Language of the Birds

I’ve been trying to work on Troy’s reading all summer. One, to make sure that he doesn’t drop off. And two, to see if the consistency will actually help him improve his speed and confidence. We’ve also been focusing on the rules, such as an ‘e’ at the end will cause the vowel before it to name itself or two vowels together (ea) will take the name of the first vowel (e), which he’s been a lot better at. But I’ve started to really notice that Troy’s able to sound pretty much anything out without my help. Albeit in a strange and intriguing way.

I don’t understand how his brain is wired, so I can’t always understand how he gets from point A to point B. He’ll be sounding something out, making all kinds of noises, and just when I think it’s gone completely off the rails, he’ll blurt out the exactly correct word. And I’m left speechless and in awe.

Troy: “The…wi…itch…was…rah…ih…duh…ih…nah…gah…riding…on…her…bah…roo…muh…broom…on…hah…LEWAH…ali…BABBA…[clicks and popping like an African tribesman]…eee…[sounds like a monkey turning into a bird]…nah…Halloween.”
Me: “Uh, yeah, spot on. Good job, bud.”