Day 160: Fit For a King

Once upon a time when Calen was 5 and about to enter Kindergarten, we did the Hooked on Phonics program with him, hoping to give him a little bit of an edge up heading into school (so he could focus on more pressing issues, like learning to sit still and stop talking for five seconds so he could listen to his teacher). Calen was a natural, and flew through the lessons, reading at a mid-first grade level by the time school started. 

Fast forward two years, and it's the summer before Camden enters Kindergarten. We saved all the Hooked on Phonics volumes so I figured I'd do the same thing over again, after all it was so easy with Calen, this should be a breeze, right?

Wrong. 

Teaching Cam to read this summer has been the most hair pulling, eyeball gouging, excuse to drink at 10am shitshow I have ever experienced. Where Calen figured it out right away, Cam just didn't. It didn't click, and when it did, it was at a snails pace. What he mastered yesterday, he suddenly forgot the next day. We had to review the workbook from the beginning maybe twelve times before we'd finally make a two page progress. It was terrible and I hated it. 

I don't know how homeschoolers do it. Teaching one kid ONE subject was enough to make me want to jump off a cliff. 

I didn't push the issue, but did give an incentive of "if you complete this, like actually learn and complete it, I'll buy you the new Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens game" that he wanted so badly. It seemed a big enough reward was a big enough incentive for Cam, and he'd push to do more and more lessons. 

And finally, finally, today he completed Hooked on Phonics, and the world rejoices. We immediately put on shoes and headed to Gamestop to pick up his golden prize with gleeful excitement. 

And because it was such a big accomplishment and we needed a celebration fit for a king, we went to Yogurtland and got us some Super Mario frozen yogurt. 

And because that wasn't enough, I let them play Lego Star Wars all day. For hours. Uninterrupted aside from Cam's football game this evening. And then they came home and played more until ten freaking p.m. And Camden got to be the coveted Player 1. Because let's be honest, unless it's a National emergency, the older brother always gets to be player 1. This is a big deal, you guys. 

I mean, it really did deserve a big celebration. For both Cam AND me. 

Ready for some player 1 action!

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