Ain't No Phonics Good Enough

My mother and I, sitting a midst the flowers at our Charlotte home, as she teaches me to read.

She probably shouldn't-a ought-a a-done that.  But she did.  We didn't know any better.

But she did it anyways.  Taught me to read even before Kindergarten started.  And she did it by that evil, now out of favor approach - the sight method.  None of that phonics larning for us!

My mother was an avid reader.  It was easy catching the fever to read from her.  Even from early on, I was an indoors child, and by bringing a book like she did, was probably one of the only ways to get me outside.

When I was in Kindergarten, the teacher would put up letters for us to read.  Sometimes she would put them up in kind of a sentence, that probably looked random to everybody else, but I startled the teacher when I could read it back to her.

I missed the last couple of months of Kindergarten with hard measles.  I was really very  sick, coming close to death (at least per my mother).  All I could do was sit in the bed and read.  I loved it.  They were going to make me take Kindergarten over again, but I was so sick they thought there was no harm in trying to cheer me up by letting me pass.

By first grade, I was reading well enough out loud to catch everybody's attention.  In second grade, it helped me get cast as the lead in Hansel &; Gretel.  And by third grade, I was reading out loud in front of the class at story time instead of the teacher.

So phonics be damned.  My Mom taught me well, and she taught me right.  I was way ahead of my peers, and she gave me one of the greatest gifts I have - the ability to read and enjoy it.

Thank you, Mother.  Thank you for this precious gift.  I will always remember who gave me the start, and I will always treasure you.