate teaching reading and my girls are dyslexic. So, reading is extra hard here. It does require such a season of patience. Pretty sure I would not survive being a K or 1st grade teacher because of that fact alone! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghanL Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm currently teaching my 2nd to read and I feel your pain. I need a recording of me saying "look at the actual letters on the page please" and just push that for every other word. Ugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmhearn Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Another one here who feels your pain. I see a lot on this board about how teaching reading should be a cinch. It certainly wasn't the case for my first two. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone. Teaching people to read and potty training people are my two least favorite activities in life... I have 2 more to teach to read and 1 more to potty train. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm teaching my third to read and am using the 4th or 5th curriculum (2 for #1, 1 for #2, 2 for #3)! All of the curricula have been fine, but I find them so boring! I need a switch! Thankfully, I've gotten most of them cheaply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 :) Teaching reading here has been easier than potty training - I am still trying to get my 3 year old potty trained (we are closer now) and yet she is reading and blending very well for her age. But she wants her Littlest Pet shop toys to do the reading and hearing millions of times: "Will you help me" (spoken by the toy) and then "Yes, I will" spoken by my child and then a monologue about hiding under blankets and being scared and goodness knows what else those toys are thinking and doing before reading about two words and then deciding "the toy is tired," can be a bit exhausting when I have another child who needs my time too. And then of course it all has to be followed by: "Do you need the potty?" :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peplophoros Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Another one here who feels your pain. I see a lot on this board about how teaching reading should be a cinch. It certainly wasn't the case for my first two. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone. Teaching people to read and potty training people are my two least favorite activities in life... I have 2 more to teach to read and 1 more to potty train. Yay! Oh you are so right! Potty training and reading...two worst patience-busters there ever were ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I remember saying "try again" to my kids like a MILLION times when teaching them to read. Just have confidence that this too shall pass...in like 2 years. ;) I need one with, "Good guess! The word actually says ____." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Yup. I am teaching #4... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I recently blogged about what a reading lesson looks like at our house because I've been so frustrated...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I just started teaching #2. The others were in school through 2nd so I didn't have to. It is frustrating!! Virtual patience to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I don't know how kindergarten and first grade PS and private school teachers can put up with it year after year after year. They never see the end result of the kid reading long chapter books and every August/September they're back to square one with a new batch of students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm teaching number 8, and it's easier. I think it is because he has caught on to it faster than the others. I hate it though. I was taught - back when - using sight-reading only. In my head I just don't hear the difference between short i or e unless I put it in front of a word. When I try to distinguish it to him, it just sounds - unclear, basically. He is a pro at short a, o, and u, but my issues are causing him problems with i and e. I'm practicing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Teaching people to read and potty training people are my two least favorite activities in life... I have 2 more to teach to read and 1 more to potty train. Yay! :iagree: Some people look at me funny when I tie these two together as my least favorite mothering activities. (Possibly because 'teaching' the child to read isn't considered 'mothering' to them.) My tally is five potty trained out of five & three reading out of five. I'll be honest & say that two of the top reasons I don't want to add another child to our family is that I'll have to potty train him or her & teach him or her to read. I have friends whose kids teach themselves to read at three or four. :mellow: This one isn't as painful, I think, just because I'm sharing some of the pain with dh and because I'm not killing myself :banghead: over the fact that he's not reading yet like I did when my first two were his age (and still not reading). :grouphug: Make sure you come back when she's reading fluently so we can :party: and :cheers2: and :thumbup1: with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Oh gosh, I didn't even think how the children can nibble us to death as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 :grouphug: Get the charts and point at them instead of repeating ou says ow 1,000 times. I should have got them 20 years ago!! https://www.phonovisual.com/products.php?c=1 Also, I love Read, Write, Type, it is patient. And, the frog is a must for basic consonant and short vowel sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm teaching my third to read and am using the 4th or 5th curriculum (2 for #1, 1 for #2, 2 for #3)! All of the curricula have been fine, but I find them so boring! I need a switch! Thankfully, I've gotten most of them cheaply. In my 20 years as a phonics tutor, I have done the same thing, but I have been at it longer, so I have 20 programs. Of course, Webster's is so much more efficient and teaches to a much higher grade level, so I stick with that but mix in others for single syllable words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommytoFour Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I have four kids within 18 months in age of each other -- the younger three within 6 months (all four blessings of adoption). I'm fast approaching the time when I'll be *trying* to teach all four of them to read at the same time. I am not looking forward to the challenge at all. Thankfully, my husband will help. I'm just hoping that at least one of them is "easy." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strange_girl Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm only teaching #2...but I just wanted to say :iagree: and :grouphug: and :thumbup: . It will all be behind us eventually...and probably sooner than we can imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Just about to finish 100 EZ Lessons with my third. It was so amazing teaching my first child. Wow! I had just given reading wings to another person. With the third, well, let's just say it's getting pretty old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm teaching #2. I finally got him potty trained (took forever compared to dd) and now it's time for reading. I used OPGTR for DD and it worked really well but was so boring. This time I got a subscription to Reading Eggs and the Hooked on Phonics App that was free the other day. He can read words if they're by themselves but the minute there is more than one word he just guesses. I'm hoping once he gets the blending down he'll take off like his sister did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamindy Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 This was encouraging. :) I am not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I have been in the midst of teaching my middle child to read for a while and it is torture. He is obviously going to take a while to get it and is very distractible. I can't wait for it to click for him so I have one more behind me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomintheMountains Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 To offer a slightly different perspective.... just today I was thinking that my 4th is now reading and I am sad that I only have one more to teach to read. The days are long but the years are short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm actually really enjoying teaching #2 to read. Sure, I've not pushed her and she seems to get it quick but I'm such a better teacher this time and am comfortable with her pace. Like potty training, I know she won't be going into middle school unable to read. But why rush? And her sighing and heaving when she's worked sooooo hard and gotten it is so cute! "Yeah kiddo, reading is a trial. Wait'll we get to Shakespeare." Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Yeah, I'm having fun with #3 :) but I do know there is this tedious period coming--- CVC words and simple blending are coming easily, but i remember a Pit of Horror that happens about a year in, where they don't seem to MAKE.ANY.PROGRESS and they aren't excited about it any more . . . My 3rd is 5 years younger than my 2nd so I'm trying to hang on to the baby as much as possible--so this is kind of a sweet time right now, anything to keep him in my lap and not running off to do big kid stuff --- DS1 picked up reading super-quick and I think DS3 will too. DS2 required me to actually teach :) so that was more frustrating, but he got it. And potty training has been MUCH WORSE for us than reading, ugh! Thank goodness that's behind us. I don't think anyone ever looks back with sweet memories of that :) Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketcase Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I use my older kids to teach letters to the toddler. He's the only non-reader left, and if I cross my fingers, will he just learn how from the big kids?I found teaching my older two to read hugely satisfying, but my third drove me crazy. We were stuck on the early bob book level forever. Forever. And then in like a week she moved from bob books to chapter books, and I was relieved but annoyed at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I am SOOOOOOOOO thankful that my youngest picked up reading mostly on his own. After teaching middle son (who took the long, slow route to reading), I really didn't want to go through the sounding out everything forever stage. That lasted two years with middle son. All my children are now officially reading, and it does feel very good! We're still working on middle son's confidence, and he's still in very easy readers, but he can read! Hooray! Teaching reading and spelling are my two most hated subjects. They are just so B-O-R-I-N-G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm still working with my 6 year old ds in getting fluent. He can read, but can't at the same time, he forgets, he has confidence issues, he doesn't want to try, he'd rather slink down off the chair than work with me.... My youngest has been asking me to play Starfall with her.<<shudder>> And I'm trying to keep my happy face so they don't think I would rather be doing anything else but teach them to read and play all these fun :leaving: word games with them. I recently told my dh that someone needs to give me an honorary degree in early childhood education. I also told him I'm risking a permanent stutter.... "ppp iiiii ggggg." "pp ii gg" 'pig" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 It's probably good to point out that my #2 was the long, slow, sound-everything-out reader. He still is not at a read-for-fun stage. So...when my #3 asks to play forever on Reading Eggs? I will gladly acquiesce and maybe even sort of think it counts as reading? *sigh* At least I'm not alone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 My oldest needed gentle help and was reading chapter books. My middle son took three years to read fluently. By the time he learned to read my youngest (4 years younger) needed to be taught to read. Youngest is still in easy readers, mostly short sounds, and a handful of sight words after two years (He's six and in K) I always supposed it would be easy to teach the kids to read. I learned at 4, and was reading everything fluently at 5. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer N. Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I use my older kids to teach letters to the toddler. He's the only non-reader left, and if I cross my fingers, will he just learn how from the big kids? I found teaching my older two to read hugely satisfying, but my third drove me crazy. We were stuck on the early bob book level forever. Forever. And then in like a week she moved from bob books to chapter books, and I was relieved but annoyed at the same time. I wonder if this is pretty common with some children. My second son was reading simple books in August after his K year and a month later he was reading Hardy Boys. For a few days, I thought he just wanted to be like big brother and then I figured I should actually check in with him and see how much he could read. He was actually reading the book! With my 3rd child, I have been afterschooling her this year with Foundations A and B (by Logic of English). She has done well for a Kindergartener and was light years ahead all year as far as understanding basic phonograms and could easily read CVC words and beginning and ending blends but we just seemed to stay there for a long time. Then she started reading Dr. Seuss type books for two weeks in April and next thing I know she is reading (slowly but accurately) Boxcar Children books. That happened in the space of 1 to 1 1/2 months. It's like she was taught part of the code and figured out the rest. My oldest was different and took much longer to become a fluent reader but then I used different methods with him ("balanced reading" as is done in public schools). I have had to go back in and reteach him parts of reading from the spelling side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dramorellis Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 So glad to hear I am not alone. I'm only on #2 and I think I blocked out the memories from teaching #1. In my head it was quick and very satisfying. Then I opened up all those books and I swear I have PTSD. I remember now exactly how frustrating it was. I have learned now that the lesson is done by the 3rd time I have to ask her to actually look at the cards and get her foot out of her mouth. If we get 5 minutes a day then I call it a victory. 20 minutes is cause for a nap and a parade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverFamily Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 :iagree: Potty training and teaching my kids to read are my top two least favorite parenting jobs. It is so hard to listen to them sound out every. single. word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I wonder if this is pretty common with some children. My second son was reading simple books in August after his K year and a month later he was reading Hardy Boys. For a few days, I thought he just wanted to be like big brother and then I figured I should actually check in with him and see how much he could read. He was actually reading the book! My two oldest were very difficult to teach to read. The oldest had that sudden jump that you described after slogging along for so long. Dd#2 didn't have the sudden jump, but a slow road to fluency. Dd#3 wasn't nearly as painful as the first two and while fluent, still doesn't have the stamina for long books. So, it is a 1:3 ratio in my house on that quick jump once they finally "get it." I equate it to the kids who don't potty train for a long time & then in one day suddenly "get it" and rarely have an accident after that. Other kids have spurts of success with lots of hard work (and cleanup) in between. :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I never found potty training difficult. My kids were potty trained on the early side and pretty fast and all I had to do was follow steps a, b, and c and it was done. I thought reading was a hard process with my first but then I started with my second and it was way way harder. If I had a kid like my first teaching reading wasn't too bad. It took her a while but she was at least a little faster. Once things clicked for her she made a lot of progress and I loved watching that. If I had kids that pick it up pretty easily I would probably enjoy teaching how to read. I do love seeing them really start to get things. It is frustrating to me to listen to a kid painfully work there way through every word making no progress towards fluency for sentences. They have the basic blending skill down but really make no progress at all towards reading. They want to read and love listening to stories even stories for older kids. I know that one day he will be reading but it is hard to imagine it when you are stuck at the same point with no end in sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivey_family Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 As others have said, I take comfort from this thread! I've got two learning phonics right now. They are about 6 months apart. My third will start this fall. I just dread this part of school! I'm glad to know I'm not alone! Regards, C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomintheMountains Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I've had no trouble with potty training or teaching to read, but I wait until they are ready. My current 8 year old was slow to make progress in reading, but he is taking off now. I haven't pushed him, but have adopted a slow and steady pace. Potty training at 3 and reading at 6 is the experience I've had with 5 boys. (The youngest is 4, so we'll see how reading goes with him). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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