Phonics Reading program

Cboy started First Grade today!! I am very excited that he is wearing a uniform for the first time!! He looked so cute though unethused about starting school this year. He had such a fun filled summer and thoroughly enjoyed camp.

As he goes into a more rigorous academic program, I am concerned that he may not be reading the best of his ability so...we've had to get tough and have instilled a NO TV during the school week regimen. Add THAT TO THE NO VIDEO GAMES policy we instituted last semester and I have to spend my afternoons actually engaging the kids in indoor and outdoor activities. A good chunk of our time is spent on homework, music lessons and this awesome online phonics program that is working great so far called Click and Read. When Cboy is done, I can go through the program with his brother and then pass it on to his cousin and then on to GG! It's gotten great reviews from users and educators. It's used in some schols and I am looking forward to seeing improvements in Cboy's reading speed. Right now, he is very apprehensive about his words and lacks total confidence in reading. I blame Trinidaddy and myself for letting him get too much into Television and video games and not putting reins on his usage and watching of TV early on. Add to that, Cboy, unlike Jboy, is not too keen on instructional materials. He is bright, catches on to concepts quickly, is very social, undertands complex concepts and can figure out complicated concepts, puzzles, ideas quickly and apply them appropriately, but ask him to read a book and he loses patience.

Trinidaddy and I were just now saying how this generation of children are so different from ours in terms of the options and alternatives they have access to...for good and bad! They may be more technology savvy and have access to electronic learning tools, but those same gadgets and advances make it so easy for them to lose the appreciation for a good book. It's so easy for parents to not lay down the guantlet and instill an early love of books or let the TV or video game babysit, especially during after work hours when you may just want a few moments to relax, unwind catch up on your favorite show, read blogs, get into your facebook page... Alas, I'm praying our NO TV policy works. I didn't watch television for three months and I didn't even miss it much, though I didn't read much either, but that is another story for another day! ha!