Learning to Read

I have tried a few different ways to help my children learn to read.  Some have failed and I won't try those again.  However, there are some that I just love. Some of these include Scripture Study and Summer Reading Programs.  Then there are a whole lot on my "reading shelf" in the family room currently.  We have the Book of Mormon Stories, The Friends, Zoobooks and Zoobies on the far left.  Then we have the Reading for All Learners (aka I See Sam) series in the middle three, along with the last container that has The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Lessons, the Ensigns, and Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (another good example for the last book).  I love using a mix of reading material to teach my children.

The Reading Shelf

I started the "I See Sam" series with #2 Boy from the library but at times it is hard to get the right book since you have to read them in order.  My sister ordered sets 4-8 and so I started borrowing some of the higher ones from her.  The kids have loved reading for this series.  #2 Boy is now on the second set.  Since about the time #2 Boy got done with the first set #3 Girl has been dying to start the series.  She has been my hardest child to teach reading to.  She has a harder time with learning her sounds, at least until recently.  She is starting to get those figured out.  Anyway, I thought I might try soon to start her on the series and decided that enough of my children would use the series through the years that I would just purchase the first four sets.  So the red set above is the first set (that #3 Girl is reading), the orange set is the second set (that #2 Boy is reading), and the green set is the fifth set (that #1 Girl is reading ...borrowed from my sister.)  I have loved the series and the kids are really enjoying reading through them.  As #1 Girl finished off the 4th set I asked her if she wanted to borrow more and she was so excited about.  #2 Boy was dying for me to get the second set from the library....which we started that way before we bought them.  Now, #3 Girl is reading them!  (We are still using the other lesson books and she enjoys those too.)  #3 Girl started the first book last Friday and has read it over and over again.  She reads it to herself or anyone that is willing to sit and listen to her read!  I love that she is reading it so much. She really has loved them!

#3 GIrl reading the book to #1 Girl

#3 Girl reading the book toDad

I love that my children will sit and enjoy books and I hope they always will!

Kids reading to each other

Our Sunflowers!

It has been amazing to watch these sunflowers grow! We planted them along the back fence between our irises and they are huge! We are guessing the taller ones are about 11 feet tall. It's amazing!  We are also excited to harvest the sunflower seeds to eat.

To Be

In RS this week the focus was off of this conference talk, "What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?" about the importance of "being" and not just knowing or doing.  It has gotten me thinking about how we have been asked to "BE" like Jesus.  We must come to know Him and do the things he does...and when we are knowing and doing all that we can then that is when we start to BE like Christ.  Often as I send the children off to school I ask them to make a friend, or be good, or learn a name.  However, today I felt like I should ask them what they can do to BE like Jesus.  I am interested to see what their answers are. I think I would like to focus a bit on characteristics of Christ and help the kids understand that as they DO the things that Christ has done that they can come to BE like Christ.  At RS on Sunday we also sang my favorite Children's Song from when I was growing up..."I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus."  I remember asking my mom to teach me how to play it on the piano.  My mom would sit next to me and slowly started teaching me the right hand melody.  I only learned the first few lines....I still have those lines memorized.   I feel like this song still applies so well to what I am trying to be...I am still trying to be like Jesus.