I love English. As in English-Grammar and spelling. Wait, let me rephrase that. I love CORRECTING people’s English and spelling :D Mistakes in written and spoken English are one of my biggest pet peeves! I think all of this txting and emailing has dumbed people down and made them forget how to use SPELL CHECK, let alone speak properly. You know those red lines underneath your words when you’re typing? It means you’re spelling it wrong, or you’ve used it incorrectly!
** Funny side note – whenever I am hand-writing something, I automatically look for the red lines to check if I’ve spelled something right! Oh technology. **
Anyway, I am not here to give you an English lesson. But rather to proclaim my love for it when it is used correctly, and my absolute inability to remember the basics when it comes to teaching my Grade 1 son.
Yes, I am ashamed. I did NOT remember the meanings of such parts of speech such as an adjective (describes a noun), preposition (links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence, such as “on”, “by”, “between” ), conjunction (connects two words, sentences, phrases or clauses together, such as for”, “and”, “but”) article (“a”, “an”, “the”) and interjection (exclamations, such as “shhh”, “hmm”, “yeah”). I know how to USE them, but could I explain them to him? Oh no!
That’s why I am thankful for a curriculum like First Language Lessons! Up until this year we have been using just the Christ Centered Curriculum phonics program, which I have REALLY liked. But I found that the 2nd half of the lesson, past the basic spelling and word structure, was advanced and a little bit confusing for “even” :D myself to try and teach. So we started using FLL Level 1with the CCC first part of the lesson, and it’s been a GREAT fit! FLL was a little lighter than I would like it to be (but that’s only because I’m such an English / spelling nut) because it doesn’t incorporate a lot of spelling. When I tried using it just on its own, Big Boy got frustrated and found he couldn’t really read very much. But once I added back in the spelling and structure aspects of the CCC, wow! He just took off! He is currently reading regular story books (right now, Miss Rumphius to his brother and sister) and some basic beginner chapter books.
Actually, it’s kind of funny. We have a major “problem” with him reading now. Who ever thought I would say that?!?! The boy loves books SO MUCH he gets super distracted in the morning when he is supposed to be getting dressed, making his bed, brushing his teeth, etc. and at night he turns on the lamp and we find him in bed reading away when he’s supposed to be sleeping! What a dilemma! We’re working on teaching him that there’s a time to read, and it’s not when he’s been instructed to do something else or when he is supposed to be getting his beauty sleep :D
I am thrilled that our children are developing a love for reading. I could not get enough of books growing up devouring them every chance I had, as well as staying up with the light under the covers.
However, now it seems like I barely get (or maybe that should be make) any time for reading :0( Some of the books I would like to read in the near future are 1000 Gifts, The Well-Trained Mind, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Instructing a Child’s Heart and some more of the series by Bodie and Brock Thoene A.D. Chronicles (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!).
So what are some of your favourite books? For your kids or for yourself? I’m currently looking for a good chapter book series for young ones to read that are interesting without being too mystical.
I’ll leave you with a quote from each of my monkeys over the last week. Seriously, where do they get this stuff from?!?! Their minds are so funny :0)
Big Boy – After eating the icing, sprinkles and smarties off his cupcake – “The party’s over.”
JJ – “I’ve got my long sleeve on. But half of it is not a long sleeve.”
Me – “JJ, that’s called a short sleeve!”
Keekers – Looking at a picture of herself with rather disheveled hair – “Oh, I’m a mess.”
