In which I give myself a pep talk about my not-yet-reading 6 year olds

I texted Danny today, "Sometimes teaching reading to 6 year old boys is like trying to make a bouncy house literate."

I was teaching them separately today-- not something I always do.  

I know it eventually sticks and they pick it up with good momentum.  But oh my.  

Today I had to remind myself all children are different and they will get it when they're ready.  And until then, we keep trying.

In addition to teaching reading daily and reading during Power of an Hour:

• We raise our children in a very language/literature-rich home.

• We make up poems, limericks, and alliteration while doing dishes.

• We play reading games while on walks, while driving in the van, and shopping.

• We read scriptures with them daily.  We discuss the stories and teachings.

• I read picture books by request when asked-- unless I've got a dire situation usually involving poop.

• I read classics (currently Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott) or their favorite history curriculum (Story of the World) to them every night for about an hour.  

• Reading children and non-reading children can be found throughout our home absorbed in books at any given moment.  We LOVE books!

Of my four readers:

* One could read the scriptures at 5 1/2.

* One didn't appear to know how to read and was suddenly reading all the chapter books in the house at 6 1/2.

* One I really struggled with at 5 1/2 while his little brother read all the words in the background which further frustrated the budding reader-- but at 7 you never would've guessed he had any struggle at all.

* And one randomly started reading at 22 months.

I think these little buddies will get it.  I'll keep telling myself that and giving them opportunities to succeed.