And just like that, he apparently has a few hundred sight words.
It's been really interesting to watch each of my children acquire language and reading skills. Eldest seemed to pick up on phonics remarkably early and could sound out words and read all on her own by 3.5 years. Middlest started really reading a little bit later - right around her 4th birthday - but started by learning sight words. Youngest also seems to be memorizing the shapes of words. He can't take a stab at sounding out an unfamiliar word because the phonics part isn't there yet. However, if you show him that word and read it out loud once, he is able to recognize it in a completely different context and read it the next time he encounters it. I am beginning to wonder whether he has a photographic memory...
I swear I did the same thing with all three to teach them to read: absolutely nothing. I just read to them. Every day and all the time, from the moment they could sit supported in my lap and drool on books.
But the bit where they figure out those little marks on the page have meaning? I had nothing to do with that bit.
Great portrait for when he is older! Never fails to amaze me how they all learn to read differently - most important thing is for us to be patient and allow them to foster the love of reading.
March 11th, 2017
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