Milestone: First Read

So ... Soren can read. How in the world can this boy read? No one believes me but the truth is that he taught himself. Really.

I've know that he could recognize an impressive number of worlds for a few months. I've begun to suspect that he knew how to sound out words for a few weeks. So I decided to try an experiment and see just how much he really can do.

I asked him to read "Mercury", a book we had checked out from the library a few days previously. He read the whole thing; there were about 2 words he asked for help with.

The next time we went to the library, I checked out a few Berenstain Bears books, which are the least crummy early readers I could find. And he could read them, as well. There were a lot more unfamiliar words in those books; it was interesting to see what he did with them. At first, he would make an educated guess as to pronunciation based on the consonant sounds only. After a while, though, he started to get the vowels right as well.

We have just started watching the old "Electric Company" together on the recommendation of a friend. It is perfect for him; he is excited about it and he is learning a lot really fast. As a result, he is beginning to apply the rules of consonant clusters and diphthongs. I never thought I would be so excited about a television program but this one is really excellent.

It is so cool to see him become a part of the reading world. He has been aware of words and letters for as long as he can remember but very suddenly he can understand them at a glance. It's like a light has come on in his head and it illuminates the whole adult world! Watching that happen was one of the rewarding moments of parenting.

I'm so proud I could burst but I can't take the credit. This is something that has been driven by his own interest from the beginning. Now what do I do?

Comments

Hannah said…

We love that show. "Silent E" is a ninja..." :)

August 26, 2011 at 4:21 PM

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