Amy’s reading and writing skills have really come on in leaps and bounds recently. It’s even got to the point where Kerry and I have had to stop using the devious parenting trick of spelling out contraband conversations when we don’t want her to hear them, as she’s now able to piece together the letters and decipher the words
In an effort to prolong the possibility of a private conversation just a little bit longer we’ve now switched to using NATO’s phonetic alphabet. So for example “Shall we buy some S.W.E.E.T.S” (aka “candy” for the chronically American) has now become “Shall we buy some Sierra Whiskey Echo Echo Tango Sierra”.
This new system is all well and good, aside from the small fact that now I can’t understand what’s being said either. In fact I’m so bad at processing that particular type of information that I’m pretty sure that Amy will come to grips with it before I do. No doubt the time will come when Amy turns to her mother and says “Let’s put Dad’s Uniform Kilo Uniform Lima Echo Lima Echo in the Bravo India November without telling him”.
To illustrate my ineptitude, in order to write that last sentence I had to look at the entry for the phonetic Alphabet on the mighty Wikipedia nine times. Which wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t only ten letters. And three of three of them weren’t repeated twice.
But anyway, as I was saying, Amy’s reading and writing has really come on recently. However she’s not quite at the point where she’s started reading for your own pleasure. All that’s about to change however as, inspired by a recent tweet from Dad Who Writes, I have ordered her a new book for her birthday.
Behold its wondrousness!:
This, combined with the Beano, is the very same book that started me off reading all those years ago and I couldn’t be more ecstatic that it’s still in print. As a child I struggled with reading quite a bit, what with my dyslexia and all. But I can still remember the thrill of sitting engrossed in this hallowed tome, eager to consume every last morsel it contained.
And now I get to pass that enthusiasm and joy on to my daughter.
Of course she’ll probably just throw it into a corner and play with the Nintendo DS we’re also buying her. But a father can dream can’t he?
And just because I can’t pass up an opportunity to post this photo, I should also mention that Amy is the only one of my children that inherits a relic from my childhood. About a year ago I gave Evan Larry, my stuffed sheep that shared my bed from birth all the way through to my late teens:
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I just realised that you did the Tango Charlie stuff while you were here. I could tell you a very funny story (if I knew any), but I shall save it.
Cool book, may have to have a butchers and introduce the boy to it at some point in his future.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..Most ridiculous urination award
@SingleParentDad, We were doing the Tango Chalie stuff to hide what we were talking about from you rather than amy
Dan´s last blog ..What goes “Ha, Ha, Bonk”?
@Dan, Yeah, right. Like I pay any attention to what you say anyway.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..What is value for money?
@SingleParentDad, sorry, what was that? Did you say something?
Dan´s last blog ..What goes “Ha, Ha, Bonk”?
@Dan, Uniform papa, yankee oscar uniform romeo sierra.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..What is value for money?
I remember Ha Ha Bonk – oh, I could so make a joke now.
I love it that we can so easily pick up copies of once treasured books – abebooks.co.uk is fantastic for this.
My youngest likes the Dr Zeus / Cat in the Hat books – all still in print. They are a bit ‘love em or hate em’ but the rhyme seems to work well with Dylan.
Mark
Mark´s last blog ..Collections 8 – Moths
@Mark, I’ve also bought the kids Letters From father Christmas by J R R Tolkin and a australian book called The Magic Pudding, which I loved.
the kids are a little bit too young rfor them at the moment though.
Dan´s last blog ..What goes “Ha, Ha, Bonk”?
Hmm, was it a boy thing, as I dont remember this book at all. I will be having a look at it thoughfor MaxiMad
TheMadHouse´s last blog ..A letter to my Boys
@TheMadHouse, I don’t know how popular it was, although the author is pretty well known.
It really inspired me to read though.
Dan´s last blog ..What goes “Ha, Ha, Bonk”?
What you need to do is to invent your own phonetic alphabet based on comic book heroes. You’ll be fluent in minutes.
Steve´s last blog ..Snoring cure: £3 jab lasts a year – mirror.co.uk
@Steve, you sir are a genius, and I may well be doing that next post.
Dan´s last blog ..What goes “Ha, Ha, Bonk”?
@Dan, will Kerry understand?
Barbara´s last blog ..Now I’ve Seen It All
I remember the Ha Ha Bonk book from school. Will have to get it. My 5 year old has suddenly come on leaps and bounds with her reading.
I’ll have to try out the NATO method too.
@Laura, year 1 certainly seems to be the age for it. I’m hoping she’s going to start reading her brother bed time stories soon.
Yiu have Steve Sykes to thank for that book. He and Leslie gave it to you for Chrismas when you were six I think. It certainly brought your reading on remarkably.
@Pa, I still remember most of the jokes from it too.
still a great photo
@Arjan, possibly the best one we have of Evan, hence my wanting to repost it as much as I can.
That is a great picture. Clearly, he loves Larry.
Holmes´s last blog ..Kids. Making.
@Holmes, yes, although he likes the whoopie cushion we got him for his birthday more. That’s m’ boy.
My brain hurts after reading that. Also, what a wee dote in that photo.
Erin´s last blog ..And if you threw a (Halloween) party and invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me…
@Erin, your brain hurts reading anything doesn’t it?
Sierra Whiskey Echo Echo Tango post Dan.
Whatever that means.
Seattledad´s last blog ..A Real Treat
@Seattledad, Sweaty post? How dare you sir!
Dan´s last blog ..Pop pop pop pop pop
I have my own little version of the NATO code. It really confuses people who know the correct code and I try to spell things over the phone.
Ed´s last blog ..The Only Difference Between a Rut and a Grave…
@Ed, Stay tuned for my proposal for an all new NATO code
Dan´s last blog ..Pop pop pop pop pop
I think I mentioned on twitter that joke books have been dudelet’s enormous reading breakthrough too. Perhaps I should also look into the Ha Ha Bonk book, just for variety from Horrid Henry’s book of ‘jokes’.
Dad Who Writes´s last blog ..Tiny things I don’t ever want to forget #1
@Dad Who Writes, you did, which inspired this post.
I think Horrid Henry would put Amy off due to the masculinity unfortunately.
Dan´s last blog ..Pop pop pop pop pop
what a sweet photo of evan…
bon bon´s last blog ..dog & whiskey
@bon bon, it’s probably my favorite of him.
Dan´s last blog ..Pop pop pop pop pop
I don’t know Ha Ha Bonk but I do know Janet and Allen Ahlberg – I Spy and Peepo are both brilliant books.
Good luck with the new spelling regime. I’ve had enormous trouble trying to work out what people have been saying in their comments.
Quite amusingly though, the girl came up to me the other day and said “please can I have a c, a, q, r, o, d, t?”. We think she might have been asking for a biscuit but at 3 her spelling isn’t so great! I’m sort of worried that even though she can’t read she is already trying to spell things out.
Barbara´s last blog ..Now I’ve Seen It All