Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 I have homeschooled my six children for seventeen years and I think one of the best aspects of homeschooling is that you can wait until a child is ready to teach reading. There is research that early reading can lead to the child wearing glasses at a very young age. I believe each child is different and just as they don't all walk at the same age, I don't believe every toddler is potty trained at the same age either. I don't believe it has anything to do with intelligence whether a child reads early or late (I remember years ago reading about a young man who aced the SAT, but he he had not learned to read until age 10 because he just wasn't ready. He was offered scholarships at the Ivy League Colleges. I believe his name was Grant Colfax and both of his parents were teachers who moved pretty far away from civilization so they could raise their children the way they wanted to). I believe we can plant a garden with all the seeds and seedlings on the same day, and yet, not all the seedlings will sprout at the exact same time. And, thankfully, they don't all bloom at the same time. Some children are early bloomers and some are late-bloomers. I only share this because I wouldn't want moms to buy a book about babies reading to feel like a failure if their child doesn't take to it immediately. I realize the author of this book would not agree with me, and the book seems to be more about sign recognition than babies actually reading books. The school system is on a time-frame and pushes early reading, and yet we look at the stats for the schools success in this area and you will find it has been a success (and there could be side effects in some children in this push for all children to read early). Compare that with homeschoolers who often allow the child to wait until they are ready, and while they are waiting they put the time to good use. They read books about nature and real books about exciting countries and people. By the time the child is able to read they have a great foundation for loving to learn, because it wasn't force-fed to them. These two pages haev some interesting info about early reading: http://www.homeschool.com/articles/bookexcerpt/default.asp http://familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,58-21703,00.html For those interested in the research on early reading there is an older book titled something like, Better Late Than Early. There are many websites with more recent research: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1993012.stm http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/04/22/1019441223384.html Reading can damage eyes By David Wroe, Olivia Hill-DouglasApril 23 2002 Nina Cumper, 5, a voracious reader, has glasses that "stick on me like glue". Picture: SANDY SCHELTEMA The stereotype of the brainy bookworm in glasses may be more than a schoolyard myth. Researchers have found children who spend a lot of time with their noses in books may be damaging their eyes. The scientists studied 2000 Singapore children aged seven to nine over two years and found those who read more than two books a week were three times more likely to develop myopia - or shortsightedness - than their less scholarly peers. Myopia was most common in developed countries with rigorous, competitive schooling systems, said research head Seang Mei Saw, from the University of Singapore. Asian countries, Australia, Britain and the US were all facing an epidemic of myopia, she said. advertisement advertisement The idea that reading or sitting close to the television was bad for children's eyes had long been "pooh-poohed" by experts, said Sydney ophthalmologist Stephen Cains. "We've tended to feel that myopia was predominantly a genetic matter," he said. "The old story appears to be coming back to us." But the parents of Nina Cumper, five, who has worn glasses for two years, said the findings did not mean they would encourage their three children to read less. "Well, to me it seems the most important thing is to learn to read and if you end up wearing glasses, then so be it," said Cate Doherty. There just isn't a stigma to wearing glasses any more, Ms Doherty said, and other kids don't say anything about her eldest daughter's spectacles. Nina, a voracious reader, nominates Snow White as her favourite book. She's one of just two children in her prep class who wears glasses. But Nina said she is used to wearing them all the time. "They stick on me like glue," she said. And little sister Lily, three, is so impressed she wants her own pair. Ms Doherty, who wears contact lenses, and husband Steve Cumper, who said he was "blind without my glasses", were both pretty certain at least one of their children would end up wearing spectacles. The researchers found genetic factors were important. Heavy readers whose parents suffered from myopia were 10 times more likely than their peers to develop the disorder. Early findings by the Singapore team were published in The Lancet medical journal last year and further results of the research will be presented at a Sydney ophthalmology conference this week. About 40 per cent of 10-year-olds and 28 per cent of children aged seven in Singapore had some myopia, Professor Saw said. On average, children aged seven to nine read two books a week in that country. In spite of the findings it was impossible to be sure of a causal link without more research. "Most probably if you read more, you have a higher risk of myopia but I wouldn't say most definitely it was a causal relationship. We have to be pretty cautious," she said. Professor Saw has recently started a six year study to determine whether the link is causal. It was believed that focusing closely could stretch young eyeballs so that the lens did not focus light properly on the retina, she said. "There are many different theories. Maybe dopamine is involved, maybe growth factors are involved, maybe it's a hormonal influence. There is a lot of work looking at that," she said. It is unlikely to affect adults whose eyes are fully grown. Dr Cains said computer games, television and the Internet were probably no worse than print. But increasing study pressures and more time spent on computers might mean myopia would strike children at younger ages. "I think now we are starting to see myopia somewhat earlier . . . it is extending fairly well into the young adult age," he said. Professor Saw stressed the findings did not mean parents should limit the amount of time their children spent reading. More research was needed to determine the effects of posture, poor lighting and distance between the book and the eye, she said. "It wouldn't be very wise to tell people to read less," she said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 Hi, I agree that a child shouldn't be forced to learn to read, or to learn anything! I would never force Jamie to learn something (I'm homeschooling him). At the same time, you shouldn't NOT try to teach a young child/baby to read, just because YOU think he's too young. You won't know if he's ready until you try it. And if they seem interested, why not cultivate it? The Glenn Doman book specifically mentions that the children who they taught to read early really do comprehend what they read - they are not just making the sounds or recognize the signs. They really are reading! That is part of the teaching method. love Lisa - arobert6 herbal remedies Friday, May 21, 2004 6:10 AM Herbal Remedies - Teaching reading early I have homeschooled my six children for seventeen years and I think one of the best aspects of homeschooling is that you can wait until a child is ready to teach reading. There is research that early reading can lead to the child wearing glasses at a very young age. I believe each child is different and just as they don't all walk at the same age, I don't believe every toddler is potty trained at the same age either. I don't believe it has anything to do with intelligence whether a child reads early or late (I remember years ago reading about a young man who aced the SAT, but he he had not learned to read until age 10 because he just wasn't ready. He was offered scholarships at the Ivy League Colleges. I believe his name was Grant Colfax and both of his parents were teachers who moved pretty far away from civilization so they could raise their children the way they wanted to). I believe we can plant a garden with all the seeds and seedlings on the same day, and yet, not all the seedlings will sprout at the exact same time. And, thankfully, they don't all bloom at the same time. Some children are early bloomers and some are late-bloomers. I only share this because I wouldn't want moms to buy a book about babies reading to feel like a failure if their child doesn't take to it immediately. I realize the author of this book would not agree with me, and the book seems to be more about sign recognition than babies actually reading books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 I agree with you. Raymond Moore wrote 'Better Late Than Early'. He has done a lot of research on education. I use a lot of his ideas with my kids. My older two were in the school system and neither liked to read even though they were good at it. My five-year old is now showing interest in reading, but we still don't do lessons everyday. I do read to all of them, though. He has a homeschool website, too. I don't know how to hyperlink, yet. I think it is moorefoundation.com if anyone's interested. Lisa C. herbal remedies , arobert6@j... wrote: > I have homeschooled my six children for seventeen years and I think one > of the best aspects of homeschooling is that you can wait until a child > is ready to teach reading. There is research that early reading can lead > to the child wearing glasses at a very young age. I believe each child > is different and just as they don't all walk at the same age, I don't > believe every toddler is potty trained at the same age either. I don't > believe it has anything to do with intelligence whether a child reads > early or late (I remember years ago reading about a young man who aced > the SAT, but he he had not learned to read until age 10 because he just > wasn't ready. He was offered scholarships at the Ivy League Colleges. I > believe his name was Grant Colfax and both of his parents were teachers > who moved pretty far away from civilization so they could raise their > children the way they wanted to). > > I believe we can plant a garden with all the seeds and seedlings on the > same day, and yet, not all the seedlings will sprout at the exact same > time. And, thankfully, they don't all bloom at the same time. Some > children are early bloomers and some are late-bloomers. > > I only share this because I wouldn't want moms to buy a book about babies > reading to feel like a failure if their child doesn't take to it > immediately. I realize the author of this book would not agree with me, > and the book seems to be more about sign recognition than babies actually > reading books. The school system is on a time-frame and pushes early > reading, and yet we look at the stats for the schools success in this > area and you will find it has been a success (and there could be side > effects in some children in this push for all children to read early). > Compare that with homeschoolers who often allow the child to wait until > they are ready, and while they are waiting they put the time to good use. > They read books about nature and real books about exciting countries and > people. By the time the child is able to read they have a great > foundation for loving to learn, because it wasn't force-fed to them. > These two pages haev some interesting info about early reading: > http://www.homeschool.com/articles/bookexcerpt/default.asp > > http://familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,58-21703,00.html > > For those interested in the research on early reading there is an older > book titled something like, Better Late Than Early. There are many > websites with more recent research: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1993012.stm > http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/04/22/1019441223384.html > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 Perhaps the young kids that read that need glasses is because the words were too small for their little eyes. for newborns, I print at font size 300, Lisa Belcher [lisabelcher] Friday, May 21, 2004 12:49 AMherbal remedies Subject: Re: Herbal Remedies - Teaching reading early Hi, I agree that a child shouldn't be forced to learn to read, or to learn anything! I would never force Jamie to learn something (I'm homeschooling him). At the same time, you shouldn't NOT try to teach a young child/baby to read, just because YOU think he's too young. You won't know if he's ready until you try it. And if they seem interested, why not cultivate it? The Glenn Doman book specifically mentions that the children who they taught to read early really do comprehend what they read - they are not just making the sounds or recognize the signs. They really are reading! That is part of the teaching method. love Lisa - arobert6 herbal remedies Friday, May 21, 2004 6:10 AM Herbal Remedies - Teaching reading early I have homeschooled my six children for seventeen years and I think one of the best aspects of homeschooling is that you can wait until a child is ready to teach reading. There is research that early reading can lead to the child wearing glasses at a very young age. I believe each child is different and just as they don't all walk at the same age, I don't believe every toddler is potty trained at the same age either. I don't believe it has anything to do with intelligence whether a child reads early or late (I remember years ago reading about a young man who aced the SAT, but he he had not learned to read until age 10 because he just wasn't ready. He was offered scholarships at the Ivy League Colleges. I believe his name was Grant Colfax and both of his parents were teachers who moved pretty far away from civilization so they could raise their children the way they wanted to). I believe we can plant a garden with all the seeds and seedlings on the same day, and yet, not all the seedlings will sprout at the exact same time. And, thankfully, they don't all bloom at the same time. Some children are early bloomers and some are late-bloomers. I only share this because I wouldn't want moms to buy a book about babies reading to feel like a failure if their child doesn't take to it immediately. I realize the author of this book would not agree with me, and the book seems to be more about sign recognition than babies actually reading books. Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and toprescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian ShillingtonDoctor of NaturopathyDr.IanShillington ---Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).Version: 6.0.688 / Virus Database: 449 - Release 5/18/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.688 / Virus Database: 449 - Release 5/18/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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