Reading Reed

I've been teaching Reed to read (hee hee) from the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (the title cracks me up). We're just a few lessons into it, but he is learning so fast and so well!! He knows his letters, but he's learning now what sounds they make (at least better than he already does), and I can see the wheels turning. I actually tear up a lot while I teach him because I just get so proud of him when I can see him grasp a concept or remember something I showed him. It really is thrilling!

I remember sitting in my mom's lap while she was teaching me what sounds the letters made. I remember her showing me c, a, and t, and I remember the moment when I realized that those three sounds together made the word cat! It's imprinted in my brain, the way that moment felt. I realized that I had started to learn something that would be integral to my being, integral to life, integral to functioning at all in society. (Well, I realized that the way a 5-year-old realizes it....not in those exact words, but if I had been able to describe it, it would have come out something like that.) I knew that this was very, very big.

So it follows that I would tear up when Reed sounds out even the two-letter words. But today, he saw the word "cat" in a book, and he put the sounds together, and lo and behold, I watched with wonder as the lights went on and he said with almost reverence, "Cat. Mom, that says 'cat'!!" He was almost shaking with happiness. And I'm really, really happy that I witnessed that moment, and not his kindergarten teacher. That's mine! :)

On the subject of words, reading, literacy, etc....I am in love with this school district. Already. Yesterday night was a literacy meeting for the parents of those going into kindergarten this fall. First they showed a video about how important reading is (duh) featuring our pediatrician from Cedar City (miss him so much) and people from the Iron county district (totally nostalgic). Then they gave us kits with all kinds of wonderful supplies to help our children with their reading skills through most of the school year. I love that. I love that they gave us physical proof that they believe and support that we are our children's first (and most important) teachers. (Or maybe I chose to interpret it that way, and maybe they actually don't believe we'll teach our children to read without awesome kits provided. I'm sticking to the nicer motivation for this post, and because I like to believe people are good at heart and trusting of us mamas and daddies.) And the supplies are awesome!! Since we have to give the kit back, I'm already formulating how I'd make one for ourselves. It was like Christmas last night, walking around from group to group and gathering all the materials for the kits. I seemed to be way more excited about it than anyone else. I'm especially baffled as to why no one else (except my friend next to me, and one of the teachers) was as thrilled as I was--I think I squealed, although I prefer to forget whether I did or didn't--about the scented markers! (Such a classic!) Those didn't come in the kit. They were just part of a little work center. (Sigh) No worries. I'll eventually buy some, I'm sure. Eventually being in the next five days, probably.

The kit included so much cool stuff, and I'll take a picture (eventually). Eventually being in the next two months, as it is not as high on my list of priorities as the actual use of the kit. :)

Reed and Jaxon are playing. Reed just said, "Come to school, son. Come to school. Today's lesson is about fruit. And speech."