| When my son was in nursery school he
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| | firmly in his long term unforgettable
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| raised his hand to get his teacher's
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| | memory, my son, not yet two and a half
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| attention."Yes, Daniel?"Daniel pointed to
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| | years old, started to read - really read,
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| the word "Conneticut" written on the
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| | not just parrot words he'd memorized. He
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| blackboard and said, "You spelled
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| | was able to decode long words simply by
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| Connecticut wrong." She looked at the
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| | sounding out the letters. Was I
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| board and realized he was right."Daniel,
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| | proud!Daniel considered reading just
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| how did you know it was wrong?" asked the
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| | another game played with his Daddy. He
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| perplexed teacher."It's because I have a
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| | thought it a challenge when I said those
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| young and powerful brain!" Daniel
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| | oft-spoken words, "sound it out." As a
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| triumphantly replied.His teacher
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| | result, after learning phonics, he'd try
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| contacted me by phone shortly thereafter,
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| | to read anything. Since no one told him
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| told me what Daniel had said, and asked
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| | that words like plethora, obtuse,
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| me how he could possibly know about the
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| | lethargic, and bellicose, and erudite
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| misspelled word."I told her that when he
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| | were big words - college level words -
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| was almost two years old, I started to
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| | he'd tackle them too by sounding them
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| teach him how to read.She was full of
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| | out. Daniel read every word in the Best
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| more questions. "Why did you bother to
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| | Word Book Ever at least a hundred times.
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| teach him to read? Surely he would have
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| | "How about the Take Turns Game, Daniel?"
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| learned how to read in school at the
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| | I would turn to any page in the book and
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| developmentally appropriate age."I had no
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| | Daniel would start reading. He read
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| idea what she meant by a developmentally
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| | three words and then I did the same. Or,
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| appropriate age. All I knew is that
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| | Daniel would read a full sentence and I
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| Daniel turned into a superb reader so he
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| | would read the next one. Taking turns
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| must have been ready to read. "Maybe yes,
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| | reading aloud made Daniel want to read -
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| maybe no," I replied. As I see things,
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| | he just had to keep up with his Daddy.
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| reading is too crucial for his success in
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| | Little kids, I soon learned, are
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| school and in life to leave to chance.
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| | intensely competitive and adore winning.I
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| That's why I did the job myself. His
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| | did not limit his reading material to his
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| education, I hope you understand, is
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| | kid's books. We also read the newspaper,
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| ultimately my responsibility. Don't you
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| | street signs, license plates, recipes -
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| agree?" All I heard in reply to my
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| | anything in print. Daniel wasn't fussy.
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| question was a muffled grunt.She
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| | Being a CPA, I was especially proud after
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| continued with a noticeable edge to her
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| | he read the first page of a 1040 tax
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| voice. "Who taught you how to do it? You
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| | return. "Hey Daddy, what does adjusted
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| must be a teacher.""Nah...I am a CPA and
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| | gross income mean?"Daniel made lots of
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| no one taught me ...all I did was teach
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| | mistakes and so, to protect his ego, I
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| him the alphabet, the sounds the letters
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| | invented the mistake game. This game
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| make, and oh yes, I made sure he had tons
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| | enabled him to catch me making a mistake.
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| and tons of practice. It was all really
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| | I reasoned that if Daniel saw that his
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| very simple. Honest, his brain did most
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| | Daddy could make a mistake and not have a
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| of the work."By the shrillness of her
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| | snit, he'd learn to accept them. It
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| response, I was sure she was about to
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| | worked.Daniel Let's play the mistake
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| deliver a cow. "YOU REALLY TAUGHT HIM
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| | game.Me Okay, you go first.Daniel What
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| PHONICS WHEN HE WAS TWO YEARS OLD?!" She
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| | sound does CH make?Me ShhhhDaniel You
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| said the word phonics like it was three
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| | made a mistake Daddy. Try again.Me Are
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| day old road kill. This was my first
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| | you sure I made a mistake
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| indication that there was a problem
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| | Daniel?Daniel Yes Daddy. A CH makes the
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| somewhere with our schools and phonics.
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| | CHA sound.Me You're right! Gosh, are you
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| It would not be until many years later
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| | smart!One of our favorites was the "DO
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| that I'd learn about the bizarre things
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| | IT" game. In order for him to understand
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| going on in reading instruction at our
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| | that there is a reason for reading, a
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| schools.* * *I remember the evening I
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| | message to be understood in everything
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| made that fateful decision as though it
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| | written. I would print a message on a
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| were yesterday. "I'm going to teach
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| | piece of paper such as "close your eyes
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| Daniel how to read to me!" I hollered to
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| | and jump up and down." If Daniel read
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| my wife who was watching television in
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| | the instruction and started jumping up
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| the next room. Daniel was standing on his
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| | and down, I knew he was reading for
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| bed, and probably wondered what his silly
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| | comprehension - the only reason for
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| Daddy was yelling about. He didn't know
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| | reading. He never lost that game.. Some
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| then, nor did I, how much those few words
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| | spelling instruction systems say that it
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| would eventually change our lives.
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| | is all right for a child to invent his or
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| Suddenly Daniel's bed became a classroom
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| | her own spelling, that sooner or later
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| and I became his first teacher. From
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| | kids will learn the correct spelling. I
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| that day on, things in our family would
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| | didn't buy that invented spelling
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| never be quite the same.My lack of
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| | nonsense. I thought it better for him to
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| teaching experience never bothered me a
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| | learn how to spell correctly the first
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| whit. I never created lesson plans and
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| | time around than to unlearn the incorrect
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| took every lesson one day at a time. I
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| | spelling later.* * *Final results? After
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| simply relied on old-fashioned common
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| | investing about 30-40 minutes a night for
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| sense and trial and error to chart my
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| | about two years, the results were quite
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| course. This was nightime learning fun
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| | gratifying. Daniel entered kindergarten
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| between my son and me. As it turned out,
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| | reading and spelling at the fourth or
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| my total ignorance of current early
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| | fifth grade level. But even more than
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| teaching methodology was of crucial
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| | that, when he was four I had him tested
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| importance to my later success. For
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| | by an educational psychologist who told
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| example, my ignorance kept me away from
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| | me Daniel had a genius level IQ of
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| developmentalism. This idiotic philosophy
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| | 148.Some people tell me that Daniel could
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| says that it's wrong to teach
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| | read because he was born super-gifted,
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| preschoolers how to read because in some
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| | unusually bright, a genius. I'd sure
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| way, it would damage them. Had I known
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| | like to think that is true, that he
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| about this, I never would have taught my
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| | inherited my brainy genes, but I know
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| son how to read and I would have missed
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| | better. Daniel wasn't born a genius with
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| what was the most joyful experience of my
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| | anything that millions of other children
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| life.The lessons began . . .To start, I
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| | across the world do not possess. What I
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| began to teach Daniel the basic building
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| | did, however, was to make him use it. I
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| blocks of reading -- the letters of the
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| | did not teach my son how to read to make
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| alphabet and their sounds (phonics). That
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| | him smart. At the time, I had no clue
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| turned out to be the wisest possible
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| | about the interesting byproduct of early
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| beginning. A friend gave me Richard
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| | readng. Learning how to read exercised
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| Scarry's Best Word Book Ever which has
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| | his brain which acted like a brain growth
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| the alphabet on the first two pages. In
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| | catalyst.and made him very smart. The
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| the most entertaining ways possible, I
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| | realization of what my teaching had done
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| taught Daniel the alphabet, both lower
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| | to my son's intellect fascinated me to no
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| and upper case. We practiced and
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| | end. I had literally created high
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| reviewed the letters on those first two
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| | intelligence! This was sure a lot more
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| pages for several months, literally
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| | interesting than mindlessly filling out
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| branding the alphabet and their sounds
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| | tax returns. Why didn't I go into
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| into Daniel's long-term unforgettable
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| | education instead of accounting?* * *Soon
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| memory. Another great aid in teaching him
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| | enough, I became an educational gadfly. I
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| the alphabet was the alphabet song. I
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| | began to put on seminars at continuing
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| must have sung it with him a million
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| | adult education centers and even went on
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| times and he enjoyed it every time.
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| | radio talk shows to spread the message
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| Unlike adults, little kids love
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| | that we can make our children very bright
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| repetition.That's how they learn best.And
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| | and there was no longer any excuse for
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| so it went. Every day I added a few new
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| | school or reading failure. Parents can
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| letters and constantly reviewed letters
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| | prevent that . . . that we parents must
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| previously learned. I somehow knew that
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| | get involved in the educational process .
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| he had to learn the alphabet and their
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| | . . that we are or should become our
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| sounds as well as he knew his own name
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| | children's first teachers.Not everyone, I
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| and constant practice and review (drill
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| | learned to my surprise, was enthralled
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| and practice) was the best way to do it.
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| | with the promise of much higher
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| If there was any one key to my success,
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| | intelligence for their children. I was
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| it was certainly constant long term
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| | suddenly at odds with most of the
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| repetitive practice. When I learned that
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| | educational establishment who wanted
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| educators speak of drill and practice in
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| | nothing to do with early reading
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| disparaging terms, I began to understand
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| | instruction. At first I naively thought
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| why we have a reading problem. How could
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| | educators would embrace my ideas. Was I
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| anyone be against long term practice?I
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| | wrong about that! Because they thought
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| learned quickly that I must not bore him,
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| | of me as a home schooler in disguise, the
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| so I played lots of fun learning games.
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| | educators despised everything I stood
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| I laughed and smiled a lot, celebrated
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| | for.Educators spend much of their time
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| Daniel's triumphs and showed genuine
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| | dissuading parents from early reading
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| enthusiasm for his progress. In other
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| | instruction. They use words like hot
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| words, I joined Daniel in his world. It
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| | housing, developmentally inappropriate,
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| would have been ludicrous for me to
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| | elitism, parental pressure, let kids be
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| expect Daniel to come into my boring and
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| | kids, and other such self serving
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| stuffy adult world. To make things even
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| | nonsense. For the longest time I could
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| more interesting, I rarely dwelled on any
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| | not understand why these educators are so
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| subject too long. I might start a lesson
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| | steadfastly against early reading. What
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| with a five-minute conversation about the
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| | can be more harmless than parents
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| "B" sound and then ask Daniel if water is
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| | teaching reading to their tots and
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| a liquid, gas or solid. After that, I
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| | toddlers? Even more than that, they seem
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| might ask him to show me four fingers on
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| | to downgrade or ignore the vast
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| his left hand or even what the ancient
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| | importance of high intelligence, as if
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| Greek Democritis is noted for (he coined
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| | intelligence does not really matter. They
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| the word "atom."As the weeks of nightly
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| | call themselves developmentalists. Watch
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| instruction continued, I discovered, much
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| | out for and avoid them like the
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| to my delight, that this teaching
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| | plague.The following is an exercise that
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| business was not a chore. Instead, I
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| | will tell you why one reason why
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| found myself eagerly looking forward to
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| | educators despise very early academics.
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| the lessons. I was enjoying myself
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| | Think of twenty poor inner city black
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| enormously and I was fascinated by the
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| | kids who were all taught to read as I
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| speed of Daniel's progress. I hadn't yet
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| | taught my son. Picture them all entering
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| grasped how amazingly fast little kids
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| | the same kindergarten class. See them all
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| learn. Of particular enjoyment were our
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| | carrying the newspaper or their favorite
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| Socratic like learning conversations.
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| | computer manual. See the teacher who is
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| "Daniel, do you know that everything in
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| | all prepared to teach these kids the
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| the world is made of little bitty things
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| | alphabet with wooden blocks. All the kids
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| called atoms?" The subjects of these
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| | are already reading at the fourth grade
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| conversations varied. Since my two year
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| | level. Seeing the disaster before her
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| old had the whole world to learn about,
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| | eyes, what is the teacher to do? Whatever
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| almost anything that popped into my head
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| | she does, she knows she must throw out
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| was of value. Needless to say, he
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| | the blocks as well as her old timetables.
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| reveled in all the one on one attention I
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| | A whole new world was before her eyes.So
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| lavished on him.One of my neighbors who
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| | what would finally happen? After
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| is a teacher warned me not to pressure
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| | innumerable meeting and conferences, her
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| him too much to learn or he might burn
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| | peers and the powers that be in education
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| out. I told her that she had the culprits
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| | would have no choice but vastly smarten
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| mixed up. I told her, "Once Daniel got a
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| | up the curricula and adjust to the
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| taste of the fun lessons, he pressured me
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| | children's amazingly high intellects. The
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| for more and more learning time. He
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| | kids nor their parents would accept
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| became utterly relentless!" What
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| | anything less. This is how our tots and
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| started out as fifteen minute lessons
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| | toddlers will eventually change our
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| soon became forty minutes or more.Then
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| | educational system.Finally, let me end
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| came the little words . . .the most
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| | this on a positive note. My thoughts are
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| commonly used two and three letter words.
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| | not focused on my son's accomplishments.
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| We practiced them until he knew them
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| | Instead I think about the joyous learning
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| instantly by sight. Count among them:
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| | times he and I spent together. Sadly I
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| the, I, a, you, is, to, me, he, it, was,
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| | think about the fact that such times can
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| can, if, in, are, on, of, and maybe fifty
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| | never be repeated. Frankly, I envy those
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| more.Amazingly, after about four or five
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| | parents who have read this article and
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| months, when the alphabet with their
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| | decide to live that teaching adventure.
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| related sounds and the little words were
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| | They will never regret it.
|
