As a mother of 2 - 7-year old Donovan and 22-year old Darren, I knew early on in their lives that I would not leave their education totally up to the schools and teachers. I decided that I would give these kids an edge in life, in their education. I'm just an ordinary, everyday, 'run-of-the-mill' mother who struggles like everyone else. I only have a high-school diploma and 2 years of college but I have great hopes and dreams for my 2 boys. This is what I did to give them "the edge"!

I began reading to my sons while they were fresh out of the womb. I believe that reading to them often, singing to them and talking to them (not in baby language), truly gives them the edge that they will need in life. The experts say that a child's mind developes and learns quickly and gets the bulk of knowledge between ages 0 - 3 years...I believe them! I knew that somewhere in the back of those tiny little heads, that information was being stored for later use.

Now, at first, my mom thought that I was lunatic when she'd learned that my 18-month old not only knew his ABC's but could count to 20. A little after he'd passed 3 1/2, he was counting well passed 100. He'd learned all of the planets, most of the presidents, all of the states (their location on an empty map) and most of their capitals, could spell the months and days of the week and so much more! By the time they began preschool, the could recognize and spell small 3 and 4 letter words. I would read to them everyday.

The first thing I did was purchased a mat (from Wal-mart) with the ABC's on them and the ABC's would all correspond with names of animals that began with those letters. I also purchased flash cards (same place) that has everyday words on them. Once they began recognizing and spelling those everyday words, they began reading like little pros!

It really wasn't hard work at all! It pays off in HUGE dividends. Both my sons have been at THE top of their class - not just 'one of the top' in their class! And you know what...they love it! The 22-year old could write his name in cursive just after turning 4 years of age. They both are excellent in math, English and especially reading. My older son, even today, reads all kinds of books. Everywhere he goes, if there's a magazine or literature around, he will pick it up to read. It makes your kids well-rounded. My 7 year old is an advid reader as well. He's been tested at school and in the first grade, his reading was 3.8 meaning he reads on a third-grade level, 8 months into school. He's now in 2nd grade and his reading average is 4.6 which means he reads on a 4th-grade level, 6 months into school. His overall reading grade for the year is 104.6%. His overall spelling grade is 110% and math is 99%. Great speller! He earns 100s 99% of the time!

Thing is, your child can do it too! Don't waste your money on the expensive stuff, just go to Wal-mart, K-mart or retailers such as these and purchase the flash cards for spelling, counting, multiplying, etc. The 7-year old has known the entire multiplications (1 - 12) since beginning school last year, so, just before he started 2nd grade! It's not that he's a genius, it's just that I started small and kept teaching until I had no more to teach him for his age. I've even begun teaching him geometry - 6th grade level and he can actually work most of the problems that I give him. He has grasped the concept! Amazing that when you teach and teach them, the concepts of these classes become so easy for them to grasp!

Most importantly, read to your child each and every day WITHOUT FAIL! And, when they began reading on their own, make them read at least 45 minutes a day.

I've purchased the Scholastic dictionary, encyclopedia and many chapter books for him to read. He has to read on the weekend as well. He's learned so many "fun facts" and he knows quite a bit about just about any subject you ask whether it's about animals, people, places or things. He amazes me most times. My older son is the same.

I remember when he first began kindergarten in Nashville, TN, the teacher asked me to come in so that she could talk to me. I couldn't imagine what on earth she wanted because I knew that he couldn't be misbehaving - he knows I don't stand for it!

Well, she said, 'I have just one thing to say...I'm dumbfound'! She said that she'd asked the children to get the magazines she had on the bookshelf and to cut out pictures and make a collage. She wanted them to write a story based soley on the pictures they saw. Well, my son got a magazine "People" and took it up to her and actually started reading it - small words, big words and all! She was so stunned that she had to call me in to tell me.

My 7-year old had a teacher who had the same reaction! He'd begun private school here in Memphis, TN when he was in what they call "Pre-K" (kindergarten). She told me one day, 'Ms. Ballard, Donovan can read'. I said 'uh-huh'. She said, 'No, Ms. Ballard, I mean that he can REALLY read'! I said, 'yeah, I know...I'm the one who taught him'. I then told her how he knows the names of the planets, presidents, states, capitals, months, days of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance,etc. She said 'Well give you self a pat on the back...that is just awesome, fantastic'!

As I mentioned before, it's really not hard. Other tips that I recommend is to point, a lot, to objects when children first began "small talk". They will pick up on lots of words this way. Their vocabulary will soar! My son and I would drive by signs on the way to school and to work and say and spell words on regular street signs or think of synonyms for words or homophones.

One way that would get your child to view reading as fun is to get them a personalized books. These books have the child's name written into the storyline. That child will not be able to put the book down. If they can't read, I'll bet that they'd TRY to read it and once they learn how to read that book, they will not put it down! I just wished that I'd known about these children's personalized books when my sons were small and didn't know how to read or were just beginning to read! I would've gotten a complete library of them!

I just love teaching my kids new things and it's a joy to see them really "get it"! I would love to help you help your child to read. It, to me, brings lots of satisfaction. Please email me at beverly_ballard@hotmail.com and I can tell you how to order these books. There are lots and lots of titles from which to choose and I'm sure that there's a title to suit your needs.

Keep up the work the work and the foundation that you may have set already and remember, the key is to R-E-A-D, R-E-A-D, R-E-A-D!!!!

My name is Beverly Ballard and I am a single mother of 2 sons - a 7-year old and a 22-year old. I'm a working mother and I am the licensee of children's personalized books. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN and moved from Nashville, TN when I divorced my first son's father.

I love seeing the joy of a child whose first learning to read! Reading makes children well-rounded in all subjects! Other subjects will just "fall in place" once they become advid readers.

I've been told more times than not that I should have been a teacher. Although I love teaching my kids, I just didn't think that "teaching" was my calling. I've offered help to my son's mother-in-law who has a child who doesn't read and he is age 7 just like my son. When she's around, she gets a book and asks my 7-year old to read to her! It's very heart-breaking because I know that this child is every bit as bright as Donovan. I've offered to tutor her child on Saturdays so that I could teach her to read and my only request was that the monther bring the child to me and that I would return her. "No takers