Sounding Out Words and Writing

Today marked the first time, I think, that John sounded out words on his own in order to write them down.

I've been pretty laid back about homeschooling and considered this (ages four to five) a preschool year. At times I've taught John reading formally and he loved it, but when he burned out, I backed off. His interest ebbs and flows. There are definitely times to push scholastics on the reticent student, but, for the most part, I don't consider four and five years old to be one of those times.

Often he asks me how to spell words and I tell him so he can write them down, but never did he want to sound them out himself.

But today he did!

FOX IN A BOX. CUP. CANDLE.

I know plenty of kids sound out words earlier than this, and some later, but it's not a contest or a race. It was just exciting for me, today being the day for my firstborn to make this little leap.

I had an interesting conversation today with a friend who is considering homeschooling for Kindergarten. One of her questions is how John spends his day, what does homeschooling preschool look like. I struggled with how to answer because a few times per week I more formally teach school but most of the time he learns on the fly at this tender age. Today we attended Mass and read about the saint of the day.  I read chapters to the children from "Schoolhouse in the Woods" and "Stuart Little," and some Bible stories, and Daddy read chapters to them from "By the Shores of Silver Lake." We took a neighborhood walk. He played cumulatively hours of imagination games with Mary. He built a couple of inventions involving a hat, string, and a toilet paper roll. John repaired something under Daddy's instruction using his very own small hammer. He drew stick figure scenes. John was in after lunch Quiet Time for about an hour and a half (which is learning because he has learned that, even though he usually doesn't nap anymore, he can exercise self-discipline by staying in his room and being quiet, and he can entertain himself instead of relying on others). John asked me all about money, so we got out all the coins and made piles showing their worth--and I pretty much blew his mind, which was humorous ("a nickle is worth five pennies . . . and two nickles are worth a dime?!"). John taught himself the rudiments of hand sewing alongside me while I mended a pair of pants--he sewed three toy balls (although I'd probably have to tell you they were balls for you to recognize them). John helped me cook. He babysat his baby sister for me in the other room. And he watched half an hour of "Curious George."

So, to answer my friend's question, that's pretty much a glimpse into my five-year-old's day.

Bonus reading:

"Don't Blink" by Elizabeth Foss

"Stay-at-Home Mom Blues" by Theresa Thomas