My Baby Boy's reading


Today, a year after homeschooling, Umayr is finally reading.Alhamdulillah.
When we started, he scooted off at any effort to teach him the alphabets.
He didn't know a single one.In fact, he didn't even know his colours.

I remember getting him tested for learning disabilities and was told that he
showed symptoms of Asperger's.

We are praying now that it was just a phase as he is socialising, finding his
way around by himself and showing great dexterity in soccer unlike Asperger
kids who tend to shy away and have difficulties with balance.

At what I think were his first efforts at reading, he'd hide in a corner, fingers intensely pointing left to right at the words in the book, his
eyebrows stitched together but not a sound came out.

It must be pressurising to have a brother who read at 3 and is now reading junior classics.

Then, I'd by chance hear him reading to his sister, not all correct but it was like music to me.

Today, he read half his reader by himself in front of me and I'm really sure he's finally reading. It was part memory and part phonics as he tried to put together some words and remembered some.He also read some parts of a reader that we have never read.I hope I can remember this day always.

He's not reading Shakespeare yet, but I'm gonna take it with the flow, something
I have just started doing in the past few months, which maybe was what worked
with Umayr....

Comments

jesse_tan said…
When was he diagnosed with Asperger's? Have you brought him for any follow up or therapy sessions? I know someone whose 3yo son also has Asperger's but he's quite different from your son. He is very good at reading and maths but he just cannot join any group activities or interact with anyone outside the family.

How did Umayr progress and 'grow out' of it? I'm sure my friend would like to know.

Thanks!

Anne (Jesse's mum)
9:59 am
UmmIhsan said…
He was diagnosed as showing symptoms of Asperger's which is very wide.But as we read more on it we realise that it could have been just a stage,just as his then teachers said.

Furthermore, despite having taken him out of school, and thus a more limited social circle,he, by himself,started to talk to kids and adults that we meet outside.

So we are praying that he is just slower:)if I can use that term....

I'm not sure whether using the Montessori method played a role.I learnt to observe and follow his pace and interests.

There's no pressure to join in anything or do something he is not interested in doing.

That doesn't mean he gets away with playing his train all day.I'd like to say that I 'entice' him to what I think he is ready to learn.
11:46 am
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