Mom, HOW do you DO that?

Usually if your child looks at you admiringly and asks how you do something you just feel like the best mom in the world. Not so much after this conversation...

I was sitting with Blondie and Cheesie on the couch reading one of their American Girl books out loud. I know T-Rex enjoyed these books when she was in 3rd grade, so in an effort to expose Blondie to experiences other girls her age might have, I'm reading them aloud (scroll down to see past posts about reading).
I'm reading right along, and we're learning how Molly is going to put together a tea party, when Blondie stops me and says, "How do you do that?"

Me: Do what?

Blondie: Keep track of who's talking and make their voice.

Me: Well, I read a lot and when I read I make it into a movie in my head, and when I read I can also remember what is going on in the movie.

Blondie: I can't.

Me: Can't what?

Blondie: I can't remember my movie and read, or read and remember my movie.

Me: We'll just have to practice.


And then I went back to reading aloud because honestly, Cheesie was sitting on the other side of me and her precocious little self was about to jump into the conversation with how she could do what I do, and we don't need to be reminded that our little sister can easily do things we can't.


So then I took Blondie to the bookstore and we bought Henry and Beezus (which cannot be read alone by her, but I don't care because she was interested)and we will find a place without Cheesie to practice reading that probably while we hang out at the lake.


The American Girl books aren't particularly difficult to read, but there is a lot of history in them that the little girls don't have any connection too, so we're using them as a way to start talking about those things. We've learned about bottle caps (and point out coke bottles every time we go to the store), and that people kept gardens like we do, and girls wore dresses pretty much everywhere, and that families had people in a war far away (like the soldiers we handed cookies to), and that kids were sent away from the war to stay safe, and that girls went to camp that looked a lot like Camp Congaree, etc. Then the little girls run go get the millions of dollars were of stuff that resides in our house from the American Girl store, and play tea party, or camping, or bomb shelter (it's in the book).


I like to read books a little above the girls, and while this one isn't tough, I want to pre-expose Blondie to things that other kids just have to hear once. I want it percolating in her head long before she needs it so she isn't playing catch up, and since I know that if I read it to her, or she experiences it she learns it MUCH faster than if I send her off to stumble over words in a text book - so I read aloud a LOT. She also reads books to me, but my goal there is purely word attack and fluency - I'm not even really working on comprehension.


So if you have a hemi kid in the early grades (or any kid having a tough time reading), I would suggest (as a mom, and as a teacher) that you check out your state's learning standards and find out what is going to be covered in science and social studies this year, and start gently offering your child a knowlege base from which to start. It seems to be working with our daughter, but it still hurts that she is starting to understand that she can't do something easily.