Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.

As a homeschooling momma I have joy and (sometimes frustration) of help my kiddo learn to read, do math and all the other wonderful things he has to learn to be a well rounded student/person. As a general rule teaching That Other Kid has been a breeze compared to what I had to go through with That Kid. However, since we started back with school the Monday after the New year it hasn't been such a breeze!

Over the past week he/we have struggled with putting the toys and video games away long enough to concentrate on school. I have struggled with juggling all the chores, computer time and helping dh with his job search.

Today was the day that shall go down in history as our most unfocused day "so far"!!

I am using "Hooked on Phonics" for Phonics and learning to read. Up to this point it has been great. Some days he struggles with focusing on the reading, but most days he is excited to do it because he knows he is learning to read. Yesterday we started school and he seemed to be unfocused but did ok with everything. Till reading time. He was supposed to read the words: On, And, Is, The. He listened to the speaker, and repeated. Then it came time to read it for himself.

This is the scenario from yesterday.

TOK:
"On
And
Is
The"

"On
And
Is
ummmmm I forgot"

"On
And
Is
ummmmm I don't remember"

"On
And
Is
ummmmm I have a bad memory"

At that point (after helping him numerous times to "remember" I gave up) and said we would work on it tomorrow.

So today's scenario went something like this --
We read through the words with the tape PERFECTLY! Then I turned off the tape and had him read through the words. First time through he read the words, perfectly again! Then the troubles started!

TOK:
"On
And
Is
And"

"On
And
Is
Is"

"On
And
Is
On"

Me: "No, the word is THE. Look at the word and spell it out!"

TOK: "I don't have a good memberer and I don't remember what that word is."

Me: "Yes, you do. You just need to concentrate. Try it again!" So we go through the words again. ON, AND, IS, THE! "Read the words to me again..."

TOK: "On, And, Is, On. On, And, Is, The. On, And, Is, I don't remember! I don't have a good memory!"

After working on this for at least an hour, I told him we were done with school.

5 minutes later he read his brother's name on a video game!! He also told his brother what 9 + 9 equals!! Um....do you think he had a focus problem today!! Or maybe a mental block about the word THE!!