Looking Back on a Homeschool Year of Reading and Spelling

I posted about Spelling City which we will continue for Jed's second homeschooling year.

This is a free online tool and a deceptively simple but very powerful one at that.

I prime the page up by typing a series of words for Jed, between 15 to 20 words usually. Then, the computer speaks each word clearly and uses each word in a sentence. Jed loves it because it is an online game. He will often do a list twice or thrice to make sure he gets a perfect score, without any prompting from me.

It takes Jed a good half-hour to go through the list. I use this half-hour to check emails or tidy up the kitchen, while keeping an ear out for any words that are too difficult for him.

I gave Jed a spelling inventory last week and was glad to see that Jed did waaay better that I expected. I asked him how he knew to spell so well and he answered nonchalantly, "I just know. I cant explain it."

I think this is because last year, I focused on a lot of reading for Jed. And kept the spelling to three, four and five letter words. Just like a computer program, this little boy needed a lot of word input so he could process them and then create output in the form of well-spelled words.

At the start of the school year, Jed's mind could not read the words and make sense of them at the same time. He would struggle to understand the sentence and lose himself in the middle of a paragraph. What worked for us was that I (not him) would read aloud and his eyes would follow along with my finger to the words on the book.

After a few months, we read paragraphs alternately. From paragraphs, we progressed to alternating pages with Jed bargaining for him to read one page for every two I read. Fine by me, except I always stopped at the very exciting parts. Jed would read aloud and get so engrossed that he would go on to read three pages without realizing it. I enjoyed tricking him in this way.

Jed tore through a lot of books. We went through the illustrated Bible, my Narnia and Oz collection and several devotionals. Jed eagerly lost himself in these sessions and I often had to beg to continue the next day because I was exhausted.

It was just like giving Jed an audiobook. Except I was the audiobook. And better, because we got lots of cuddling and bonding time, too.

Later in the school year, as Jed got the hang of reading, he gained confidence to start reading comics by himself. The Tomo collection which was lent (donated?) by Uncle Jerson, who was just 2 years older than him, is a great book that shadows the Gospel. I also indulged his request for Avatar: The Last Airbender books. The Geronimo Stilton: Kingdom of Fantasy books were a godsend and I had to hunt all over to complete the collection, but it is so worth it.

I indulge Jed in comics if they espouse bravery, courage, combat, heroism and honor. All worthy subjects for a young man to read.

But, when he brought home an Archie comics, I drew a firm line. I will not allow that kind of literary trash into my house.

I am excited for Jed to start reading books without photos in them. I cant wait to share with him my well-loved copies of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, and Little Men and Wrinkle in Time.

All in good time, no rush.

(Thanks to ninang Gingging and Tita Boots for the new-to-us books. Jed has started digging in already!)