HAPPY HAPPY DAY!!!!

The day has arrived that I NEVER thought would come.  Alli is starting to read!!! 

Now, when i say NEVER that sounds like an exaggeration, but believe me when I say that I really did have doubts about this event ever happening.  Our progression to this day has been somewhat long and painful.  I realized early on that Alli did NOT care about learning. Even as young as 2, I could sit and read books to her for hours, but if i ever said, "Alli, can you point to the cat?"  she would turn off completely and tell me to just read to her. If I ever had the audacity to ask her if she knew a letter or sound she would get really angry.    

This was one of the main reasons I chose a Waldorf school for her when she started kindergarten and the MAIN reason I decided to homeschool her after that.  Fast forward to April of first grade and Alli and I are doing math....we have a 100's chart in front of us and 

I say "85" 

 she says "8 - 5"  

I say, "yep, can you point to it?"

She stares BLANKLY at the chart

Then.....

Jill points to the number

Three days later, Alli and I are at the eye doctor.  The assistant hands Alli a piece of paper with different sized paragraphs and asks Alli to point to the place on this sheet where she can see words.  Alli says, "I cant see any words."  The letters at the bottom of the chart were  HUGE!!!  I was heartbroken for my little girl.  All this time we had spent sitting on the couch reading, no wonder she didn't care about the tiny details, she couldn't see them.

This year, for 2nd grade, she has worn glasses for all school related activities plus I have her wear them for anytime I read to her.  Although we worked on letter sounds and some sight words, she just was not GETTING it. 

(It is important to remember that the method I am using is a year behind California, so Alli is basically working on first grade topics) 

 I would say, "What word starts like LAMB" and she would say SHEEP.  Or..."Let's sound this out....SSSSSSAAAAAAATTTTTT and she would look at me like i was an alien, and Jill would say SAT!!!  I dont regret homeschooling at all, but this is SO much pressure on me, or actually, i am probably putting too much pressure on myself.  

Now, we are in week 16 of school.  I decided to bring this book home from our homeschool center just to SEE if Alli would try to read.  She does not like any Level 1 readers I try and get her to read....but this book was a huge hit for her.  She already knew about 50 words and was so excited because we sat down and she read the first 5 stories in the book by herself!!  

The minute Shane got home she wanted to read to him, then she called my parents and went over there and read to them, then she Skype'd Shane's parents so they could see....

We went on a trip to Clio this weekend and I brought the book just in case she wanted to read some more.  Well, this morning Shane and I wake up and hear Alli say to Jill, "Do you want me to read you a story?"

Shane and I snuggled in bed listening to Alli reading a book to Jill.  

Amazing!!