My oldest convinced me to teach her to read when she was four. I thought she was too young, but she was persistent. By the time she was in first grade, she was inhaling novels like Little House on the Prairie. My son, on the other hand, is a different story.
He has always loved books and for that I am grateful, but the actual process of learning to read was daunting to him. I never wanted his frustration to quell his love for stories so I waited until he was a full six to even propose that we begin sounding out words.
It was a slow and steady process, teaching him to read, but by Christmas time of his kindergarten year, he was reading simple sentences and so proud of himself. I was beaming with pride too. After my daughter practically taught herself, it felt like a real accomplishment to have guided a child through the magical steps of bringing letters to life.
But once the basics are established, practice is required
Talk about a win-win
Sometimes I'll upload his video recording to Facebook for family and friends to see via an unlisted YouTube link or share them with his teachers. His teachers have all commended his practice and it has been a fun way for them to connect throughout virtual learning.
Not all of my attempted mom hacks have been a success, but this one has hands-down been a runaway hit — and we moms need to take all the wins we can get.
