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My dd, who is only 4.75, has been really wanting to learn to read, so in my exuberance I bought her RME a while back. She was reading CVC words so I thought it'd be good to go ahead and teach her. Well... she honestly just isn't enjoying it. She really doesn't like doing anything that doesn't just come naturally, and she just isn't enjoying RME. I think it's a great program and she has learned a lot, but she doesn't like it. Well I don't want that for her. She loves being read to and I would like her to enjoy reading as well.

She does, however,enjoy reading Bob books. She's through box 1 and she has thoroughly enjoyed them. Is it okay to take a break for a while and just do Bob books? Maybe get the ETC books a do those for a while (she likes workbooks a lot, especially if we do them orally, it's like a game for her). And then we could go back to RME later. I totally don't feel the need to push her. We finally have a schedule she likes, and she enjoys learning to read and doing school, but she just doesn't like RME right now. Again, I really think it's a FABULOUS program and would like to eventually return to it if we do take a break, I was just wondering what to do right now.

Ashley,

I'd say take a break for sure. She's young...and you have plenty of time to get back to it. I'd say you're in the minority if you're not worried about "pushing" your 1st child. Good for you!! Most of us figure that out and lighten up for the younger ones.

Kathleen

Hi Ashley,

Go ahead and take a break. I did with my oldest. He wanted to learn to read at 4. We used HOP, about half way through the second book he just was not getting it and fighting it. We stopped and just read books. He read through Bob books and HOP books we had already read and we continuted to work on ETC - he also loves workbooks. After about a month I tried again and he just took off.

Good for you for reading your daughters cues about learning.

Karen

Ashley,

You are so wise to sense this in your daughter! We are doing exactly what you suggested with my own 5 year old right now! We are reading Bob books, and I am just doing words on the markerboard (from our lesson) which he doesn't even know come from there!

My sister needed to give me permission to slow down too, so you're not alone!

Blessings,
Carrie

Hey thanks for the encouragement! It's hard because I've never taguht a child to read, you know? She was interested, so I went with it, and then she started not liking it, so it threw me for a loop! But I totally credit homeschooling boards for me trying not to push her. (That sounds funny, but you know what I mean. ) I've never posted much on anything, but I've tried to read and learn, and it always seemed to many that so many first-time moms and first-time homeschooling moms tend to lean to the pushing side and then later they realize what they were doing (all with the best intentions of course). So I've always tried to be aware of that, but there's this weird fine line there.

But what you said, Carrie, is what we've started doing and she loves. I've been writing on the chalkboard, which is apparently WAY more fun than on paper, and we'll play with words, and find rhyming words, and make up silly words, you get the idea! She seems to be learning more this way than reading off a word list because it's fun. I just feel there has to be a book, and then once I start something I must keep going... Thanks, all of you who responded so far, for validating these feelings and showing me it's okay to take a break. I took a year break on doing piano lessons with her, and it's been amazing (I know, we started young but I used to teach early childhood music, so it was okay ), so I guess it's okay with reading too. I guess I just needed that reminder. I really love this board. You all are so incredibly helpful and so very encouraging!