[leewd]

I have a newly 3yo (May 2) and I've already bought the Sonlight PreK curriculum. I'm skipping the real reading/writing prep stuff and we're just doing the read alouds.

I'm trying too help Alex learn to listen to my words to understand the story instead of her "reading" the pictures to see what's happening. Several of the books/stories only have a few pictures, so you cannot "read" the story in the pictures like you can with her baby/toddler board books.

I'm getting a bit frustrated because while she strikes me as being very smart and interested, she doesn't seem to hear the words as I read. Am I expecting too much of her? Should I just go slower and ask her questions every 1-2 sentences to help her to comprehend? I'm trying to be animated and excited and point out to her that animals are talking or to say "look, it's a little boy/girl," but she just doesn't seem to hear/comprehend the words without visual stimulation.

(I feel like she's already scarred by all the TV watching she's done. . . .

and unfortunately until the end of the year - when #3 is born - I can't do anything about it since she mostly watches TV at school)

Thanks in advance!
--LEE

 

[SagMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leewd I'm trying too help Alex learn to listen to my words to understand the story instead of her "reading" the pictures to see what's happening.

Sounds to me like that's too much to expect at this point. I think it's a huge leap from seeing pictures along with hearing the story to being able to IMAGINE the action as it's read to you. I don't think most newly 3's are able to do the latter. Right now, it's all about the pictures (and I don't think that's the fault of tv, it's developmental.)

Quote:

Should I just go slower and ask her questions every 1-2 sentences to help her to comprehend?

I would stick to picture books for now and just read them however she enjoys them. I'd also skip the quizzing. I'd want reading together to be fun and enjoyable, not a chore. I wouldn't want a toddler to start thinking that reading is hard, yk?

fwiw, Pre-K is usually geared towards kids a year away from K, so, 4 y/os. Your dd is JUST turned 3. Even if you're planning a structured homeschool, She's likely not ready for this yet.

 

[melissel]

ITA with Joan. Like you, I started early with Letter of the Week, Before Five in a Row, the BOB Books etc. My DD rejected every single attempt I made to "teach" her ANYTHING. Even when she asked to learn to read, she would shut down at every single try. I finally let her take the lead entirely. I wouldn't even allow myself to ask her to sound out words when I KNEW she was capable of it. I'm happy to report that, ultimately, at 4 years and 3 months (give or take), she started reading signs around us (and hard ones too, like "Hey, mom, that sign says Rutgers College!") and words around the house, and now, at 3 months shy of 5, she's reading pretty much anything and everything she can get her hands on.

I tend to think (now, after having a preschooler) of homepreschooling as experience based, rather than study based. Lillian J has an awesome site, if I can find the link...

OK, it's here. I remember reading this when my DD was just 3 and thinking, "Yeah, that's all great and I'll do that too." But in retrospect, I wish I'd focused more on this instead of angsting more about pushing the other stuff. (Check out the rest of her site too, it's so valuable.)

Oh, also, if it makes you feel better, my almost-5-year-old is a TV junkie. I work from home, and have had to use TV as a babysitter much more than I care to admit. But she's also a proficient reader at under 5, is currently very interested in stories from Greek mythology (Magic Treehouse? No. Odysseus and the Cyclops? Yes!), loves nature and art and archaeology, and is generally one heck of a smartypants. So don't stress too much over the TV thing. I mean, don't leave it on all day or anything, but don't worry that it has damaged her.

As someone who has been there and had all the same concerns as you, I hope this helps!

ETA that I got sucked into Lillian's site (of course! anything to avoid doing my work

) and found this article too, which was also spot on.

 

[Callimom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leewd . Am I expecting too much of her?

In a word Yes.
She's 3 - barely.
What's the rush?
Why skip the picture books in favour of something that she's not enjoying and that is frustrating you?
Why learn in the way someone else says she should (if she were preK) rather than learning in a way that works for her?
Why worry about comprehension rather than delight?

I don't mean to be harsh, but I truly don't understand why people feel the need to rush their kids to the "next level". You as a parent and your child may miss so much of the wonderful parts of being 3 (my favourite age) when you are focused instead on trying get to 4, which you may miss if then you try to be 5 instead of 4.
My advice is to shelve the curriculum, go to the library and find some wonderful picture books that a 3 year old would love, and read them outside under a tree together. You'll do far more for her 'education' that way that you will trying to get the curriculum to work at this stage.
Karen

 

[leewd]

Thanks for the quick replies!!!

I would like to point out the Sonlight Pre-K curriculum is simply a bunch of books and a reading guide. So, it's really just reading aloud and talking about stories (since I'm skipping the "developing the early learner" workbooks that she is NOT ready for).

Quote:

. . .I'd also skip the quizzing. . .

Thanks, I had never thought about asking her about the story as "quizzing, but you're right. What fun is that?

She completely understands verbal instructions and conversations and she makes up stories, so I really thought she was ready to comprehend stories without pictures. I guess I was wrong. We can always shelve the more intensive books and focuss on the picture heavy books.

She also knows the alphebet and the letter sounds. She can spell several familiar names (family names). She can tell what letter a word starts with by the sound, etc. She has learned most of this at the daycare where they start ABeka at 2yo.

Melissel - I'll check out that website later today. Thanks! (And thanks for the reassurance about the TV watching)

BTW, we are being very unstructured about the reading. We mostly read together the hour or so before bed or at other times if she's interested, but I'm not scheduling anything, and I'm only using the reading guide very loosely.

One thing I have been trying to do is to introduce new material. When we read the Mother Goose book, she'll only want to read poems she knows, so I will insist that we read a new one before we read the ones she already knows. Is this too much? She often likes the new ones, but sometimes she just throws a fit about it, so I'll read a really short one so that we're done with the "new" as quickly as possible. I know preschoolers need repitition and believe I read the same stories over and over and over and over . . . But I really don't want her stuck on the same old stories. There are so many good ones out there that I want her to hear!

Karen - Thank you for your honesty.

:

 

[melissel]

It's so hard, I know! We see so much potential in them and we want to be able to offer them the world. It's hard to keep in mind that they're still just babies, really. Many people consider 3-year-olds to still be toddlers, actually. My own DD started talking at 9 months, and has always been intensely verbal and very mature, socially. So when she wouldn't do things I thought she was ready for, I struggled with it. Brother, I still do!

Quote:

Originally Posted by leewd She completely understands verbal instructions and conversations and she makes up stories, so I really thought she was ready to comprehend stories without pictures.

Only have one more minute, but wanted to address the above. I feel the same way about my DD sometimes, but in reality, unless the story is VERY compelling to her, she's not ready for books without pictures at all, and she's almost 2 years older than your DD. So I think you're right to shelve the more intense books. Or else you could try to find very richly illustrated versions of things. My DD loved Charlotte's Web, but still needed the pictures.

 

[Aeress]

As far as reading, taking their lead and going with it is important. If your dd likes telling stories, how about writing down the story for her and let her illustrate it. Also simple pcitures (think old calendars/artwork) that she can look at and make up her on story are wonderful ways for her to express her reading knowledge.

Before children learn to really read they are exposed to so many of the "pre-reading" skills. Print in any form (signs, magazines, labels, books etc) help children begin to understand that letters are symbols that create a whole picture.

 

[LilyGrace]

One thing that helped my children with their listening skills was books/programs on tape. Short children's stories are wonderful for that "wanna give up nap but still need rest" stage. I'd turn off the lights, pop in a cassette, and let them listen for a while. Enough stimulation so they don't feel like they're having to take a nap, but their bodies got a bit of a rest. We used them in the car, too, building up to longer books and then full-length novels like Harry Potter.

They also loved the Adventures In Odyssey radio programs. It's Christian-based children's radio shows complete with the sound effects and everything. Very easy to listen to.

 

[Rivka5]

I agree with everyone who says not to push it. There are so many wonderful picture books for this age - beautiful, imaginative, stimulating, idea-provoking pictures. Revel in them!

You might also like to try telling stories, rather than doing read-alouds of books with minimal pictures. Fairy tales are great material if you are inexperienced at storytelling, because you are probably familiar enough with the content that you don't have to struggle to remember it, and because many of them originated from an oral tradition in the first place.

Try telling the same story over and over again. (I couldn't even begin to estimate the number of times I've told my two-year-old the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.) With each repetition, it will be easier and easier for her to pick up all the rich details of the story.

Another kind of story that is usually very popular at this age is a rambling, made-up story in which the child is the hero. She will probably listen intently because the subject matter is so personally relevant. My two-year-old likes to hear stories about herself and the people (and fictional characters) she loves having birthday parties, going to the zoo, playing hide-and-seek, walking in the woods, meeting dinosaurs, etc. I guess this qualifies as "practicing auditory skills," although obviously we don't think of it that way.

You might also try letting her listen while she's involved in other activities. I recite poetry and tell stories to my daughter when we are doing other things: riding in the car, waiting in line somewhere, playing with blocks, and so forth. I don't think she'd sit still for a book without pictures, but she likes to be told stories during down times.

 

[Callimom]

I agree with the suggestion to try books and stories on tape/cd. Jim Weiss is a perrenial favourite and he does a few that are appropriate for younger kids - an animal stories one and a bedtime stories version. There are also a few lovely poetry cds and likely lots of choice at the library. By playing these during car rides or when read alouds aren't possible you can introduce her to new material.
That being said, it's developmentally normal for her to want you to repeatedly read familiar stories. It's actually one of the major steps in learning to read. And telling stories from pictures is a wonderful way for her to exercise her imagination and creativity.

For us what works is alternating known stories with unknown ones. So at bedtime my younger kids will pick their book from the shelf and I will pick one from the library basket. I also have a number of beautifully illustrated poetry anthologies and we read a few poems from those books as our last read aloud at night, ending with a 'sleepy' poem.
hth
Karen

 

[TortelliniMama]

I agree that it's developmentally appropriate to want to hear the same things read over and over again. If you'd like to introduce new stuff, you might try reading it while she's doing something else (playing, eating, whatever), so that it can just be in the background and she can get used to it without realizing it. (At least, it works for me when I buy a new CD and think, "Hmm, I don't like this at all." After I hear it a bunch of times, I like it about 50,000x more.

)

 

[dianamerrell]

we have found when the child is interested and ready, learning happens naturally.

do not put to much pressure on yourself or dc, learning should be fun.

 

[birdie22]

You might check out the book "Reading Magic" by Mem Fox. She's a wonderful children's author and a mother. Her book really opened my eyes. She particularly emphasizes the importance of re-reading familiar picture books (if the child wants to), even to the point that the child memorizes the book.

The "magic" of reading is that the child will basically teach himself if the desire and the developmental readiness are in place. This means the parents' role is to make reading a pleasant, engaging experience.

She suggests that this literature/reading aloud approach is the most effective way to nurture a child who is naturally inclined to be an early reader.

I'm not familiar with Sonlight, so I don't know how it differs from this approach, but it's food for thought.

 

[ashcox]

My dd is a little older than yours (she'll be 4 in Sept) and within the past few months she *just* got to where she likes stories without pictures. However, she still much prefers the pictures. We do a chapter book every night. We started with the original Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne and we also read a poem every night from his poetry books (When We Were Very Young and Now We ARe Six). We read the Alice in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (dd's "very favoritest illustrator"). Right now we are reading Mary Poppins.

That being said, almost every day we go to the library (we're in a super small town and they only let us get 10 at a time) and we get picture books. Some are longer than others but they are all richly illustrated. DD still needs that, and frankly, I really like the pictures too. She has developed both favorite authors and illustrators that way.

And about the Mother Goose rhymes, frankly, I much prefer *reading* dd rhymes that I know. There's something about familiarity that is so good for us I think. Another thing, is I find that most editions of Mother Goose rhymes are boring. The pictures are so unimaginitive (I don't really intend to sound harsh, but please, the pictures are pretty boring). I did find at the library Mary Engelbreits (sp) edition of Mother Goose rhymes. Here is a link http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0060081...pf_rd_i=507846These are so neat!! I would like to find some of the illustrations as prints to hang in my dc's rooms. I think that these rhymes are such an important part of our cultural literacy, maybe your dd might like something like this better as an introduction, and then you could go back to reading/reciting some of the less common ones.

I was really worried about starting "real homeschooling" when dd was younger. All you'd have to do is search and see how obsessed I was. But the women on here, whether by me just lurking or directly through replies, finally convinced me to just settle down and let dd develop at her own pace. She's a pretty smart cookie, just like your dd sounds, but I think I was sort of forgetting that she was only 2... 3... etc...

 

[SagMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leewd One thing I have been trying to do is to introduce new material. When we read the Mother Goose book, she'll only want to read poems she knows, so I will insist that we read a new one before we read the ones she already knows. Is this too much?

I have found that my kids are drawn to what they need. So, when they want to read the same story over and over, I believe there is some "reason" for them to do so. When they were little, repetition was important--they found it comforting, they liked to memorize the stories and the familiarity helped them to work out some reading rules. Even now, I suggest books all the time, but I believe the ones they choose to read are fulfilling a need at the moment.

Quote:

She often likes the new ones, but sometimes she just throws a fit about it, so I'll read a really short one so that we're done with the "new" as quickly as possible.

I would ask what you're hoping to accomplish with this. If she's throwing a fit because she doesn't want to hear a new poem, what good will come of insisting that she hear the new poem? I would seriously be concerned that this would turn her off of reading in general.

Quote:

... I really don't want her stuck on the same old stories. There are so many good ones out there that I want her to hear!

Why does it bother you that she's stuck on the same old stories? How long can it possibly last before she becomes tired of them and WANTS to move on to new ones? They DO move on to other things. And your dd has decades of reading ahead of her, so there's lots of time for her to explore new stories. The books she's stuck on will likely hold fond memories for her for a very long time. My ds still smiles when I remind him of the 3,856,723 times I read Harold and the Purple Crayon to him. (He's 16 now.)

Let your reading time be fun and relaxed so she'll enjoy reading.

 

[leewd]

Okay, Okay! I get the point!!!

Last night I put up the book with the longer stories and less pictures (Treasury of Little Golden Books) and we chose another one with more pictures (Collection of Peter Rabbit). The stories are still kind of long, but they are broken up in little pieces each with its own picture.

She wanted to read the new "Rabbit Book" so I start reading the first story and pointed out the pictures. After a while (1-2 minutes?) she seemed to lose interest. She was playing with some toys and babbling to herself. So, I ask her if she wanted me to stop reading, she said "NOOOO" in that whiney tone she uses when she thinks she's about to try and manipulate me. So, I just kept reading as she played half way across the rooom.

I guess I'm just expecting her to "pay attention" the way I would and not the way a 3yo would. She still wanted me to read. She just doesn't want to sit still, stare at the book, and talk only about that one thing. It was easier on both of us.

Someone mention something about teaching reading, and I would like to stress that I am NOT trying to teach her to read. DH was a spontaneous reader at age 4, and I was a I-felt-like-my-mom-was-pulling-my-teeth-out reader at age 6-7, so I'm not about to try and "teach" reading before 5-6. I really hope she spontaneously reads by 5.5, so I don't feel like have to "teach" it at all.

As for the repitition thing, I think it's 2-fold:
1 - When she does hear/do new things, she usually likes them, but she is shy and doesn't like to take risks or try new things. I feel like I "need" to encourage her to break out of her shell -- be it going down a new slide by herself or reading "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" which she now loves.
2 - Frankly, I get bored! I know this is selfish, but it's true. I can only talk about the picture of the fisherman checking his lobster pot so many times before I want to pull my hair out! I don't even like lobster!

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I will chill out and do my best to take her lead. I also think I need to do the reading earlier in the evening because I'm getting sleepy before she is (stupid pregnancy), and I start losing my patience when I'm tired.

And I think the suggestions about Books on Tape/CD for naptime (or lack of naptime) is perfect! I will get DH to check out the library this weekend. Maybe I can send the two of them off to do that together.

Thanks!!!!
--LEE

 

[rainbowmoon]

I have started doing some things with DS. mainly we are reading the alphatales books right now. he is learning to read short words already, so I have the book "teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" lined up too for in another month or two. (we'll see how it goes, I may be pushing thigs with this one but like I said he already reads a handful of words so I am going with it!

)

otherwise we do lots of manipulatives (montessori style) as he is really into sensory activities. oh and he loves those big preschool activity workbooks and kumon! no curriculum yet, but I am going to start with starbrite soon then enki in another year or two (will start both kiddos at once with enki). we will join the homeschool group this fall and maybe start a chosen activity if he wants.

otherwise, everything is done by his lead, I just like to introduce things randomly! (he loves it!)

 

[ColwynsMommy]

My 3.5 year old seems to pay attention when I don't think he is. We read stories at bedtime and sometimes our nearly-2 yr old will sit with us while big brother plays nearby. If we switch around a word to tease (like, instead of Harold and the Purple Crayon, we'll say Lachlann and the Purple Crayon), he'll pipe up to correct us.

For longer books I let them wander and play a little while I keep reading. I know when I've listened to audio books in the house, I'm usually doing something else at the same time. I've done that with the Lorax and he still got the idea of what was going on.

He is only sort of showing interest in books without pictures. We tried a chapter book a few months ago and he wasn't into it, but I just read some Harry Potter to him yesterday and he seemed to like it.

We read picture books over and over and over again, but they go back to the library after two weeks. He likes taking turns telling the story.. there are a lot of books he can recite in their entirity.

I consider us to be homeschooling, even though we're just playing and having fun. I don't think much will change when he hits "official" school age.

 

[Kindermama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joan Sounds to me like that's too much to expect at this point. I think it's a huge leap from seeing pictures along with hearing the story to being able to IMAGINE the action as it's read to you. I don't think most newly 3's are able to do the latter. Right now, it's all about the pictures (and I don't think that's the fault of tv, it's developmental.) .

I wholeheartedly agree. Follow your dd's lead.

 

[Terabith]

You know, Sonlight Pre-K is a pretty intense prek program. Lots and lots of people (including Sonlight itself) suggest it for five year olds.

I think it's a rare child her age who likes to listen without pictures. You can find many copies of the same stories from the anthologies at the library in full illustration mode.

I also use audio books. Someone gave us a bunch of CDs with Curious George books on them, and at nap/ rest time she listens to those or to Jim Weiss stories.

I am a big fan of reading books over and over and over. Familiarity does not breed contempt in children; it breeds love. I would start with Before Five in a Row, to be honest. I don't use the activity suggestions, but the book list is nice, and the act of reading the same book every day for a week is nice.

I would really back off in expectations. There is such a small window of time when she will be very interested in picture books, and there are so many truly wonderful picture books. Why rush to the next level? Savor this stage of easy, predictable, picture books. So many wonderful stories!