Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Reading lessons with Ms. J..."that's just how it is"

One of the boys I nanny (note: nanny not teacher) is 5 years old and learning to read. We practice his sight words every day after school, he is required to know them in order to progress to the 1st grade. Turns out I may have needed more than one semester of Elementary Education in college. If teaching him how to read was recorded it might go something like this...

1. Don't forget the song we learned from the Leap Frog video..."when two vowels go walking the first one does the talking"...
See...

Day...

Pie...

Read...

New reader: Yuh-oh...Yoh.

Ms. J: No, it's Yuh-oo...Yoo.

New reader: But there's two vowels.

Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.

New reader: Why?

Ms. J: Because.


2. Remember the rule the silent "e" makes the first vowel say its name ...
Came...

Pole...

Tape...

New reader: K-oh-m...Kom.

Ms. J: No, K-Uh-M..Kum.

New Reader: But there is a silent e, so the "o" says its name.

Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.

New reader: Why?

Ms. J: Because.

New reader: Huh-ay-v...Hayv.

Ms. J: No, it's Huh-ah-v...Hahv.

New reader: But there's a silent "e"...

Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.

New reader: Why?

Ms. J: Because.

3. Sound out the word! Don't make words up, if you sound out the letters you will know what word you're reading....
Cat...

Big...

Dog...

New reader: Aw-nuh-eh...Awneh.

Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-N...Wuhn.

New reader(confused): Okay.

(2 minutes later I go back to this word to see if he remembers)

New reader: Aw-nuh-eh...Awneh!

Ms. J: No it's..Wuh-n...Wuhn. Don't sound it out...
you just need to know it....that's just how it is.

New reader: Why?

Ms. J: Because.

New reader: Wuh-h-ah-T...Wuh-Hat.

Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-uht...Wuht.

New reader: No, I see "hat"...wuh-hat.

Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-uht...Wuht. Don't sound it out...
you just need to know it...that's just how it is.

BECAUSE.


Needless to say, I prefer babies.


But of course, if you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) in
Reading Lessons with Ms. J feel free to send a message.




3 comments:

Meant to be a mom said...

HAHAA, This post makes me laugh. Poor kid is so confused now, Along with me and anyone else who would be trying to explain all these rules.
Its so nice that you work with him to help him though. What a good nanny.

Abby said...

Get it girl! That's great!

I tell my kids that when words don't follow the "rules" they go to "jail!"

Anonymous said...

Love it J!!! I can just picture this poor little boy's face!