K WORTHEN

Dear Kim,
I don't remember that moment with reading, but I do remember it with other
childhood moments. the one that sticks out in my mind is riding a bike. My
point is that these epiphanies all seem very natural to me.
Amy
----- Original Message -----
From: <monkeycoop@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2000 2:59 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] The light bulb moment


> It seems that everyone I talk to can remember a light bulb moment in the
> process of learning to read - that AHA where you went from painstakingly
> sounding out words to actually GETTING it. It's as if the code is finally
> broken and you're seeing the words on the page for what they really are.
> Mine came while I was reading a Family Circus comic strip. Thelma (Mom)
is
> standing in the bathtub holding a part for the plumber, who is working on
the
> faucet. Dolly comes in and says, "That was [so and so] on the phone. I
told
> her you couldn't talk right now because you are in the bathtub with the
> plumber." I sounded it out, then again, and suddenly I could just READ
the
> whole thing without sounding it out at all! I just looked at all the
words
> on the page at once, and they stood on their own, as if they had come to
> life. I was 4 at the time, I think. We were on vacation in Kansas City,
at
> a hotel with a pool on the roof, and my sister threw up in the hallway on
the
> way back to our room after dinner that night. She'd had fish.
>
> Can anyone else share their reading epiphany? I'm still waiting for that
> moment in my younger son. Last night I bought him a look-and-find book
(like
> Where's Waldo) without picture clues. It only has written clues. He
> LOOOOOOVES look-and-finds, so I think he just might do it. I didn't make
a
> production of it, just handed him the book and said "Here, I thought you
> might like this". He opened it up and when he saw that the clues were
> written his forehead kinda wrinkled up and he took a quick, secret glance
at
> me to see what I was going to do. I pretended I didn't notice and kept
> unloading my shopping bags. He didn't say a word. He left the book on
the
> table, but when I got up this morning I found it peeking out from under
his
> pillow. Hmmmm.
>
>
> *** KiM ***
> runs with scissors
>
>
>
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Tracy Oldfield

I don't remember this, it sometimes seems to me as if I was born reading!  This has led to a heavy reliance and belief in books, which has only really been shaken into objectivity by adulthood.  Also, I used reading as an escape mechanism from the bullying etc I received at school.  So while it might seem like a good idea if children read alot, there is still 'too much,' as with tv or chocolate (HERESY!!!) or anything.  I know I've had 'lightbulb-moments,' but right now I can't remember any.  I love watching when the kids have them though :-)
 
Tracy, whose daughter is just learning that she was in a big hurry to see the world, being 5&1/2 weeks prem, some things don't change <g>
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2000 7:59 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] The light bulb moment

It seems that everyone I talk to can remember a light bulb moment in the
process of learning to read - that AHA where you went from painstakingly
sounding out words to actually GETTING it.  It's as if the code is finally
broken and you're seeing the words on the page for what they really are. 
Mine came while I was reading a Family Circus comic strip.  Thelma (Mom) is
standing in the bathtub holding a part for the plumber, who is working on the
faucet.  Dolly comes in and says, "That was [so and so] on the phone.  I told
her you couldn't talk right now because you are in the bathtub with the
plumber."  I sounded it out, then again, and suddenly I could just READ the
whole thing without sounding it out at all!   I just looked at all the words
on the page at once, and they stood on their own, as if they had come to
life.  I was 4 at the time, I think.  We were on vacation in Kansas City, at
a hotel with a pool on the roof, and my sister threw up in the hallway on the
way back to our room after dinner that night.  She'd had fish.