How can I teach my child to read? He memorizes the stories!

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As you know, I homeschool my child. He is doing great so far, he's very smart. One small issue that I am trying to figure out is how to teach him to read. The problem is that he "memorizes" everything...So when I read a book to him, and then he wants to attempt to read it, I get all excited that he's reading...UNTIL I realize that he's not really reading the words, but he has just MEMORIZED the book...So he's looking at the page, is "reading" or so I think...then he looks away from the book and continues "reciting" the rest of the words...

How did you learn to read? Honestly, I don't even remember anymore. I have heard that phonics is the way to go with AS/HFA, but then I've heard that word recognition is better (memorizing the words)...but what if he instead memorizes the sentences? Seems that's what he does for everything...

Thanks for your help...

My oldest did the same thing. Frustrating, isn't it? I guess you just always have to get new and different books from the library!

Smart little bum!

Kris

Too funny! Yes, it is frustrating...I was getting excited thinking he was actually reading it until he looked away and I realized he had just memorized it...hmmm...

flash cards.

My daughter does this. She memorizes more than reads a book. She's only three so we give her the leeway.

I look forward to hearing what others say to this thread.

Edit: Post was irrelevant to this thread..

How old is the kid?

I didn't learn to read till I was nine.

I sucessfully faked it for the three years preceeding. . . that's how ashamed I was. My family is dumb some ways.

Some people, well. . . we just have our own time. That same year I started, I was reading Shakespeare.

So just, read to him a lot- good stuff- and don't worry too much. . .

Here's my dilema and I truly appreciate all the different viewpoints...that's why I post here...

Since he was about 1 1/2 we kept telling doctors that something was "different"...of course, they all dismissed our claims.
It was not until he was 5 that a pediatrician finally listened to us...after 4 different pediatricians.

With that said, I do homeschool him and in many ways "unschool" him. Unschooling is the belief that children learn at their own pace, that when they are interested in something, they will take the time to learn it, etc...and in my heart I truly believe that. He has shown great progress in academics with the unschooling approach when it comes to learning such things as the names of the states, finding them in maps, the globe, etc...learning about animals, their habitats, etc...learning the planets, identifying them, etc...numbers, the alphabet, etc...however, when I realized that in reading he was memorizing, although he pretended to be reading (like he actually wanted to read a book...), that worried me. He is only 6, and of course, where we live most kids go to private schools and are reading at the age of 4...which I honestly find a little crazy, unless the child actually wants to learn to read (my unschooling philosophy coming through)...but at the same time, because of all the time we lost, I am constantly attempting to balance which areas I should "unschool" him in vs. which areas I need to attempt to "teach" him because those things are more difficult for him.

Similar to social stories which I'm told to read to him...I do, and actually, I don't think he much needs them because he is very polite, social, etc...but he enjoys the books anyway, so no loss in reinforcement and it's reading anyway...

Anyway, any feedback is greatly appreciated...it gives me options to try or "not" try with him, as the last post stated...right now, I do feel like I'm in a race against time lost in some areas, more than anything his communication, which I feel is very important to him as well, because as he learns to communicate more with us, he is a happier boy...

*shakes head*

pressure to read made some of my worst childhood memories. . . I wanted it more than anything, except maybe to dance and make music. . . ideally out in the hills. . . and come to think of it, all of those loves have stuck to me.

Being read to, on the other hand, made most of my best ones. . .

Good luck.

It's always hard to let little ones follow their own stars, especially in a world like this. . .

But good luck, either way.

Perhaps I'd have learned faster if someone were trying to teach. . . and I would have loved that.

I have a nefiew who didn't learn till he discovered text adventure games. . .

Ah yes, dancing, singing and music...his true loves as well!

Edit: Post was irrelevant to this thread.

Although I do agree that he needs some basics, these basics are acquired through his homeschooling. In addition, where we live, we're allowed to homeschool as we see fit, so I'm thankful for that. I do believe that a parent's top job is to know their child better than their teachers or doctors...and that is what we strive for every single day.

With that said, my view of unschooling vs. traditional school vs. homeschooling is a separate issue, which we all as parents should have a right to pursue as we see fit. I think all of us as parents have different perspectives and I do appreciate your interest and perspective as well.

Just to give you an overview, we have an art table with all supplies you can think of in our open plan kitchen/family/breakfast area to which he has access at anytime. Actually, even our neighbors who are "schooled" love coming over because they are able to play and do art without the expectation that what they make must look like X, Y or Z...We spend lots of time there because he enjoys it.

Music? He has perfect pitch...He has a box full of musical instruments, we sing and dance just about everyday and he also performs for us constantly, and actually anyone who visits because he loves music so much. We're constantly told he has a great voice and well, he does...he has perfect pitch. Ah yes, he's learned DO RE MI...and is always making a music sheet and putting the dots on the correct lines for each note...pretty cute...

Math? At the age of 3 he knew all numbers through 100 in both spanish and english. He also could do simple calculations of addition and subtraction, not because we made him do it, but because he had video games with addition and subtraction which he loved...so he learned them well.

As far as a different way of thinking, it's very interesting because one of the things that doctors tell us is that he doesn't play with all his toys or things in the way in which they were intended...oh so very true! haha...He actually makes all kinds of things and plays with things in both the intended way or in a different way because he uses his imagination and we do not make him play with things in a specific way. He loves building bridges and sometimes that means that he takes out everything out of our file boxes to use them to prop up his bridges, etc...but we enjoy that he's thinking outside the box...it is a great attribute and skill to have.

My concern as posted here is the speech/reading...because I do believe he needs to be able to communicate...We considered school for this same issue, however, the school doesn't and cannot guarantee to us that what they do to teach him will make him learn it...therefore, we also have no guarantee that what we do will teach him. All we can do is get different perspectives, try different approaches in the hopes that one of those approaches works well for him...and that is what we do on a daily basis.

Again, I do believe there are many correct ways to do things...but at the same time, every child is different and the opportunity we have to tailor his schooling to his abilities is a wonderful thing. Sadly, in the schools where we live they do not look at the different learning abilities, but expect all children to learn all subjects in the same manner, which as far as I'm concerned is not fair to anyone who learns in a different way.

Anyway, again, I thank you for your concern...but I do have to say that we spend our days and nights attempting to figure him out to help him in the best way we possibly can, so that he can succeed in life.

By the way, I do know there are great concerns about schooling/homeschooling/unschooling even in the medical community. Amazingly enough, all doctors we've seen have told us he must go to school to learn, but once they test him, they all have told us he is way ahead in most subjects...except of course his speech, for which we do have a speech therapist that works with him twice a week, as suggested by the doctors...and I also practice everything he learns at speech therapy at home with him.

Meanwhile, I now know that our book library will continue to grow...hehe...It seems it gets bigger everyday, but now I see why...and I guess, it's always good to have lots of books...Just last week I ordered another 10 or so from Amazon...

actually, memorizing the stories is a great first step to reading. It means he is focusing more on the content, but perhaps ignoring or paying less attention to the visual information. Which is actually easier to teach than vise versa, in my experience.

How old is he?

He's 6...

By the way, if I wouldn't trade that munchkin for anything in the world...

My son was memorising complete books before the age of 2 but by the time he started primary school he was 'reading' way ahead of his years.

Memorising books was a good way for my son to learn because he learnt to recognise the words he'd memorised in other texts.

Try to steer clear of just a couple of books - lots of variety is the key, and it's an added bonus of course if they enjoy it.

My son is determined to be the next Stephen King or James Herbert.

Good luck with your littleun!