unschooling / late reading / reassurance
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/26/02 9:32:30 PM, winnierfm@... writes:
<< On the other hand, my brother's first wife was unschooled and she couldn't
read until she was 14. Her mother didn't do anything to try to make their
lives interesting (like trips to libraries or museums or whatever.) 5 of her
kids had no problem this way but my sis in law did. So I worry about the
what ifs...and what I would do then. >>
Well... you wouldn't live without libraries, museums or whatever! A
non-reader can espcially use the input of visual, aural, and other
sense-sparking methods of input.
Just not reading until she's 14 isn't a damnation of unschooling. Maybe in
school she wouldn't have either. But in school she wouldn't have been
learning other things in the meantime, just learning that she was "special
ed" and severely learning disabled.
If you haven't already read about Carol Rice's late-reading kids, her
account is at www.unschooling.com in the library, or at
http://sandradodd.com/reading
Sandra
<< On the other hand, my brother's first wife was unschooled and she couldn't
read until she was 14. Her mother didn't do anything to try to make their
lives interesting (like trips to libraries or museums or whatever.) 5 of her
kids had no problem this way but my sis in law did. So I worry about the
what ifs...and what I would do then. >>
Well... you wouldn't live without libraries, museums or whatever! A
non-reader can espcially use the input of visual, aural, and other
sense-sparking methods of input.
Just not reading until she's 14 isn't a damnation of unschooling. Maybe in
school she wouldn't have either. But in school she wouldn't have been
learning other things in the meantime, just learning that she was "special
ed" and severely learning disabled.
If you haven't already read about Carol Rice's late-reading kids, her
account is at www.unschooling.com in the library, or at
http://sandradodd.com/reading
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/27/02 9:11:27 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
else...math, science, history ect don't worry me at all...but I adore reading
and want my children to have that joy too.
That article was reassuring and so were the posts about late reading not
necessarily being a bad thing.
Tanya
mom to Andrew Jordan 4/1/00 and Eli Hunter 10/29/01
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within
himself
--Galileo
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SandraDodd@... writes:
> Just not reading until she's 14 isn't a damnation of unschooling. Maybe inOh thank you for that article. I worry more about reading than anything
> school she wouldn't have either. But in school she wouldn't have been
> learning other things in the meantime, just learning that she was "special
> ed" and severely learning disabled.
>
> If you haven't already read about Carol Rice's late-reading kids, her
> account is at www.unschooling.com in the library, or at
> http://sandradodd.com/reading
>
else...math, science, history ect don't worry me at all...but I adore reading
and want my children to have that joy too.
That article was reassuring and so were the posts about late reading not
necessarily being a bad thing.
Tanya
mom to Andrew Jordan 4/1/00 and Eli Hunter 10/29/01
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within
himself
--Galileo
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Tia Leschke
>I felt the same way. I love reading. My son *loved* being read to, and I
>Oh thank you for that article. I worry more about reading than anything
>else...math, science, history ect don't worry me at all...but I adore reading
>and want my children to have that joy too.
read to him for hours and hours and hours over the years. I assumed that
when he could read for himself that he would continue with his love of
books. It hasn't happened. It might be partly because I panicked and
started pushing phonics on him when he wasn't reading at 12. Or it might
be that it's just his nature to not enjoy reading even though he can now.
>That article was reassuring and so were the posts about late reading notOne of my favourite articles in the old GWS was one about a family that
>necessarily being a bad thing.
only had (at that time) one child reading. The kids went bird-watching,
and the younger ones would figure out from the pictures which bird they
were looking at. Then they would take the book to their sister to have her
read the details. The non-readers remembered all those details. The
reader didn't. Non-readers tend to develop skills that readers don't. So
later reading can actually be a *good* thing.
Tia
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
Fetteroll
on 8/28/02 12:43 AM, Tia Leschke at leschke@... wrote:
problems. It wasn't something that an ordinary eye doctor could detect but
something that a specialist was needed for. I don't really know anything
more about it.
5 years ago I would have said 12 would be a time to have that checked out
but since my 11 yo is still working on reading I have a lot more confidence
that it progresses in its own time. :-)
Just thought I'd throw that in to keep for whenever it might be useful.
Joyce
> It might be partly because I panicked andI know that years ago Retromom on AOL said her son had eye tracking
> started pushing phonics on him when he wasn't reading at 12. Or it might
> be that it's just his nature to not enjoy reading even though he can now.
problems. It wasn't something that an ordinary eye doctor could detect but
something that a specialist was needed for. I don't really know anything
more about it.
5 years ago I would have said 12 would be a time to have that checked out
but since my 11 yo is still working on reading I have a lot more confidence
that it progresses in its own time. :-)
Just thought I'd throw that in to keep for whenever it might be useful.
Joyce
Tia Leschke
>I've read about that before, but I think the only place we could get
>I know that years ago Retromom on AOL said her son had eye tracking
>problems. It wasn't something that an ordinary eye doctor could detect but
>something that a specialist was needed for. I don't really know anything
>more about it.
testing for it is in Vancouver, an expensive ferry ride away. It's still
something I'm considering. He says he wants to do "more schoolwork" this
year. *If* he actually does, and it seems to be getting in his way, we'll
make the trek. A couple of years ago I had him tested for Irlen's
Syndrome. He had it, and we got the right colour of plastic overlays to
help him compensate for it. He didn't end up finding it helpful enough to
actually keep using them
>5 years ago I would have said 12 would be a time to have that checked outIt was when he was 12 that someone told me about an unschooling family with
>but since my 11 yo is still working on reading I have a lot more confidence
>that it progresses in its own time. :-)
3 or 4 girls who all turned out to be dyslexic. The mother apparently felt
guilty for not discovering it until the oldest was 14. That was what put
me into a panic, and now I wish I'd never heard about it. <g> I became
convinced that I had to do *something*.
Tia
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
se
my fourth son is 10 1/2. Over the last few months he has finally started
reading. I don't know what changed. When he was 7 and 8 he really didn't
even recognize most of the alphabet. We wanted to have him tested, he was
beginning to be unhappy and doubting if he would ever learn to read. Then
we discovered that our insurance didn't pay for testing and it would cost
way more than we could pay. If we had gone through the school system i was
concerned about them freaking out about a 9 year old that couldn't read at
all. So, we didn't do anything but eventually something clicked and he is
slowly getting this reading thing. We thought that my oldest son was a
late reader when he didn't start reading until just before his 9th
birthday. The middle 2 boys both started reading at 7 1/2, late for some
people but seemed early to us:) My daughter is going on 6 and she knows a
lot of the letters but is no where near reading yet. i still wonder if my
10 year old has some type of learning disability but we are relieved that
if there is something there at least it is no longer preventing him from
learning to read.
By the way, my oldest is now 16 1/2 and an avid reader.
Susanna Eve in Halifax, NS, Canada
reading. I don't know what changed. When he was 7 and 8 he really didn't
even recognize most of the alphabet. We wanted to have him tested, he was
beginning to be unhappy and doubting if he would ever learn to read. Then
we discovered that our insurance didn't pay for testing and it would cost
way more than we could pay. If we had gone through the school system i was
concerned about them freaking out about a 9 year old that couldn't read at
all. So, we didn't do anything but eventually something clicked and he is
slowly getting this reading thing. We thought that my oldest son was a
late reader when he didn't start reading until just before his 9th
birthday. The middle 2 boys both started reading at 7 1/2, late for some
people but seemed early to us:) My daughter is going on 6 and she knows a
lot of the letters but is no where near reading yet. i still wonder if my
10 year old has some type of learning disability but we are relieved that
if there is something there at least it is no longer preventing him from
learning to read.
By the way, my oldest is now 16 1/2 and an avid reader.
Susanna Eve in Halifax, NS, Canada