There is a culture everywhere you go and it is more and more evident to me as I go to gatherings. People in small towns are rooted in their history and their culture...their way of life so to speak. People have a certain way of doing things and way of life that is different from other places. The people take more pride in things here and genuinely care. They include you like you were family. There are different unspoken expectations in a certain culture or town. I always think of the theme song from the t.v. show Cheers...you wanna go where everyone knows your name. Though I am very aware of the outsidedness that I come from, I still feel like I am included in the moving forward of a new chapter.
Recently I was talking to a lady who home schools her children. We were talking about reading and writing because I was asking her if she had ever used the hooked on phonics system for her children. She hadn't but explained to me that she has her own cards (I'm assuming they are home schooled approved) that she uses to teach her children phonetic sounds. English is a very tricky language...can I just say that. She told me that she doesn't worry if her children don't know how to correctly spell a word or read. She feels it's more important to teach them the sounds of things and if her children come to her and ask her if luv says love, she tells them it does.
As I think about this more and more as Tanner is learning to read, I wonder if my child would struggle through school or life being taught that way. Are sounds more important than learning to actually spell correctly and sound words out? Of course you have to know the sounds each letter makes to sound words out that you're reading, but if a child spelt the word love l-u-v, would you correct them or just let it be? I guess each child is unique and every parent has their own belief on what does or doesn't work. I, myself, am shocked that Tanner had any interest in letters at such a young age and is now reading short, easy 4-5 word sentences (words like, cat, hat, rat, bat, ran, can, and, pig, dog etc). I never push him because the system he is using is a kindergarten level and he's only going into pre-school. I let him go at his own pace. He's only read the first 2 books out of 13 books to read at the kindergarten level. I just wonder if I shouldn't worry about if he uses sounds more than correct reading to actually read. I hope that makes sense. Anyways, it's just something I have been thinking about. As I re-read this paragraph, I think: 'read' can be used in 2 different ways but spelt the same. I like to read or I have read that book. How is that phonetically correct??? See, the English language is complicated. Maybe I'll teach Tanner french and we'll just all learn to speak french...lol.
This weekend was beautiful! Really hot. And I think I got either heat stroke or heat exhaustion, because I didn't go to church because I had a massive headache and then when it was gone, we went to dinner and a friends house and my headache came back. We walked over there in hot sun so maybe even that little bit made me sick again. Today, Tanner and I stayed inside the air conditioned house and practiced his letters...forming them and using words that start with the letter. He has these sheets that have the letters on them and then I have shapes that form each letter. So for example, the 2 big curved 'c' shaped ones together make the letter 'o'. Or two 'c' shaped ones make the letter 's'. Or two big straight ones form the letter 'H' or one straight one and one small curved one form the letter 'h'...well sord of. Anyways, it's something that the occupational therapist wants us to work on with him. He thinks it's fun and I know he's doing something that he needs to do without being pushed to do it. So in the end, we both win.
I am totally crazy and have packed our bags for this weekend at my Mom's. I am so stoked...I can't even tell you. I have a few things I still need to do. I like to make sure our house is clean before we leave so that when we come home, I can enjoy coming home to a clean house. It helps me feel more relaxed and calm when I come home. So I still have a few loads of laundry and I am cleaning the bathroom on Wednesday. Plus, we have to remember to pick our raspberries and dig up some potatoes for a salad and then water the garden Wednesday night before we leave. I could do it Thursday morning but I want to be able to enjoy my morning and not worry about that. So there you have it.
That's all for now. Until tomorrow.
3 years ago
3 comments:
Very interesting. Yup! The English language is truly confusing sometimes. LOL!
Hope you are feeling better. I would LOVE to have an A/C in the house. But, we don't. so the gas bill for the van has been extreme this week as we drive here and there trying to stay cool in the van. : D
Have a great trip to your mom's!
I think it is very important to teach kids the correct spelling for words. If they never learn to spell how are they going to do in the real world. I realize that we know have spell check, but it's not smart enough to realize when the spelling for a word has been used. For example, "She helps the students with patients." This sentence is on one of my student teaching evaluations and even though I didn't write it, it embarrasses me. I tend to think less of someone when I read something with poor grammar and spelling. (I know it's terrible, but it's true.) If I was going to hire someone, I would be reluctant to do so if they couldn't spell or write properly. Just a thought...
Wow - I am SHOCKED that that woman teaches her children that way. I 100% completely disagree. English may not always make sense, or be easy to learn and understand, but attempting to do so correctly is EXTREMELY important. What happens when they come across LOVE spelled correctly? That's not the same word their mother told them was 'love'. Essentially, I think she is lying to them when she says 'luv' spells LOVE, because IT DOESN'T. And in no respectable place of education or business would that be accepted as the way to spell LOVE. She's doing her children a real disservice by teaching them an incorrect, lazy way to read and write. I find that sad.
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