On Waiting to Read
When will my child start reading?
At Chisholm Creek Academy, we believe your child is ready to learn when they tell you they are ready. Just as a hero must voluntarily answer the call to embark on the Hero’s Journey, a learner must discover for themselves the desire to tackle the challenge of learning to read. Reading is unique from all other learning because it is the foundation for all other learning. It is crucial that learning to read be a pleasant experience for your child, that they associate with triumph, accomplishment, and enjoyment.
We have seen learners who were forced to read elsewhere, perhaps before they were ready, and never wanted to read. It was a chore, something the adults mandated. If their brain was not ready at the time, if they did not desire to learn, it may have been a painful, frustrating process. The learners start to internalize the thought that they “can’t do this” and associate reading with displeasure. These feelings seem to stick with them for years and take a great deal of effort to overcome.
On the other hand, we have had learners express a strong desire to learn to read well before they would have been deemed “ready” by a traditional school. Four year olds who, seeing their five and six year old peers reading, are inspired to try it for themselves. I was honestly shocked that by the middle of the school year every learner who could not already read had asked to be taught– on their own. They had taken the time and effort to request reading lessons. Were they all at the same place developmentally? No, but we started where they needed to be and progressed at a pace each of them individually required. They come in genuinely excited for their reading lesson time, because they asked for it and it has become a privilege. When they ask to do a reading lesson that first time, I deem them “ready” (no matter if traditional school would say so or not), and they beam with pride. It is a badge of honor, they have earned their right to learn to read. In the elementary studio we have seen learners choosing reading as a fun Friday activity. They view a trip to the library as an exciting adventure that they get to earn.
While many parents worry about their children “falling behind,” the greater concern should be losing their love of learning. A child who loves to learn and to read, is a child who will continue to learn and grow all their life. A child who is allowed the time to develop the desire to learn to read is one who will view it as a pleasure. Traditional schools need all students to be on a certain level academically because they cannot afford the individualized attention for self paced learning. With smaller studios and individualized learning plans we have the luxury of waiting on your child and fostering an intense love of reading because it has time to become something they desire.
The best thing you can do as a parent to set your child up for reading success is to read to them daily: read picture books, books that are a little above their level, new books, and the same books over and over. Let them see you reading your own books as well, this provides the call to adventure a hero feels which beckons them to undertake their own journey. Giving them a love for stories and demonstrating the key to unlock them is the best way to inspire them, then allow them to develop a natural desire to earn that key on their own. We will share stories at school and offer plenty of fun books, but we will never push a learner to read before they express they are ready. Once they begin their learning to read adventure we will support them, encourage them, and help them challenge themselves every step of the way to build a lifelong reader.
