Finding Mary Reading

This morning I heard Mary (3-3/4) upstairs in the bonus room reading to herself. Quite by accident, she began using the phonics program intended for John (All About Reading Level 1) and has been proceeding happily at one lesson per day. She's even reading the stories in the primer that comes with the program.

This was not what I was expecting or planning to teach her!


So this morning after listening to her for a while, I crept upstairs and asked her if I could videotape her reading from this little phonics reader we received in a bunch of hand-me-down school supplies from the cousins (thank you!).

In our fourth week of homeschooling, this kind of thing is a bright spot. There have been tears--shed by teacher and all students. There have been dashed hopes. Learning how to juggle immediate needs of everyone is really hard, and I guess that is all I will say for now. I wouldn't want it any other way, but it doesn't mean this isn't a steep learning curve!

On the bright side, Margaret (17 months) spent the first week screaming over me every time I tried to teach the other children. Then she began imitating us by grabbing a book and plunking herself down in the small chair or a bean bag. She flips through the pages quite studiously, then finds another book, rarely screaming during school time now. That has been a sweet gift.

Above is an example of trying to do a math lesson alone with John (5-3/4). Everyone insists on being involved and wants to try to ask questions. ("Mama, I don't want Mary answering my questions.")

Even little Margaret is a student of sorts!