Adventures in phonics
It has come to my attention that phonics are not the teaching instrument of choice when it comes to reading over in England. This really shocked the heck out of me. I asked my best friend, "Weren't you ever told to 'sound it out'?" And her answer was no.
I don't know about you, but I grew up with teachers uttering that phrase. We were not only taught the phonics of each letter, but what the symbols meant too. Ya know, like the symbol that is placed above a vowel so that we know whether it is a long "a" or a short "a". We were taught rules like if a vowel has no other vowel friends in the word, it will have a short sound. For example: bat. But if you add an e, the first vowel changes to a long sound. For example: bate.
I can't imagine trying to read any other way.
I bring all this up because my son is now reading books that have large words in them. Well, they are larger than what he is used to anyway. And now I find myself uttering the phrase "sound it out."
Needless to say, he was reading to me one night, when he came across a word he didn't know. He began sounding it out, but he is an impatient kid. He only tries to sound it out a few times before he goes for the whole word in its entirety.
"Assholelutilly."
This is the point where he stopped, his eyes going wide with the realization of what he'd said.
"I didn't mean to say that!"
After a few more tries, he caught on to the word "absolutely." Unfortunately for him, he was so caught up in saying a bad word and getting away with it, that when he came across "Asia" a few sentences further, he replied, "Asshola."
"Kade, there's not even an L in that word!" Then out of sheer frustration at him attempting it, all the while keeping as many "assholes" as he could in his attempt, I cried, "It's Asia, Asia, darn it! There's no L, there's no H. There's no O. Asia!"
"Right, Asia. That's what I said."
"..."
"The aminals adopt to the mountains of Asia."
"Now you're doing it on purpose."
"What?"
"Annnnnnnnnnnimals, not aminals. Adopt? Come on, let's do this the right way."
"The annnnnnnnnnnnnimals adaaaaaaaaapt to the mountains of Asshoooooooola."
"You're so grounded."
Isn't reading fun?
I don't know about you, but I grew up with teachers uttering that phrase. We were not only taught the phonics of each letter, but what the symbols meant too. Ya know, like the symbol that is placed above a vowel so that we know whether it is a long "a" or a short "a". We were taught rules like if a vowel has no other vowel friends in the word, it will have a short sound. For example: bat. But if you add an e, the first vowel changes to a long sound. For example: bate.
I can't imagine trying to read any other way.
I bring all this up because my son is now reading books that have large words in them. Well, they are larger than what he is used to anyway. And now I find myself uttering the phrase "sound it out."
Needless to say, he was reading to me one night, when he came across a word he didn't know. He began sounding it out, but he is an impatient kid. He only tries to sound it out a few times before he goes for the whole word in its entirety.
"Assholelutilly."
This is the point where he stopped, his eyes going wide with the realization of what he'd said.
"I didn't mean to say that!"
After a few more tries, he caught on to the word "absolutely." Unfortunately for him, he was so caught up in saying a bad word and getting away with it, that when he came across "Asia" a few sentences further, he replied, "Asshola."
"Kade, there's not even an L in that word!" Then out of sheer frustration at him attempting it, all the while keeping as many "assholes" as he could in his attempt, I cried, "It's Asia, Asia, darn it! There's no L, there's no H. There's no O. Asia!"
"Right, Asia. That's what I said."
"..."
"The aminals adopt to the mountains of Asia."
"Now you're doing it on purpose."
"What?"
"Annnnnnnnnnnimals, not aminals. Adopt? Come on, let's do this the right way."
"The annnnnnnnnnnnnimals adaaaaaaaaapt to the mountains of Asshoooooooola."
"You're so grounded."
Isn't reading fun?
posted by Ari at 7:21 AM
8 Comments:
Somehow my comment regarding your son's reading lesson ended up down in the "Truth About AOL HEAD ASHOLIA" Sorry.
Cyndy
hahahahaha phonics rock, hats why we are now bringing it in here!
Way too cute! ~ Lori
KADE ROCKS THE HIZZOUSE.
But at least it's not emo.
LMAO.....Man I love seeing life through children's eyes!!!
Rhianna(the Diva) decided she was going to read to the Teen he being 13 her going on 4 next week.
She held up the book and read it like a teacher and would say things like,"This is a bear. Can you say bear?" So Paul would say it then she got frustrated with him at one point and said"Paul. This is english I am trying to teach you. Will you pay attention?"
Gotta love her!
GREAT ENTRY ARI!
oh laugh out loud funny.... that is the best story I have heard in a while and I thank you for the belly laugh and big grin I am wearing now:)
If a person can read then all knowledge is open to them!That being said... Kade rules ::LOL::
Oh, he sounds so cute! I'm cracking up over here! He sounds like my kinda lil guy! :)
♥
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