Retta

Today my beautiful 10 yo daughter said that she's glad she didn't stay in school because if she had, she wouldn't be able to read. "Why not?" asks I. "Because they try to force you."

Retta


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

tyra

just wanted to say thanks to all who gave answers to the reading
questions. i am always thinking that i need to do more. just recently
my pediatrician was questioning whether or not my 8yo son was on grade
level. she asked how i checked that stuff i.e grades, tests, school
curriculum to follow etc. i told her that i didn't know. but she really
irked me and of course that sent my mind racing. i am new to this too
and i am always wondering if i need to do more. but occasionally we
have these ah ha moments and i am fine. o thanks again.

tyra (lurker)

donnakeeble

--- In [email protected], "tyra" <tyralyn14@...> wrote:
>
> just wanted to say thanks to all who gave answers to the reading
> questions. i am always thinking that i need to do more. just recently
> my pediatrician was questioning whether or not my 8yo son was on grade
> level. she asked how i checked that stuff i.e grades, tests, school
> curriculum to follow etc. i told her that i didn't know. but she really
> irked me and of course that sent my mind racing. i am new to this too
> and i am always wondering if i need to do more. but occasionally we
> have these ah ha moments and i am fine. o thanks again.
>
> tyra (lurker)
>
Tyra,
I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
your child from her. Our pediatrician is quite supportive of our
unschooling (he actually took the time to watch Aidan's youtube videos
at his last appointment) so I know there are some good ones out there.
Ideally, they should be supportive of your choices as a parent or,
at the very least, not "irksome".
Enjoy those aha moments!!
Donna

Sandra Dodd

-=-I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
your child from her.-=-

This isn't correct.

Doctors check for mental and developmental health, too. And at least
in the U.S., doctors are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect.



Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

donnakeeble

--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> -=-I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
> monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
> your child from her.-=-
>
> This isn't correct.
>
> Doctors check for mental and developmental health, too. And at least
> in the U.S., doctors are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect.
>
>
>
> Sandra

So are public school teachers, but I do not partake of those services
either.
Donna

Nicole Willoughby

Tyra,
I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
your child from her. Our pediatrician is quite supportive of our
unschooling (he actually took the time to watch Aidan's youtube videos
at his last appointment) so I know there are some good ones out there.
Ideally, they should be supportive of your choices as a parent or,
at the very least, not "irksome".
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After watching my god children get yanked away by cps over ridiculous stuff i must suggest exercising caution as to what information you give out. Its not your pediatrician's child to monitor your childs education but they are required by law to report any suspected neglect or abuse ........this has a very broad definition and it can and in some cases has been thrown way out of proportion by cps.

One answer I generaly give for both homseschooling and unschooling is oh I have a list of things they should cover ( anyone with a net connection can get to several lists) and I check them off as we get to them.


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Nicole Willoughby

Doctors check for mental and developmental health, too. And at least
in the U.S., doctors are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

guess I should have read replies before replying :)


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Joyce Fetteroll

On Mar 18, 2008, at 9:43 PM, tyra wrote:

> my pediatrician was questioning whether or not my 8yo son was on grade
> level. she asked how i checked that stuff i.e grades, tests, school
> curriculum to follow etc. i told her that i didn't know.

Never say you don't know to people questioning your methods! :-)

They're afraid you don't know what you're doing and that will
increase their fears. Face them without confidence and they go for
the jugular ;-)

I know you were caught off guard. I probably would have blurted out
the same, but now you know and can come up with some better answers. :-)

Find a list of books and websites and keep a list. Whip it out when
they start questioning you and say "Here you can read more about it
here. It's difficult to explain succinctly to those unfamiliar with
natural learning. Then if you have questions, I'd be happy to answer."

You can turn questions around. Why do you believe testing is
necessary? Did you test your kids on their acquisition of English?

Scour the archives here and find other things people have said.

You can find a new pediatrician who understands natural learning.

You are not powerless. One of the (many!) bad parts of school and
conventional parenting is that it teaches us to sit down shut up and
listen to experts because they know more than we do.

Joyce

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

c.marie119

--- In [email protected], Nicole Willoughby
<cncnawilloughby@...> wrote:

> One answer I generaly give for both homseschooling and
> unschooling is oh I have a list of things they should cover
> ( anyone with a net connection can get to several lists) and
> I check them off as we get to them.
>

I like this answer, too (whether or not such a list acutually
exists). There are "scope and sequence" lists on the internet and in
books, or you can type up a list from Rebecca Rupp's book "Home
Learning Year by Year." And then add other stuff that's not on the
list, if you want to, like quilting or baking or practical computer
skills or multimedia research ("googling"). If there's something you
need to prove to somebody authoritative, you can even check off the
things the kids already know, point to the checkmarks on the list,
and say "we have covered this and this and this," letting them
believe you "taught" those things. The idea is not to actually
follow the list, just to have it on hand in case you need it, even if
that just means bolstering your confidence when speaking to people in
positions of authority.

Shannon Foust

Hi, my name is Shannon. We have been home learning for 12 years. We do foster care who have to go to public school so it can be interesting sometimes. Looking forward to the encouragement and ideas that will be offered here.


Shannon
Wife to Greg 18 years
Mom to BS-17, BD-16; BD-12; FS-12; FS-10; FD-9; BD-6; AS-3
(b=birth; f=foster; a=adopted)





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ENSEMBLE S-WAYNFORTH

In the UK as well. There is a whole set of guidelines for what doctors and health visitors are supposed to be looking for when they are with children.

Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, 19 March, 2008 4:51:12 AM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Re: reading

-=-I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
your child from her.-=-

This isn't correct.

Doctors check for mental and developmental health, too. And at least
in the U.S., doctors are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect.



Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

donnakeeble

--- In [email protected], "donnakeeble" <donnakeeble@...>
wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@> wrote:
> >
> > -=-I would look for a new pediatrician. It is not really her job to
> > monitor your child's education. You are purchasing health care for
> > your child from her.-=-
> >
> > This isn't correct.
> >
> > Doctors check for mental and developmental health, too. And at
least
> > in the U.S., doctors are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect.
> >
> >
> >
> > Sandra
>
> So are public school teachers, but I do not partake of those services
> either.
> Donna
>
Sorry - to reply to my own flippant answer.... I should have tried to
be clearer. We are consumers and as consumers we have choices. If we
are subject to scrutiny at a doctor's office, we can make choices to
ensure that we are viewed in the best light. I interviewed
pediatricians, dentists, and midwives to make sure their beliefs are
aligned with mine as far as care, prevention, and intervention. I
believe by doing this, I have minimized any unwelcome intrusion into
my family's lives by a stranger who may only see us for a few minutes
every great once in a while. As an even better result, we have, over
the years, built a great relationship of trust with our health care
providers that gives me comfort in knowing exactly where I could/would
turn if our parenting was ever questioned. I would simply hope that
others could find that same sense of security.
Donna

Sandra Dodd

-=-So are public school teachers, but I do not partake of those
services either.-=-

I wasn't recommending people send their kids to school, was I?
I was recommending that people be knowledgeable and honest about
their comments on this list.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-guess I should have read replies before replying :)-=-

No, I liked your reply and it expanded the info in some important ways.
Also it's good to hear from more than one source and from different
angles.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Joanna Murphy

Tyra--

I think that your energy and impulse to do more could be an awesome resource for you to
use in strewing. Look at what they are really digging right now and find connections to
other things that they may find interesting. Or just go more deeply into what they are
already doing. Unschooling isn't a stand back and don't do anything venture--it's just
that the "what you do" part isn't going to look like what you'd do in school. It actually
does take a lot of energy and care--so use it and channel it in ways that your kids will
really enjoy.

Joanna

--- In [email protected], "tyra" <tyralyn14@...> wrote:
>
> just wanted to say thanks to all who gave answers to the reading
> questions. i am always thinking that i need to do more. just recently
> my pediatrician was questioning whether or not my 8yo son was on grade
> level. she asked how i checked that stuff i.e grades, tests, school
> curriculum to follow etc. i told her that i didn't know. but she really
> irked me and of course that sent my mind racing. i am new to this too
> and i am always wondering if i need to do more. but occasionally we
> have these ah ha moments and i am fine. o thanks again.
>
> tyra (lurker)
>

Sandra Dodd

-=-Looking forward to the encouragement and ideas that will be
offered here. -=-

Welcome to the list, but our encouragement is going to be about
unschooling. Feel free to read, though! The archives are there and
searchable.

Are you unschooling? If so, if you want to tell us stories about how
the unschooling environment is working at your house, that would be
cool, but too much advice about dealing with school might be
problematical.

Sandra




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robyn L. Coburn

<<<< i told her that i didn't know. >>>>

I think it's worth knowing answers to these types of questions, and even
practicing them so that they pop out rote-fast. It gives the impression of
confidence.

EG "He's 8 so if he were in school he would probably be in 2nd grade". A
reminder that it is such a low grade ("only" 2nd grade) in the scheme of
things might be helpful too.

<<<< my pediatrician was questioning whether or not my 8yo son was on grade
> level. she asked how i checked that stuff i.e grades, tests, school
> curriculum to follow etc.>>>>

Sometimes when people question me, which is rare and usually strangers, I
respond with information about the state regulations. For example I can say,
"There are no tests mandated for us in the state of California."

There are also a few useful phrases like "integrated vocational learning
plan" and "interest led gestalt learning" and "follow our individualized
path while retaining an awareness of state standards". (Once a year I read
the standards info, then put it away - don't do this if it will make you
feel scared or doubtful).

When you respond with some blurb about the regs in your state, it does two
things - demonstrates that you are fully informed, and hints that there is
some "authority" to which you are "accountable" (so the questioner can rest
easy and not take on that self-appointed role).

Robyn L. Coburn
www.Iggyjingles.etsy.com
www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com

Shannon Foust

I realize I left off some of my paragraph! How embarassing - it didn't even make sense :) I will expand -
We have home schooled for 12 years and I have been reading about unschooling for 10 of those years - attempting it then getting sucked back in to schoolishness, back and forth. It's ridiculous. My whole desire is to be able to trust my kids' natural curiosity to learn and I want to deal with my fears as to why I keep going back to schoolish things (we do a math paper and spelling list once a day) - why can't I just let it go? I know a lot of it is people-pleasing - maybe I want to be "liked" or feel like I belong to "both" groups....hmmm, I'll have to ponder that some more. After reading the posts for the last couple of days, I'm sure that my issues will get dealt with faster than I thought :)

We do foster care and have 3 foster kiddos right now as well as 4 kids we birthed and 1 we adopted. The foster kids have to go to public school and that is interesting considering the complete contrast of everyone else. Have any of you ever had your kids go to public school? If so, what do you do about homework? My feeling is I don't really give a rip about their homework or grades for that matter so sometimes I have them do it, and sometimes I don't. I tell the teachers that I am more concerned about their emotional well-being than their academics right now, which I can get away with because of their situations. But after a few months it doesn't hold much water! One of the kiddos loves to do her homework, but the others have to be reminded. Would an unschooling way of approaching this be that they are accountable to the whole ball of wax (going to class, taking tests, doing homework, etc.), or would it be that they do only as much of that as they want? We don't
really have an option of whether they go or not, although if they miss a day or I keep them home because I want to I don't make a big deal out of it one way or the other. Any thoughts?

Again, I've enjoyed reading the posts and appreciate the candid honesty that is represented.




Shannon Foust <soldout641@...> wrote:
Hi, my name is Shannon. We have been home learning for 12 years. We do foster care who have to go to public school so it can be interesting sometimes. Looking forward to the encouragement and ideas that will be offered here.

Shannon
Wife to Greg 18 years
Mom to BS-17, BD-16; BD-12; FS-12; FS-10; FD-9; BD-6; AS-3
(b=birth; f=foster; a=adopted)




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Shannon
www.myspace.com/soldout641
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040601130
www.homeschoolblogger.com/soldout841






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Barbara Perez

Hi Shannon and nice to "meet" you. That's quite a crew you have there! Do
you mind if I ask how long you've had your foster children and if they would
like to unschool if they could? I had foster kids who looked with longing at
the unschooled ones while participating in as many unschooling activities as
their schooled lives allowed.


On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 6:39 AM, Shannon Foust <soldout641@...> wrote:

> Hi, my name is Shannon. We have been home learning for 12 years. We do
> foster care who have to go to public school so it can be interesting
> sometimes. Looking forward to the encouragement and ideas that will be
> offered here.
>
> Shannon
> Wife to Greg 18 years
> Mom to BS-17, BD-16; BD-12; FS-12; FS-10; FD-9; BD-6; AS-3
> (b=birth; f=foster; a=adopted)
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it
> now.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

tyra

Thanks for all your responses.When I go to my kids dr. she always
asks my oldest, the 8yo, what grade he is in. He then proceedes to
tell her for the umpteeenth time that he is homeschooled. Normally I
am really laid back and don't really care, it is really none of her
buisness.I have NEVER given her a reason to question any of my
parenting abilities.However when i went this last time and she
started questioning me i was caught off guard.And she also asked him
who his best friend was.This really pissed me off, after the fact,
because I think she was trying to be sneaky with the "socialization"
issue. But I couldn't have asked for a better response than what he
gave her..."My brother is my best friend". I had such an in your face
feeling...it was great.But then we had to go back on monday, 4 days
later, and she proceeded to say that she was really concerned which
threw me for another loop and we got into a discussion about
schooling etc.Now I know she is a mandated reporter, so am I, I work
with abused kids in a residential facility, but I think I was more
appalled to think that someone would question me.Not saying that i am
perfect, far from it but really. plus she dosen't know me....wait
this sounds like i am justifying what she did. I am not. As a dr. she
is pretty good.But she did put a bug in my bonnet which then in turn
started worrying me that she would call DCF and I really don't need
that aggrivation now.Normally I probably would have let this
situation just roll but with 3 kids at home, 6 months pregnant with
#4 and a husband 2 weeks post-op with shoulder surgery #4 I think she
just hit a nerve.I did get a copy of the K-8 curriculum guide for the
state of CT and I did look at it about 2 years ago but as I read it I
realized that my 8 yo was not up to thier "standards" in some areas,
like reading,but was well advanced in other areas like science and
geography...stuff he really enjoys. Of course I can think of all this
stuff now. I almost want to write her a letter but I think that would
be a bad idea and just start something that I am eventually not going
to have the energy or the desire to complete. But I really love
writting letters!!!SOrry the soapbox has arrived. Anyway thanks to
all for the responses and the leanding of the ears. It really is a
blessing to know that there is such a great network of support out
there for us.

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

I hope it is OK to do this but your post reminded me of this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnvWWE3aGoI

Alew
www.polykow.blogspot.com



tyra <tyralyn14@...> wrote:
Thanks for all your responses.When I go to my kids dr. she always
asks my oldest, the 8yo, what grade he is in. He then proceedes to
tell her for the umpteeenth time that he is homeschooled. Normally I
am really laid back and don't really care, it is really none of her
buisness.I have NEVER given her a reason to question any of my
parenting abilities.However when i went this last time and she
started questioning me i was caught off guard.And she also asked him
who his best friend was.This really pissed me off, after the fact,
because I think she was trying to be sneaky with the "socialization"
issue. But I couldn't have asked for a better response than what he
gave her..."My brother is my best friend". I had such an in your face
feeling...it was great.But then we had to go back on monday, 4 days
later, and she proceeded to say that she was really concerned which
threw me for another loop and we got into a discussion about
schooling etc.Now I know she is a mandated reporter, so am I, I work
with abused kids in a residential facility, but I think I was more
appalled to think that someone would question me.Not saying that i am
perfect, far from it but really. plus she dosen't know me....wait
this sounds like i am justifying what she did. I am not. As a dr. she
is pretty good.But she did put a bug in my bonnet which then in turn
started worrying me that she would call DCF and I really don't need
that aggrivation now.Normally I probably would have let this
situation just roll but with 3 kids at home, 6 months pregnant with
#4 and a husband 2 weeks post-op with shoulder surgery #4 I think she
just hit a nerve.I did get a copy of the K-8 curriculum guide for the
state of CT and I did look at it about 2 years ago but as I read it I
realized that my 8 yo was not up to thier "standards" in some areas,
like reading,but was well advanced in other areas like science and
geography...stuff he really enjoys. Of course I can think of all this
stuff now. I almost want to write her a letter but I think that would
be a bad idea and just start something that I am eventually not going
to have the energy or the desire to complete. But I really love
writting letters!!!SOrry the soapbox has arrived. Anyway thanks to
all for the responses and the leanding of the ears. It really is a
blessing to know that there is such a great network of support out
there for us.






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Joyce Fetteroll

On Mar 19, 2008, at 10:24 PM, tyra wrote:

> but I think I was more
> appalled to think that someone would question me.Not saying that i am
> perfect, far from it but really. plus she dosen't know me


I think it will help to not take it personally. Imagine the type of
parents she *is* trying to uncover with her questions. Imagine an
abused child and her not asking questions. She's not accusing you.
She's trying to help kids.

But if her style of asking bothers you, you can always find another.

> I almost want to write her a letter but I think that would
> be a bad idea
>

It would make you look defensive as though you're trying to explain
away something that you're afraid she'll look into.

Joyce

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Joanna Murphy

Thank you sooo much for my daily chuckle!!

Joanna

--- In [email protected], BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...>
wrote:
>
> I hope it is OK to do this but your post reminded me of this video:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnvWWE3aGoI
>
> Alew
> www.polykow.blogspot.com

Nicole Willoughby

Thank you sooo much for my daily chuckle!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>

yes loved the video! It also reminded me to call centrl avation to find out if they had any age limits on their discovery flights. Dd8 has been talking aout wanting to fly and become a boom plane pilot since she could speak so we are setting this up for her birthday in July . shell get to sit in the co-pilot seat and help fly.


---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


luminous4learning

I don't post to this group often but read the many wonderful messages here daily.
I am fairly new to unschooling and the concepts. I am reading lots and my oldest two(15 & 12) and I have been deschooling for nearly a year and a half. We sort of stumbled into unschoolng and have fallen in love with it. My children have never been in school however we were enrolled in charter schools which require the same type of work only done at home. They are finding some interests that are expanding their knowledge base. I do have questions about how to incorporate basic things like advanced math to their lives without it being a tedious learning chore, however that is not the reason for this post.

I have two smaller children (6 & 5) who recently came to me and asked me to teach them to read. I will honestly say I don't know how to do this in an unschooly way. I know that I can not TEACH them to read. I do do things with them that try to promote them learning. someone in the house reads to them daily, we all take turns with this and typically my husband does bedtime stories. Its their special time. I have been able to show my children that they already know many words. I just am not sure what to do to help them feel like they are learning at a pace that satisfies them. I did recently get the new scrabble card game and thought this would be fun as you change a word. It starts out with one word then you use the cards in your hand to change the word. I thought it sounded like loads of fun and could be modified to do 3 letter words that they already know. I just don't know what else to do.

So My question for this group would be what are some ways you have helped your little ones learn to read? My 6 year old wants it NOW, she doesn't want a slow progression. Any Ideas on things to do with her to help her feel like she is progressing at the speed she is comfortable with? I am also open if anyone has suggestions on math concepts

Thank you in advance.
Crystal

Gwen

When Megan started reading at 7, it seemed like there was a switch turned on. One day she liked for me to read things to her and the next day she could read it for herself.

She had been able to read the shorter words (i remember reading a Dr. Suess book when she was almost 5). But it was different when she started to read at 7.

I am seeing the same thing with math and spelling. She's playing with numbers & words now in a way that is fascinating.

Gwen


So My question for this group would be what are some ways you have helped your little ones learn to read? My 6 year old wants it NOW, she doesn't want a slow progression. Any Ideas on things to do with her to help her feel like she is progressing at the speed she is comfortable with? I am also open if anyone has suggestions on math concepts

Thank you in advance.
Crystal



------------------------------------

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Sandra Dodd

-=- I just am not sure what to do to help them feel like they are
learning at a pace that satisfies them.-=-

Try to gently get yourself and them both away from only being
satisfied with documentable learning. If each activity is fun, and
they're learning (however they're learning), don't look to the future,
or charts, or progress.

http://sandradodd.com/deschooling
This is very, very important, deschooling.

http://sandradodd.com/reading
There are lots of reading stories there.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

emiLy Q.

> So My question for this group would be what are some ways you have helped your
> little ones learn to read? My 6 year old wants it NOW, she doesn't want a slow
> progression. Any Ideas on things to do with her to help her feel like she is
> progressing at the speed she is comfortable with? I am also open if anyone has
> suggestions on math concepts

Things that seemed to help my just-turned-six year old learn to read:
Video games and online games, there is a ton of text in these!
Games2girls.com was a favorite, and webkinz and pbskids.com and nickjr.com
and many many others. Rainbowmagic.com and the other HIT sites have more
text than others I think.
Starfall.com, more when she was in the 3-4 year range
Flashcards with common words on them - we got these at a bookstore and they
came with a thing where you put the "words I know" and "words I don't know
yet" This was really fun for her after she felt like she was reading, to
build her vocabulary quickly so she could read more books. She didn't like
reading books because she would encounter many words she didn't yet know.

My two year old is really into letters nowadays and enjoys Super Why on PBS
and starfall.com as well.

-emiLy, mom to Delia (6) & Henry (2.5)
http://www.TheECstore.com

Jenny Cyphers

***So My question for this group would be what are some ways you have helped your little ones learn to read? My 6 year old wants it NOW, she doesn't want a slow progression. Any Ideas on things to do with her to help her feel like she is progressing at the speed she is comfortable with? I am also open if anyone has suggestions on math concepts ***
 
All around us kids are feeling pressured to read and read now, read sooner, better.  There are dozens of programs to help force this idea on children.  Special aids are hired by schools to get kids reading sooner.  Volunteers are put to task to read with kids.  All this spinning of wheels for something that will happen if given the time and space to do so.
 
If there is any way to buffer that for your kids, do it.  I know it's hard, my oldest struggled with seeing her friends reading and not being able to do so.  There were some things that helped.  We listened to a LOT of books on tape and cd, so book for book, she'd "read" more than all of her school aged peers.  She could easily talk about these stories with friends that had read them too.  It also helped her build up her vocabulary base so that when she was finally reading, those words weren't new to her.
 
There were many things that helped her build her word collection.  She played ToonTown a lot.  That was significant in helping her learn to read.  There is a chat function in TT that allows players to talk to each other, she had to use it to interact with other players, so she figured out what those chat things said.  Video games in general played a huge part in word gathering and word recognition.  Through video games, and Pokemon, she became interested in anime and manga.  The very first book that she read all the way through, was manga.  She did that when she was 11ish.
 
When she looks back on her time of not being able to read, she says that she did feel like she should be reading, but that she put it aside with other things she wasn't able to do yet.  She feels wholeheartedly that she owns her reading experience, it's something she did, in her own brain.  She wishes all kids could experience that ownership of learning something complex and important.
 
Math, like reading is all around us.  Chamille, my oldest again, never was a big numbers person, but she could always calculate money.  One day about a year or so ago, she's 15 now, we were at the store and I was trying to decide which was the better buy on some cheese, should I buy the larger amount or the smaller amount?  She picked up the smaller one and said, this is the better buy, you should get 2 of these instead of the big pack.  She'd figured it out in her head somehow and quickly, quicker than me.  That's real math.  It happens, it really does.  Some kids, like my younger daughter, 8, are just naturally number and pattern oriented.  She's been doing numbers and patterns in her head for years.  She figured out how to count by 3's when she was about 4ish. 
 
Kids will pick things up through living.  If you think you aren't doing enough, do more, play more games, have more opportunities to explore and experience.  Don't think of it as teaching or finding teachable moments, think of it as experience gathering that adds more and more things to learn and draw from. 




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