I recorded my monthly podcast interview last week, and even though we went over the script together four or five times beforehand, getting it right each time, when it came to the actual recording we still ended up winging a good chunk of it live.
Funny how that works. You can go over something again and again and still not have it nailed down.
It’s the same with reading. So many of the strategies used in schools lean on repetition, the same sounds, the same words, the same drills, over and over, expecting it to eventually stick. For a lot of kids, it just doesn’t work that way, no matter how many times you run it.
This week’s story is about one of those kids.
Six months ago, a boy I worked with, who’s homeschooled by his mum, was convinced he would never learn to read. His mum was extremely worried he wouldn’t either, no matter how hard she tried to help him.
This week he read me a passage out loud, online. A different voice for every character. Not one stumble.
He follows his own Lego instructions now. No one reading them out to him. He keeps up with his mates in the Minecraft chat, reading and typing right back.
Six months ago, every bit of that was out of reach.
And the best bit? His mum says his confidence has grown so much, he doesn’t feel stupid anymore.
This is what independent reading actually looks like. Not more repetition. A different approach, one that actually fits how his mind works. Now he can get on and use it himself. For life.
If any of this sounds like your child, or even yourself, I’ve got a good place to start. It’s a free two minute quiz, What’s actually going on with your child’s learning. It names the pattern you’re seeing, tells you whether it’s nothing much to worry about or a struggle that has a reason behind it, and finally gives you some clarity.
