Here is a peek inside my mind. I am learning my Dolch words. Well, I am trying to do that anyway. I didn’t even know what they were before. They are sight words. Named after Dr. Edward William Dolch who developed the list by studying the most frequently occurring words in children’s books. They consist of 80% of the words in children’s books, and 50% of the words in adult books. They are easy words. Words like, it and them and but and what and into and do and for. Except for the word “words” this last sentence is all Dolch words. The problem is that I can’t write them. I can say them, but I can’t write them. That part of my brain was damaged. It boggles my mind, pun intended, why I can’t write what I can say. But I can’t.
Do post something like this is a lot of work. For example, I wrote “do post” instead of what google suggested “To post”. I decided not to correct it as an example. But I had done that a dozen times in these paragraphs. Dolch words are my nemesis. That is why I can’t write, not without help. So I use Google suggestions, I use voice typing, I use a program that will read back what I have written and I ask Suzanne for help. And that fixes most of the problems. Any remaining errors are “keepigit real”. (keeping it real).
It is hard. But I am trying to learn those Dolch words. I was writing something the other day, and Suzanne was in the office, listening to me verbalize what I wanted to write. What I was trying to write is this, “the last book.” As I was figuring out the word, “it last book, was last book, that last book” It finally came to me.… the word is “the”…..”the last word” Ok, I got it. Then I began again, “Penultimate, if you like big words.” I looked over to my wife, and we started to laugh. How can I write penultimate, a word that I had not written or spoken or even thought of since my stroke, but the word “the” stumped me. Welcome to my mind.
Karl, Stephanie helped me find your porch, so I read everything that was there. I was intrigued by your sharing about MUST in several scriptures. So much to think about. Thank you. I learned from your sharing about Dolch words. I knew there was such a category as basic words, but I never knew it had its own special name! Thanks for the education.