 Reading/writing Comprehension |
| self_educator |
 Mar 31 2005, 10:13 AM
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#1
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Ok, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask or if my question will even come across clearly LOL, but here goes:
How do you teach your child to read and write so that they comprehend and aren't just memorizing? Is there something "wrong" with them memorizing, and if so what? How do I know that I grew up comprehending and not memorizing? LOL My son is only 4 and I'm in no rush to teach him to read right now, but I was just curious. I was chatting with a friend about my son writing his name (he loves to write his letters and he does know how to write his name, and he knows that it's his name) and she made a comment about making sure he comprehends the words and isn't just memorizing the way to write it (or something like that LOL) Thanks! I'm new at this and haven't even really begun haha, but I was wondering how to know I was doing it "right". Teresa 
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| hsbeliever |
Mar 31 2005, 12:22 PM
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#2
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It is a fact of life that there are certain things that we must all memorize. For example, safety requires that children memorize their addresses and phone numbers even if they don't yet comprehend the one to one correspondence of numbers. However, I think what your friend may have been referring to is the idea that children have to understand what they are learning, so they can apply them to other things. This idea or theory has really become popular for a couple of reasons, I think. First, in today's information age, there simply is too much information available to memorize it all, especially, considering that many "facts" keep changing. So, if a child knows the basic skills and understands how to apply them, that child is able to function better in the information age using those skills to acquire the information available. For example, a child can look up a state's official bird, but the child must understand and know how to use the skills to find the information. The same theory applies to spelling. My dc first memorized the spelling of his name, but when he learned what each letter really meant, what sounds each letter made, he could then, use the letters to make other words. Second, think about how many times you may have heard of someone "memorizing" something for a test and then, forgetting it after the test was over. If someone truly comprehends something, understands how and why it is useful to him/ her, then, that person has a reason to really learn it instead of only storing it temporarily in short-term memory. To me, the theory makes sense (though I'm not sure if my explanation of it did). I also agree with the quote below because I feel stongly that we each know our children and their needs better than anyone else. 
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| hsbeliever |
 Mar 31 2005, 12:24 PM
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#3
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OOPS! I put the quote above. Sorry!
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| mtbriere |
Mar 31 2005, 12:29 PM
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#4
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I so agree!! The most important thing that we can teach them is how to learn.
One thing that I have learned with 2 dds and 1 ds is that they do, in fact, learn differently. Completely. My son struggled so much in the beginning and it seemed all he could do to memorize. Finally something just clicked and his comprehension soared! But, this wasn't until the 4th grade. Don't worry, just be deligent. Kids are amazing! 
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