Then, towards the end of her piece, I read the comment about her "forcing phonics on my 18-month-old so that I could brag".
How bizarre. It seems then, that the mum has gone from one extreme to another - both extremes surely unnecessary and not advisable.
It's just a normal and acceptable thing to do to introduce 3+ year olds to letters and sounds, to play with magnetic letters on the fridge and to notice environmental print (and numbers). And this has been the case for many years for any parent and child. What's the big deal?
I suggest it becomes a big deal when a parent feels the compulsion to avoid phonics and to see phonics as such a negative issue. This is very sad indeed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/m ... 1444c0ed59
I have to add, however, that the mum is teaching her son about books and reading which are essential parts of teaching/learning to read. Well done on that score - but please don't be yet another anti-phonics person - so misguided!Mum Explains Why She Isn’t Teaching Her Son To Read Yet Because He Has More important Things To Do
‘He’s too busy learning other things.’