I found this is my “memoirs” folder on my computer. It was written “a few years ago” about my younger son, the political economy major. He certainly doesn’t demonstrate ANY problems with reading comprehension anymore. In fact, he just told us that he heard all the news about the book “Twilight” and decided that he was old enough to read it. He read the entire series in two days, just before finals week. (Begs the question, though, why he wasn’t studying….)
Date: Apr 4, 2000
I have been very concerned about my 10 yo ds’s reading comprehension.
When I quizzed him on Charlotte’s Web this week, he only got 5 out of 10 questions right. (I used Scholastic’s Reading Counts software – we had added this book as additional reading.) Any way – HE STUNK!
So, I read in Beechick’s book. She says that reading comprehension is overrated. That if they laugh at parts of books, that means they are comprehending. So I thought maybe he was OK. But I was feeling like a failure that my kid can’t understand a simple child’s book!
Last night, while at baseball practice devotions (we are on a Christian baseball team) the boys were all discussing tithing. My 10 yo says to the team, “Yes, but God doesn’t always reward us with money. It is not like some sort of Ponzi scheme! God doesn’t take your money and promise you more money in return.” WOW! We read about Ponzi last year in SL FT4! Isn’t it only a one page story in the American Adventure book? I could not believe that he remembered OR that he really understood Ponzi OR that he was able to apply that knowledge to a different situation.
Perhaps he has pretty good reading comprehension: but only when he wants to! He can understand Ponzi (I am not sure I can) but not Charlotte’s Web. Maybe we are OK.
To read about the most recent incarnation of Charles Ponzi, say hello to Bernard Madof, the $50 Billion man. Please teach your children history so they aren’t swindled as adults.
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Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
J W says:
BWAH-haha! If you had known then what you know now… I noticed the date was April 4… you should have had him doing your income taxes!
And by the way, this son of hers comprehends Jane Austen novels better than I do. I wouldn’t have touched Austen with a ten foot pole when I was his age. At the ripe old age of… well, um… just this side of vintage, I picked up my first Jane Austen novel at my Mom’s recommendation (firmly seconded by this son of Lee’s). Now, I’m the product of 12 years of public school, and 4 years of college, and… uh… some more years of life in general, but I needed a lot of help from the notes at the beginning and the end of the first Austen novel I read. I even had to do a bit of research for the third one I read. I would say I’ll take Lee’s son on any day when it comes to J. R. R. Tolkien or Issac Asimov, but I’m afraid I’d get my tush whipped soundly even then.
December 17th, 2008 at 5:19 pm