Hooked on Phonics

I can’t help but think of Brian Regan’s bit about Hooked on Phonix in this situation haha. Operation Phonics has begun. Words cannot even describe the sort of experience I had today. Our teacher is a Speech Therapist from an acting school in Rome named Giovanni Beve l’Acqa (yes his last name is drink the water if that is any indicator of his weirdness). First part of the “lection” (I enjoyed his combination word of lecture and lesson) we stood in a circle repeating the noises he was making complete with hand motions. Not so bad although I could not contain my laughter. To really get things started were asked to lay down and focus on our “birthing” also known as breathing try to stifle your laughter on that one. No this is not yoga or pilates its Hooked on Phonics. It then escalated quickly from there. Please picture this: 21 girls with their eyes closed imaging they were a “bland” or grass swaying in the wind. Our hands are like small bodies and can mimic those actions. We needed to move our hand with our birthing (hhmm….how shall I go about that one) and then we were to move our bodies along with this wind we were experiencing. “What color is your grass”?? Mr. Drink the Water asked us. I responded with light green but to be honest my mind was wandering to more pleasant thoughts of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. This somehow dealt with the sound e. Each sound apparently is complete with a particular color, body motions, and a scene. The O was a dark stormy cloud slowly moving. The A was a calm beach with no clouds. Our “lection” included another round of us laying on the ground feeling our “birth”. This time imaging a ball in our stomach filling with the air and collapsing as we exhale. Imagine filling the ball with our color and something about mixing all of our colors together hhmm…Another highlight was playing simon says repeating the noises along with actions. If I could only have a video camera to show you these insane motions because my descriptions are not doing it justice. I couldn’t help but laugh the entire time and ask myself what the heck am I doing and this hippy legitimately thinks this is normal. This “lection” was three hours of us singing noises, being a “bland” of grass, feeling our “birth, jumping, and hand motions. At this pace I doubt we will even upgrade to words we will only make it through the vowels and call it good. I will look at this more of a yoga exercise to be relaxed so that I will feel the three hours was better served.