My daughter can't read at age six. SO WHAT!

I have received a lot of flack from family, friends, and strangers because my six year old daughter who would be in first grade if we didn't pull her can't read. They always find this out because they put her on the spot asking her how to spell things. I try to jump in because she is a child that does not like to be put on the spot or quizzed and she knows that they are just quizzing her because we homeschool.It angers me when adults do this I find it unfair and degrading to a child. I received a lot of judgement from one friend saying that I was educationally neglecting my child because she can't read or do what her six year old can do. Well for one not all kids do the same things at the same time and second those lists are only for schools so that they can get their money from the Government. Just because a child can't read yet doesn't mean they never will or that they can't learn because they can't read. Ok first off they learn by asking questions, watching tv, listing to the radio, playing games on the computer or watching videos, video games, books on tape and being out in the world. Following a list set by the Government doesn't make one child any smarter then the other. I have always believed that everyone is smart in their own way and everyone is a genius. Knowledge isn't based on what you memorized it is based on what you know by truly being passionate about it and learning about it. Everyone learns differently and my girls are all hands on independent learners which means they don't like to be taught or have someone standing over them nor do they like to sit at the table and do worksheets or being talked at. They like to learn at their own pace on their own time. It is exactly the same way my husband and I learn. We both struggled deeply in the school system not because we were dumb but because we didn't learn the way they taught us. We were both pushed to read and my husband hates to read and I am just learning to enjoy it again because I to hated any part of it. I learn more when I am not being graded when I am being graded I know that and I stress about the grade instead of learning anything even if it is something I am very passionate about and my girls are the same exact way. My six year old went to two years of Head start and six months of kindergarten and we are still trying to decondition the negativoty that they conditioned her to believe. She is very aware of those around her and can read people around her very well. She knows when people are being real or fake, she knows when someone is lying or telling the truth, and she has learned to research everything that people tell her to create her own opinion. Just because my six year old can't read does not mean she never will and it also doesn't mean she can't learn. Yes reading opens up a whole new world of learning but you can't push a child to do something when they are not ready with good results. I want my girls to be passionate about reading and to love reading and by pushing them to read will not get that result. My six year old is very passionate about riding her two wheel bike because she taught herself she didn't have someone stand along side her or get frustrated at her she just got on one day and went all by herself and she is so proud of that accomplishment. Through learning things in that way she will have self confidence, self respect, self esteem, and drive to learn anything without the fear of failing. She will not fear doing it wrong just because she does it different then the person next to her because she knows that she is unique and her own person. I don't believe that reading shapes a person or makes them more knowledgeable. I also believe that she will learn to read when SHE is ready. Right now reading is not important to her at age six, playing with her friends and being out in the world is important to her. She knows that mom and dad are hear to help her read when she wants something read. She knows that we don't judge her because she can't read and that we support her on her journey. Her passions right now are birds, playing house, riding her bike, digging in the dirt, being out in the world and nature and using her imagination. She always has other things that she is interested in from day to day but those are her main passions at this time in her young life. I will not push my children to do ANYTHING that they don't want to do regardless of what anyone says. They are their own unique people and can make decisions that best fit who they are themselves. They know themselves better then anyone when they are ready. Let children be true to who they are let them say no, let them express themselves how ever they see fit, let them create their own schedules, let them figure out what they like and don't like. Let them be them. They know themselves better then anyone let them be true to who they truly are.