Also....

My Augster, the littlest one?  Yeah, not sure what to do with that boy.  I mentioned before maybe getting some kind of phonics program to start with him right around...now (he just turned 4 last month; must update description up top). And I've spent many an hour reading about all kinds of different phonics programs, and I don't feel any closer to making a decision than when I started.  That's not actually true. I feel relatively close to deciding on McRuffy phonics, because it seems very games oriented and like I can leave the handwriting parts off I want to. If I continue to feel an inclination in that direction when Dave gets paid, I might just go ahead and order it and see what happens. But here is my problem: I have no idea whether/how much Gus is already reading. He is secretive. He says, "I don't like reading."  Or he says, "I can only read when a grown-up helps me."  The other day Ari was playing a game on my itouch about identifying state capitals.  On the screen was a map of the US with Mississippi highlighted.  Below the map, it said, "Mississippi."  Gus pointed to it and said, "does that say Mississippi?"  When questioned, he said, "I could tell because of the Ps."  Oh.  Because of the Ps.  This is probably the most impressive example, but he regularly points to words of various lengths and phonetic difficulty and identifies them.  Pizza. The. Nubby. Yeah, nubby.  I don't know.  He will not read on demand.  So I have no idea how much is guesswork, how much is sounding things out, how much is sight reading, etc. Where does one start formal phonics with a mysterious boy such as this?  At the beginning, I suppose, and take it from there.  But I definitely don't want something that spends a month going over the letters and their sounds, because he clearly doesn't need that. And I don't want something that's dry and boring and a chore to do, because I'm not going to start formal phonics with a four year old unless he's actively enjoying it.  So...McRuffy?  If anyone wants to talk me out of it, you have until the 29th!