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Where Does it Rain? On the plain, on the plain!
- 2 May, 2017
- Posted by: Katrina Casey
- Category: Reading
Recently, my father and I went to see the musical, ‘My Fair Lady’ and it was brilliant!!
We went to a matinee on a Sunday, after hosting a family reunion the night before, and so to say we were feeling a little bit tired, is a huge understatement. I was worried I wouldn’t stay awake!
But stay awake we did! We were enthralled from the very beginning. The acting was magnificent and the singing was amazing. The production brought back so many childhood memories of watching the movie and singing the songs, endlessly for weeks later. I felt it was only appropriate that I carry on such a childhood tradition, and for days, broke into random songs from the stage show, just for my husband’s enjoyment!
But I was not only immersed in the show because of the singing and acting, I was immersed because of the underlying messages that resonated with me. Eliza Doolittle, was a poor flower girl, whose command of the English language was truly appalling. But as we know, under the tutelage of Professor Higgins, and the kindness of the Colonel Hugh Pickering, Eliza was transformed as a lady, due mostly to her new ability to articulate precisely and to dress appropriately.
Interestingly enough, such a transformation did not occur over night! It took, wait for it, months and months of practice!!! It also took someone by her side to consistently pronounce the words correctly, and to encourage her, all be it rather unkindly at times, to keep at it – to keep practising.
Professor Higgins had the knowledge. He knew what Eliza had to do and he showed her what she had to do. Higgins did not share his great wealth of phonetics with her, and painfully teach her the reasons behind the way words are pronounced in such a way. It wasn’t necessary. He just showed her! Eliza for her part, had to practise, practise, practise.
So it is just like teaching a child to read with BORN2READ®. They don’t need to know all the rules of phonics or know how to read a list of random words, before they begin the reading process. They need to be immersed in the process, and to practise, with someone by their side. From this immersion, the rules of phonics can be taught, and the high frequency words will become familiar. They need someone who can read, to be with them on the journey, consistently, for ten minutes a day, five days a week.
This process may take months, for some, even years, but as Eliza Doolittle tells Henry Higgins, ‘just you wait Henry Higgins, just you wait’. The outcome is truly worth the work.
BORN2READ® is the culmination for research and experience. I have written the stories based on this knowledge and experience, so you can be assured that the readers will engage you and your child, making reading fun. You can also be assured, that with practice and support from you, your child will learn to read – just you wait!
Until next time,
Best wishes,
Katrina
PS For just $9.95 per month, you and your children can enjoy over 550 levelled reading books – far less than a bunch of flowers from Eliza. And like Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering, we are here to help! Email or phone or click here to sign up – we are on this journey with you!
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