“Reading” Before Knowing How to Read

Today, I saw firsthand evidence of the beauty of our children “reading” before they know how to read.

Ok, maybe I confused you. Let me explain.

In a Charlotte Mason education, we’re encouraged to read aloud to our children, especially when they’re still not able to read. We describe it as a child “reading” before he learns the mechanical “act” of reading. And we make sure to read living books. This means that the language is rich, the ideas engage the imagination, and the writing is excellent.

My first son was an early reader. My second son is currently just starting to strengthen his reading skills, reaching a level that his older brother reached earlier by a few years.

In light of our Filipino culture, we tend to think less of children who struggle to read. But the CM philosophy emphasizes the beauty of a child’s uniqueness, and I’m reminded not to compare, negatively, my second son to his peers, who learned to read much earlier.

And as he practices reading, a few pages a day, I’m really happy to see him easily understanding the ideas he reads about. He’s greatly enjoyed books like Daniel’s Duck, Chalk Box Kid, and his most recently-finished book, Shoeshine Girl (all by Clyde Robert Bulla).

And what do I mean when I say I saw proof that having them “read” stories (by listening to us read aloud to them) before actually knowing the mechanical act of reading? Well, for one thing, he could easily recognize even long words, simply because he’s become familiar with them from hearing them in many stories. And, he could also tell if he reads a word wrong, because it doesn’t sound right.

Plus, he’s now developed the habit of turning to stories for his pastime. He’s enjoying listening to Librivox, in his free time and by his own will, and is in fact now in the sixth or seventh book in the Wizard of Oz series. Today, I woke up, opened the door out of my bedroom and ran smack into him holding the phone with the earphones on and a huge grin on his face with Librivox already turned on.

All this to say… press on, mommies! Reading aloud may not seem like much while we’re doing it, but it will bear fruit! 🙂

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