(Bible) Reading and Mealtime - Our New Technique

There was a time in my life where I used to read Hunter three chapters out of the Bible at (close to) every single meal.

The idea of trying to pull that off now seems comical.

To say the least, we haven't been getting much Bible reading in for a while. That is, until I discovered this neat little trick, and its simplicity is leaving me to question why I never thought of it before now. 

Rather than trying to keep everybody at the table after we're all done eating (very difficult with a 10-month-old), we have started listening biblegateway.com's free audio bible while we eat.

Laptop on table, audio rolling, listen away while we chew.

And what is even more, we can get a good 3-5 chapters in during a typical meal, and it only takes the time that we were already spending eating.

I am trying to be intentional about our listening, to make sure that it doesn't become "background noise". Keeping our conversation to what is being read helps too. I try to comment here and there about what is being said, and after mealtime is over and we're cleaning up, to really discuss more about what we listened to.

This has been wonderful for my goal of quantitive Bible reading. That is, reading scripture, over and over, in large quantities. Exposure. Immersion. Long-term repetition. At the rate of 9-15 chapters a day, that is getting us through the Bible three to five times per year. That's approximately 50-90 times of reading through the Bible in 18 years, and all in the time we were already spending on eating. Talk about productive multitasking.

I still am making it a point to do other types of Bible reading, too. For instance, even though we are loving the audio, I still believe it is important for my boys to actually hear me reading the scriptures, and in Hunter's case, to actually read them. So our bedtime routine is currently involving reading of the Psalms and Proverbs.

The Bible is also incorporated into regular school hours, through memory verses, history, character studies, and stories. Not that all of this stuff happens every day. But we try.

 And believe me, I am no roll model. Our family and personal Bible reading has fallen by the wayside lately, in a way I would describe as dismal. But we are picking up and moving forward. And I'm hoping our little laptop companion will get the ball rolling again.

 Because I know how important it is.

 P.S. How does your family like to read the Bible (ideally)? Do you find audio recordings of all sorts to be useful in other ways for multitasking and teaching kids? I would love to hear your comments.

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15

Hunter is 7 years, 1 month old
Damien is 10 months, 3 weeks old

Happy Valentine's Day

"We love him, because he first loved us." 

1 John 4:19

Hunter is 5 years, 10 months old

Making the Jump to Reading Fluency

I took another video of Hunter reading the a couple days ago. Here he is, reading Curious George Feeds the Animals, a library book, for the first time.

He has all of the sudden made that jump from reading word-by-word to reading sentence-by-sentence. He actually reads, most books, almost as fluently as you or I.

I'm not quite sure how it happened. And it's always nice, for myself at least, when I can document each step of the way, and measure how much my son knows and how much he doesn't know. But really, he has thrown me through a loop. All of the sudden he's figured out all these phonics rules that I never got around to teaching him and, well, just, reads.

"And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." 

Leviticus 10:11

Hunter is 5 years, 6 months old

Some past videos I've posted of his reading updates:

Reading Bob Books - (14 months ago)
Reading Phonics Lesson Book - (10 months ago)
Reading a "In the City and on the Farm" - (3 months ago)

For This, My Son, Have I Taught You... Hunter Reading from the KJV

 

"So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society..." 

-John Quincy Adams

With great fanfare, on Hunter's half birthday, I announced that now that he was five and a half, he was finally big enough to read from the Bible.

And without hesitation, Hunter read Genesis chapter one from the King James Bible.

I cried.

This very Bible, that he read from, was a gift I bought him almost three years ago.

I was a young mom. Early and hopeful in my adventures with Doman, wielding away for hours upon hours and carefully painting big, red-lettered words on long strips of card stock for my two and a half year old son. I wanted to teach him how to read.

There had always been a bigger picture involved in our educational pursuits. I told him, again and again, as I repeated for years, that the reason he must learn how to read, the reason I was teaching him, was so that one day, he would be able to read the Bible for himself.

In preparation for that day, I searched for a Bible with bigger print for his little eyes. I eventually settled for a $12 Giant Print Bible from Amazon. That Bible has stayed with us for years, all in anticipation of this moment.

It has been our companion reading together for hundreds upon hundreds of hours, but alway with the intention that, one day, my son, you will read from this all by yourself, every day of your life, to know the wisdom of God in your life.

Hunter, age one, with his first Bible, fun,
but with too small of print for little eyes

And so it finally happened. My baby has become a true reader.

Maybe I didn't realize it was coming, and maybe him turning the half-year mark had nothing to do with it (it convinced him, right?), but he has crossed the threshold. He made a milestone.

And it is moments like these, where everything in parenting, was worth it.

"And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them"

Deuteronomy 17:19

Hunter is 5 years, 6 months old

Hunter's Reading Update

I haven't video taped Hunter reading in a while so I decided to take a little clip from him reading his 1940's school textbook earlier today.

His reading is getting better in that he is able to read a lot more words by sight, his speed is improving, and he is getting better at inflection - that is, pausing at the right times, speaking in a "talking" voice when reading words in quotations, etc.

Sometimes I don't really notice the progress but when I realize that he was still in Bob Books ten months ago, I really do see how much he has grown in this area.

I always knew that I was silly for "worrying" about his reading at age three and four, where he knew lots of words individually but really didn't have a desire to read books on his own. And here he is now, an independent reader, still growing and not yet perfect but definitely enjoying the journey and definitely going at his own pace, as always.

"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding"

Proverbs 1:2 

Hunter is 5 years, 3 months old

Reading, 1940's Style

Hunter reading "In the City and on the Farm: A California State Textbook". Publishing date? 1940.

Lately, "Dick and Jane" style readers are a favorite, including the first and second grade readers in the Pathway series (Amish/Menonite school books). Now that we found this 1940's state textbook at a thrift store for fifty cents last weekend, he has been blazing through it.

Either way, the 1940's "city" life is certainly no NYC. With tales "apartment houses", "fun at..." the park, the zoo, the circus, the movies, the grocery store, and the library, the clothing, setting, and lifestyle is probably more of a history lesson than a familiarity.

Either way, he enjoys the stories and, as always, whatever keeps him reading!

"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding" 

Proverbs 1:2

Hunter is 5 years, 2 months old

No Comment

"Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else."

Isaiah 34:16

Hunter is 5 years, 0 months old

Understanding Reference Materials

Hunter has been really noticing the phases of the moon lately. We have been casually talking about it every once and a while, and he usually points it out when he takes the dog out before bed.

Tonight he was (again) super excited to show me something, and begged me to come outside and see. He, pointing to the sky, told me that the moon was "moving" and also that it was full. It really was quite a neat sight, as clouds were quickly moving through the sky, giving the moon an appearance of motion. When I told him that the moon wasn't really moving, he tried to debate it with me at first ("But look at it, Mom! It really is!") and then retreated inside to get something.

I went back inside and started doing the dishes, and then saw him back outside, camped out on the lawn chair, flipping through the pages of a book about home childcare, saying, "Hmm, does the moon move... Where can I find out if the moon moves..."

Apparently he has definitely gotten the idea of books as not only sources of information in general but also as a source of a place where we can find answers to questions. After just moments of looking through that book, he jumped back off the chair and ran back to the bookshelf for another book. Seeing what he was doing, I offered some advice that perhaps he should try looking for a book that he thinks might have information about the moon in it. You know, like not just any book but one he thinks might have something about the moon?

He didn't really need much help than that and grabbed an astronomy book from the library and headed back out, sat on the chair again, and stopped when he found a picture of the moon (and explaining to me that there were "holes" in it, which I told him were called craters).

We never really got to finish our little reference book expedition because we got interrupted and he ended up going to bed, but I was excited to see him not only understanding but, more importantly, appreciating and facilitating the concept of books as a place to find things out, answer questions, and make discoveries.

"It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven..." 

Psalm 89:37

Hunter is 4 years, 10 months old

Monkey Learns to Read

Tonight Hunter announced that monkey was going to learn how to read.

We sat down to read together and Hunter brought me the book, How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? To which he then proclaimed, "Monkey is going to learn how to read."

"How are you going to teach him?" I asked, curiously.

He thought about it for a minute, then said, "I will say the words, then he will say the words. And he will learn them."

Then, he sat down with the book, monkey on his lap, and starting running monkey's hands across the words.

Ah, the refreshing educational philosophy of a four-year-old.

"Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes." 

Psalm 119:12

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old 

Reading, Reading...

I still can't believe how much Hunter is progressing in reading.

Not only is he constantly reading random words ("Windex", "Pepsi", "Purell", etc.) but he is to the point where he can basically read any text, although it still takes him a while, he's reading it!

In this picture, I was having him read me the instructions to a fridge latch (for childcare, not Hunter) while I cooked, just for fun and to keep him busy (and he sure felt important, too). He is also pretty proud of himself that he can read Christmas cards, billboards, etc. And not only can he, but he does, voluntarily, and excitedly.

It's pretty funny because he will frequently tell me, "Mom, I am reading, can't you see that?" if I move something that he was reading or "interrupt" (am talking while he silently reads something, with me totally unaware). The other day he was silently sounding out the sign "Dollar Store" while we were waiting in the car, and got upset when I started talking to him.

He (and I) sure are discovering how fun and useful reading can be, and what a big world of discovery it opens up!

"And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law." 

Joshua 8:34

Hunter is 4 years, 8 months old

Hunter Reading

Hunter is getting better at reading!

He has really taken off with his reading since we moved, I am so proud of his efforts, he has been reading a lot lately and it has been paying off. He has especially been getting better at automatically recognizing many sight words, such as to, it, have, so, etc. He learned these words by simply reading them many times, not by specifically memorizing them.

The best thing about it is that he really loves to read now. He offers to read to me more than he asks me to read to him! And that is saying something for this little boy. I'm so glad that he is finally getting to experience the joy and satisfaction of reading.

"...What is written in the law? how readest thou?" 

Luke 10:26

Hunter is 4 years, 7 months old

Hunter Reading

As I've mentioned before, Hunter has known how to read for a while. He can read a lot of whole words by sight and figured out the basics of phonics pretty much effortlessly. The problem is, he just really doesn't (usually) care to read on his own, which I can't blame him for. He LOVES being read to and will ask for many, many books each day, but reading them on his own is just a little too, um, slow.

I haven't really worried about it but, I know how important reading is and have been thinking of ways to motivate him to practice reading so he can become more fluent. I know that once he gets started, there will be no stopping him.

So I've been having him read to me every day, preferably twice or more. At first he was a little reluctant but after less than a week, he has become very excited about reading aloud to me. I hung a sticker chart on his dresser and he gets to put a sticker on it for every book he reads.

The book he read in this video - the Bob Book series' "Muff and Ruff" - has been his book of choice for three days in a row. It was his fourth time reading it. It is wonderful to see how quickly he has progressed even in just a few days, and is reading words much more quickly and only sounding out occasionally.

"...and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them"

Deuteronomy 17:19

Hunter is 4 years, 4 months old

Read, read, read...

Hunter reading from a phonics reader, inspired to earn stickers on his new reading chart.

This book, by Son Light curriculum, has a lot of funny stories and ends with your child reading at a about 2nd grade level. He really likes this one nowadays and has been really inspired to read.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

2 Timothy 2:15

Hunter is 4 years, 4 months old

Reading

Hunter has known how to read for a while now. He knows many whole words, the basic rules of phonics, and has had lots of exposure to words being pointed out, and lots of practice sounding out new words.

But, he doesn't always like to read on his own much. As he's still just learning, the process is still a little too slow for him and so he would rather that I just read it for him.

However, since he hasn't been taking as long of naps lately (he usually only sleeps for an hour or less, whereas he used to sleep for two or more) I came up with an idea that would facilitate his changing sleep habits, as well as motivate him to read on his own more.

It's pretty simple: I told him that, when he's a big boy and can read by himself, he doesn't have to take naps anymore, and instead of sleeping with the babies he gets to stay up and quietly read books. And of course, being the anti-nap fanatic that he is, he gladly accepted the offer (and informed me that, "Mommy, I can read!")

So today he laid in bed and quietly read Bob Books, and a few other story books for an hour or so. It works really nicely because, I really need that afternoon quiet time. And, he needs some quiet time too. Plus, he is learning how to read better, and that, I am very excited about.

"And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life..."

Deuteronomy 17:19

Hunter is 4 years, 2 months old

First Word

Today was the first time Hunter spontaneously read a word that he saw in a public place. Yes, he's read plenty of words before now but ever since I first started teaching him to read, I always thought that as he learned more words, he would see one of them somewhere (say, on a sign, or label, or license plate, etc.) and excitedly shout out, "Mom! That says... (fill in the blank)."

But, it never really happened that way. Oh, I've waited for it, but Hunter is pretty reserved about his reading abilities and doesn't care much to show other people what he knows.

However, today while we were at the park we had to make an emergency stop to the park restroom. He was following me as I started to walk in when all of the sudden he stopped and said, "Wait!"

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"That's the women's bathroom. I need to go in the men's."

To my surprise, there was no lady-in-a-skirt symbol anywhere around, but simply the word "WOMEN" written on the door.

I explained to him that, since he is a little boy, he must go with his mommy in public restrooms because it's not safe for him to go by himself, but that when he is bigger - when he is a "man" - he will go in the men's restroom by himself.

Then I proceeded to congratulate him and make a big deal about how he read the word all on his own, and he was all smiles and very proud of himself. I don't recall ever explicitly teaching him this word, but I have pointed it out and read it for him many times before, as I point out and read many other words we see around the neighborhood. It was an encouragement that, yes, children will learn, if not always at the pace or in the way that we think it "ought" to be, they're still learning, and probably more than we can ever measure or know.

"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul... And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates..."

Deuteronomy 11:18-20

Hunter is 4 years, 1 month old

Listening to a Story

This is the boys (Hunter and my nephews), sitting quietly on the alphabet mat, listening to Danny and the Dinosaur being read aloud.

And I'm wondering to myself, How on earth did they all get so big?

"Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth."

Proverbs 7:24

Hunter is 4 years, 1 month old

Playing with Letters

Hunter loves this old leap frog toy someone gave him a while ago. It doesn't work all that great but he has a lot of fun, and he really enjoys using all the magnetic letters to form the words.

With it he has been figuring out a lot of phonics, sounding out words and having a great time in general exploring the written language.

"Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king."

2 Chronicles 34:18

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Quantum Leap Pad

Yesterday Hunter's aunt gave him her old Quantum Leap Pad and a couple of books to go with it. He has been playing with it ever since and really enjoying it, especially the geography book.

In times past I used to be really "anti-electronics" for little kids, not in the sense of being borderline Amish or anything but just having a thing against all the computer and TV learning ware that is on the market for little kids all the way down to newborns. I read Endangered Minds by Jane M. Healy when I was pregnant with Hunter and although there was some things in that book that were good (like the fact that kids who are constantly bombarded with loud, obnoxious television and other media for many hours a day may have some trouble learning in the real world, that is, in real books the letter A doesn't dance up and down and morph into an apple then into an airplane then fly off the screen, accompanied by flashing lights and fast-paced music, all in under 5 seconds flat) but there were a lot of premises in the book that were off, like the idea that when kids watch any type of media they are virtually in "zombie mode" and aren't learning anything, just being mesmerized by all the ruckus.

But now I know that kids can, and do, learn from just about anything. There are a great many people who simply refuse to believe that kids could learn to read from the TV but it happens all the time, and many kids are picking up words and figuring out reading on their own as the result of the TV. Now I don't in any way propose that we sit down our preschoolers to four hours a day of good ol' "educational TV" on PBS, and would much rather have my son playing with blocks or running around outside than watching TV. Hunter rarely, maybe once a week, watches any videos, other than maybe 15 minutes a day of foreign language immersion. But with that said, I do believe that kids can and do learn from just about anything, and pick up an amazing amount of information from their environment. I still would rather him use his imagination and be building and creating when he plays, but a limited amount of play with an electronic box can nonetheless be beneficial.

So, back to the Quantum Leap Pad. He loves the world geography book, and that's the main thing he's been playing with. In this small book they have all the countries and their flags (over 200), the states of the USA, continents and oceans, and tons of other stuff. You can learn how to say "hello" in the languages of Asia, Europe, or Africa. You can learn about longitude and latitude and about different seas, gulfs, rivers, and landmarks. You can learn each country's capital, national anthem, it's population and land area, things about its economy and people, etc. Some things I've heard coming out of this little box of plastic and wires are things like "Vexillology is the study of flags" and "You could fill 160 Olympic-sized swimming pools with the olive oil Spain produces each year." There are lots of games and challenges and it's a great way to review all the geography facts he's learned as well as learning new things. It's supposed to be for ages 8 and up but he didn't have any problem navigating the system.

There were two other books that he was given, one was a sample book (that's the one that comes with the system) with all kinds of stuff like the bones of the body, planets, multiplication, parts of speech, and presidents of the USA. The other book he got was 3rd grade math, which as soon as he's done learning all his numerals he will be able to use.

I do prefer to be learning with him, having lots of face-to-face interaction, learning by doing, etc. But for those times when that's not possible, it sure is nice to have fun toys that teach like this!

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us... That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations... O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth..."

Psalm 67:1-2, 4

Hunter is 3 years, 8 months old

Rhyming Words Matching Game

Recently I came up with a game to play with Hunter to help him with reading. As I mentioned in another post, Hunter had been mixing up words that started with the same letter, like calling "car" "Crystal" simply because it began with his old friend "c".

One game we've been playing to help him pay more attention to all the letters of a word has been a matching game. He really likes rhyming lately so I printed out some sets of cards that all rhyme with each other. We've being doing words that end in -at and also -op.

He really likes this game. It's easy for him, but at the same time you can really see his little "wheels turning" as he carefully chooses the correct match, as he has to pay attention to detail because most words are only one letter different than each other.

I printed out lots of words that rhyme, but only did three matches at a time to keep the game short and sweet, keeping in mind the cardinal rule of teaching - always stop before your child wants to stop.

He usually wants to go through several rounds. It keeps it interesting that we switch the words each round.

These of course aren't the only reading words we're learning. We're still learning words like "substantial" and "Mississippi". But playing this game will help him learn to pay attention to all the letters in a word as well as assist him in figuring out the rules of phonics by seeing phonemes used in context. And of course, it's a greatly fun concentration game.

"What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"

Job 7:17

Hunter is 3 years, 7 months old

Book Worm

Lost in Green Eggs and Ham

Here's Hunter, my little book worm, who recently discovered a library of Dr. Seuss books in the basement and enjoys the pictures.

He is starting to be able to read a lot of the words in such books and I keep reminding him that pretty soon he'll be able to read books all by himself. He sure loves reading, I can't wait till he gets off the ground with it - I know that when he does, he'll soar.

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ"

Ephesians 3:4

Hunter is 3 years, 5 months old