Words...

As I woke up this morning, in that space where my mind has kicked in and started churning the things that need doing today, but before my eyes can open, I was thinking about words. Well, I was thinking about the little girl's birthday party we're going to this morning and the fact that I always gift books. And somehow it jumped from that to adult illiteracy!

I was wondering what it would be like to live in a world excluded from words, and how that would affect every part of life. I'm sure illiteracy isn't as big of a problem in this country as it is in others (I'm speculating), but I know it still exists here, because I've seen commercials on the subject.

Think what that would be like! I couldn't write my thoughts to you, and you couldn't read them. I wouldn't be able to check out your doings in Facebook or blogs (oh my!). I couldn't read the newspaper, or read street signs while driving. I couldn't read nutrition labels, or warning labels, or instructions.

Imagine how that would put me at the mercy of those around me. Could I hold a job if I couldn't fill out an application or sign an employment contract? Not being able to read contracts, would I be scammed at every turn?

And how would I pay bills?

I'm sure there are so many other ways I would be affected that I can't even fathom. I know it would be possible to get through life without knowing how to read. It could even be possible to hide the fact that I couldn't. But what a lonely and isolated space to live!

My son is finally showing interest in learning to read. Last year's kindergarten experience probably set him back quite a bit in this area, and I've tried hard not to push him. He's almost seven. By the time I was his age I was firmly and completely lost in the world of words. He is surrounded by books in this house. I have bookshelves stuffed everywhere, and most of them are overflowing. And that doesn't even count the books I read and trade on paperbackswap, those books are kept in boxes.

He watches me chat with friends online. And he's especially interested when I'm chatting with his dad or grandma. He wants to type to them too, and I like watching him try to figure out how words should be spelled. I don't usually correct him because I don't want to color his experience with negativity, but it's interesting to me that he can read a word well, but turn around and write it completely different. It's interesting how those two things don't seem to connect in his brain.

I wonder what it would be like to not be given this opportunity to explore words. How do you get to adulthood without knowing how to read? Does it require ignoring everything in school, or is it from not attending school at all?

Words are such a consuming part of my life, I wonder what it would be like without them.

Learning to Read

My son decided to learn how to read over the weekend.  This was incredibly exciting news to me since, as you might have guessed, I love to read!  I have to explain a little about how my son operates.

He's a very cautious learner.  He tends to assume he can't do something until he's convinced he can do it well.  The most notable example of this was when he was learning to walk.  He was sure that he couldn't do it, even when he was, and as a result wouldn't let go of my finger while walking for at least two months beyond the point he could have been doing it on his own.  Even though my finger was offering him nothing more than moral support.

Likewise with reading.  He's been playing spelling games with me for months, spelling out words as a game we play in the car.  However, looking at those same letters on a page meant nothing to him because he was convinced he couldn't read.

This weekend, however, he decided he wanted to learn, so I gave him an old Dick and Jane reader I had.  Since Sunday, he has read halfway through this collection of stories, almost entirely without help.  He just decided he could, and therefore he can.  Despite the fact that these traditional readers don't pussy-foot about with phonics, or starting with 2-3 letter words, or leaving out all but the most basic punctuation.

I am most impressed with his progress.  More importantly, I am impressed with the traditional readers we grew up with, versus the crappy way that kids are being taught to read now.  Sometime soon I'll have to bore you with my theory of why one method is better than the other.  I bet you can't wait for that!

Reading

Against my better judgement I started reading a novel last night while I took a bath.  I am in the middle of another "how to" book, and that didn't fit the bill for this occasion.  There's just something about reading a self-help book that does not lend to a relaxing bath.

This novel is the second of a trilogy that I bought from a local author at an art fair.  It is obvious that the author has limited skills in storytelling and writing, however, I've read my share of books by less-than-stellar authors.  My problem with this series is the main character.

The story takes place in early 20th century England.  What I know of this period of English history (which isn't much) is that it wasn't a great time to be in the lower, working classes, and it especially wasn't a great time for working women.  

So, the main character in this book is a working class woman, which isn't so bad, but she's a MEEK working class woman.  She routinely lets the men in her life railroad her into doing and being something she doesn't want.  She looks with envy at every woman around her, including her sister.  Now this may be an accurate portrayal of what women were like during this time, but there is a reason why the best stories from that period were about strong women who bucked the system, against all odds.  There's a reason Little Women was about Jo, and not one of her younger sisters.  No one wants to hear about the daily life of an ordinary person.  How is that interesting?  We all live that every day!

Characters should be someone who we can relate to, yet that can still leave us inspired to be more, or do more, or accomplish more.  Characters should have character!  Am I wrong here?