Part 1: Teaching Reading in Your Homeschool-You CAN Do It

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

We hear all the time from parents this one concern about homeschooling..."I can't teach my kids to read -- I'm not __________ "(a trained teacher, qualified, an educator...fill in the blank.)  The truth is, there is not much truth to that statement at all.  It's really underlying fear and a lack of belief or commitment that has crept into the minds of homeschool moms that leads us to believe we can't teach our own kids to read.

You CAN teach your child to read and we are here to prove it to you.

1.  God's word tells us that we should not fear, but be filled with God's power (see verse above).  In fact, the Amplified version says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]."  We love the last part!  A CALM, WELL-BALANCED MIND! 😉 Ephesians 3:20 similarly states, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." So!  You CAN, with God's help and wisdom and power, commit to teach your child to read! Let's go!

2. There are millions of parents who have taught their children to read. Over the past 40 years, the number of families homeschooling has been gradually growing. According The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and US Census Bureau (USCB) Household Pulse Survey, the number of parents homeschooling in 2021 was at 5 million.  If 5 million people can teach their kids to read, you can too, Mama.

3. You know your child better than anyone else and will be able to work with them one-on-one.  In a classroom setting, kids are rarely worked with one-on-one. It is usually in a whole-class lesson or a small group.  When a parent, who knows their child's thoughts, strengths, interests, confusions, and speech patterns better than any one else, works with their own child one-on-one, it is a prime situation.  MUCH learning and connecting can take place.

4.  As parents, we are already doing so many "literacy" activities with our children.  According to the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) out of Florida State University, there are seven main areas in which children need instruction to learn to read.  As parents, we naturally infuse most of these into our learning days.  The seven areas are:

• Oral Language - communicating with others through speaking and listening
• Phonological Awareness - the understanding that language can be broken down into smaller parts like words, syllables, and sounds
• Phonics - the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent
• Fluency - the ability to read like we talk (speed, expression, phrasing)
• Vocabulary - the understanding of the meaning of words
• Comprehension - the meaning of a passage, conversation, or even movie
• Writing - communicating through written words
  
  

Now, we're not saying that all kids will just naturally learn to read with virtually no explicit instruction, but there are many who initially do. When you are looking for materials and/or curriculum, look to cover these areas, but also know that you are naturally doing these in every-day living! Whether you lean more towards an unschooling style or prefer a more traditional way of teaching in your homeschool, be encouraged knowing you have already been saturating your children in language since birth.

5. We can learn new things. When we homeschool our kids, we learn MANY things (umm hello history!), and we are willing to learn them to do a good job.  Any time we try something new, there is a learning curve, but WE CAN LEARN NEW THINGS.  As moms we know that we are always committed to doing what is best for our children and being our kids' best teacher. 

⛲️We are dedicated to helping you be your child's BEST teacher.  Join our membership for classes and community to help you do just that!