Connor can read: Phonics and Reading with McGuffey

Sometime ago, my friend who runs a blog called Figur8 wrote about an app called Phonics and Reading with McGuffey.  I clicked on it and saw it was free for a limited time period.  So I figured what the heck... and downloaded it onto the iPad for my little man.

Now, I had wanted to start him on reading last year but with his speech therapy, I was advised to put that on hold.  Why?  Because we had to work on his understanding of language first before teaching him how to recognise the symbols for that language.  Gotta learn to walk before you can run.  So I put aside all thoughts of teaching him to read and focused on teaching him how to talk properly first.

A year later and now-we-can't-shut-Connor-up later, I decided to try reading again.  I dunno if it's just my inadequacies as a teacher or something but Connor was NOT interested.  At all.  Luckily the app appeared.

I tried the app out first and found it utterly BORING.  It was so dreary.  The flat voice-over almost killed me with boredom.  Bleh.  I handed it to my son anyway.  Who of course found it the most amazing, absorbing, interesting app he'd ever had.

He played with it a lot.  I don't mind him playing with educational apps.  And of course the inevitable happened.

Connor somehow taught himself to read with the help of the app.

Ta-dah!

How did I know?  Well, because he began reading out things to me.  I was SO thrilled!  Dear Hubby and I thought they must have been teaching phonics and stuff at school.  We thought what he learnt at school + the iPad app = him reading

Until today that is.   I was asking Teacher how Connor was doing and she said he's doing fine.  She then asked me, "Are you teaching him to read at home?"  I said, "Oh not really but he has this phonics app on the iPad that he really enjoys.  Why?" "Because he can read.  We don't really teach phonics now in Nursery, just letter sounds for a few letters but not whole word phonics.  So I was surprised when he could read."  She went on to describe the times Connor would read stuff out in class after sounding it phonetically himself.

And you know what?  I felt really happy.  Utterly relieved.  My son, who could not talk properly a year plus ago, can read.  And he taught himself how to do it.

When we first started seeing Mario for speech therapy, I had worried and worried if Connor was slow and would need help in school later.  Mario was surprised I even thought that, he said no, it was obvious Connor was quite bright.  Just not talking.  Not talking is not the same as un-bright.  Not talking just means not talking.

So now at night, my son reads me a bedtime story before he goes to bed.  It used to be just me reading to him.  I pick books geared at beginners and he reads them to me.  He needs help on more complicated words but he's working on it.  I still read to him of course... I read him the more difficult stories.

Try this app if you're looking for a phonics app for your child.  It really helped Connor and he really enjoys it.

iPad Apps for Kids: Kids Mandarin

Even before Connor was born, Dear Hubby and I were determined to have Connor learn Mandarin. Me, because I wanted him to know his cultural heritage, something I never did being the banana that I am. Dear Hubby, because he sees China as an economic power and boy, it would be nice to visit Connor when he's grown up and working in Shanghai!

I downloaded this Mandarin app for Connor when we got the iPad. It's called Kids Mandarin. We have version 1 where they show flashcards in categories such as food, animals, body parts, colours etc. There is a matching game for each category that kids can play.

To my surprise, Connor really liked the app. He played with it everyday. That's a start. I hated Mandarin classes as a child and never got anywhere with the language which is why I can only speak very basic Mandarin now and can't read/write it.

One night, I was dressing Connor in his jammies, getting ready for bed. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when Connor suddenly reached up, grabbed my ear and said, "Er duo!" (Mandarin for "ear") Then he touched his eyes and sang out, "Yan ching!" Whoa. Mummy was floored. I clapped and clapped. "Very good, Connor! That's absolutely right!"

His 1st four Chinese words were ear, eyes, sushi and.... hippopotamus. A hippo is called he ma in Mandarin and much less of a mouthful for a 2yo than hippopotamus. He ma is literally "river horse", the same as the ancient Greek name for this animal.

Last night, he grabbed my cookie and said "Ping kan!" Brilliant app or what. He already knows more words than I do. Good starter app for kids to pick up some words in Mandarin and pique their interest in the language. I'll get Kids Mandarin 2 once Dear Hubby sorts out his credit card for the iPad.



*banana = local term for someone of Chinese descent who speaks mainly English and is largely ignorant of Chinese culture... yellow on the outside, white on the inside.. banana!

Apps for children with special needs

When I wrote about how useful the iPad was for entertaining Connor, a mum wrote in saying she'd found several apps that were very helpful for her autistic son.

I went a-clicking on the web and came across this page which could be of some use to iPad-toting mums who have children with special needs. It's a list of 5 apps designed for children with special needs in mind.

Hope it helps!