Why We Stopped Reading Instruction for Our Son

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My son was 6 1/2 when we started having some concern over his inability to sound out basic words such as c-a-t and d-o-g.  Truthfully, I was not as worried as my husband, but it begged the question…

Was the answer MORE reading instruction?

To me, that idea was not ideal painful. We had already been reading the same beginner Bob books over and over and were getting NOWHERE.

By that point, I had read enough and heard other homeschool moms say the same thing: Sometimes they just need time.  However, when you’re in the thick of it, you sometimes start to worry.

About a year prior, a friend had introduced me to Carole Joy Seid’s philosophy.  She even lent me Carole Joy Seid’s DVD series to watch.  What Carole had to say made so much sense, but was unlike anything I had heard before.

If you’ve never heard of Carole Joy Seid, she’s a homeschool consultant who has been around a while.  The DVD series of hers that I watched was called Homeschool Made Simple.

And really that is her mission – to make things easier for moms so they can not only survive but SUCCEED.  She has much wisdom to offer, and at that time my husband I agreed that I should pursue a consulting session with her.

Homeschool Advice

Carole gave me lots of wonderful homeschooling advice during that phone call, but one piece of advice really stuck out and helped lay a foundation for my 6 1/2-year-old son.

The piece of advice: Stop the reading instruction and just read aloud to him.

She offered advice as to when to start up again and what to do if he still wasn’t ready when we did try again.

After that call, I had a plan and felt empowered.

Because we had just moved to WI, we still did not know anyone, were not yet part of a co-op (or any activities for that matter), and we had plenty of time to read aloud together.  And that we did.

Shortly after his 7th birthday, something clicked.  And out of nowhere, he was on the turbo track to becoming an amazing reader. Within a month, not only was he reading but he was reading chapter books! I realize that’s not most peoples’ story, but that is his, and I am happy to share in case it might encourage someone else.

Why the decision to stop reading instruction was a gift.

My son, now nine, is not only an amazing reader, but he LOVES to read.  All kinds of things.  Fiction, non-fiction, history, newspapers, anything and EVERYTHING weather, you name it – he’ll read it!

I believe those months of just reading together WITHOUT THE STRESS of being forced to do something his brain was just not ready to do, laid a foundation for a LOVE for reading.  And that is a gift he has for LIFE!

*If you’re feeling overwhelmed by homeschooling and looking for simplicity, Homeschool Made Simple is a great place to start!

**The point of this post is not to promote forgoing reading instruction, but rather point out the beauty and power of reading aloud to our youngsters, and also not pushing them before they’re ready!