“See Spot run! Run Spot run!”
I had to have been taught the whole language garbage.
I remember being in first or second grade reading the Dick and Jane series and thinking that there were an awful lot of words to memorize and wondering how I could to it all, especially since some of the words were so big with so many letters.
I kind of sighed inside and figured it would just take time. A LONG time.
Well, fortunately, it didn't take that long and I was always a voracious reader.
Come around 10th or 11th grade, I started noticing patterns in the words and thought it would be a great idea if someone could make some rules for how to put words together based on the sounds of the letters.
When I homeschooled, I used Rod and Staff for English and reading, and their phonics program, which was for first and second grace only, was TERRIFIC.
My kids could read by the time they were five and the oldest two were terrific spellers.
My youngest wasn't as much a visual learner, so didn't read fluently quite as young, but still was a way better speller than most kids her age.
The Rod and Staff Phonic program is great.