Learning to Read

I've said before that Andy's brain functions like a file cabinet labeled with Sharpie markers. Everything must be stored in it's proper file, labeled properly. And, I've also said, Sharpie markers don't allow much room for revisions or re-labeling. That doesn't mean re-labeling can't happen, it's just a process.

For example, a couple years ago, when young Andrew was first discovering the English language and learning it by leaps and bounds, he was forced to accept that some words are forbidden to say. Naughty words, you understand. And he had filed away an entire list of forbidden words (which he would recite to anyone that asked, by the way), labeled in his brain, in Sharpie, as "Bad Words I Am Not Supposed To Say". Then, lo and behold, one day he heard Bob the Builder discussing the damage that had been done in Sunflower Valley by that mischevious scarcrow, Spud. And Andy just about came unglued - Bob had said a bad word. And when I explained to him that "damage" was not the same as "damn", the kid was perplexed. "So, I can say damage?" And as I gave permission to say the not-so-cuss-wordy word, I seriously saw him shifting the files in his head. "Damn" was still filed as bad, but "damage" was okay. Check, file, slam that cabinet door.

So it can be done.

But I knew a while ago that teaching Andy to read would be nothing like teaching Rachel to read. Rachel sounded words out, letter by letter, but Rachel also accepted the exceptions to the rules. She was also more patient with the extended rules. Like:

Rake: rrrr - ah - kkk - eh. Rack-eh. Phonetically, according to each letter's sound. You try to explain to this kid that if the word has an "e" on the end, then the vowel sounds different.

Or why "sh" makes the "shhh" sound, instead of "ss-huhu" sound. Rachel's brain just wrapped around these things much quicker and much more accepting.

But Mr. Sharpie is going to argue every step of the way.