I understand what you say! Expanding your vocab and surpassing a Dick & Jane world depends on being taught larger words and ideas and I doubt they had that.
The content of what they were given to read is frightening if you have no other compass to compare it to. Maybe that is why they are described as being blank. I CAN NOT imagine having that as my only reading material (as well as the fruitcake stuff he penned). I just hope they are unable to do anything more than color within the lines of a coloring book!
ITA! For all intent and purposes Jaycee was "frozen in time" at age 11. We don't know her reading ability at that age - was she "average", above average, did she like to read, was she a "struggling" reader - we simply don't know. All the moms that have posted about their child and how they were reading at her age - no child is alike. Plus, you have to keep in mind that you were there guiding, loving, and encouraging your children.
As a teacher for almost 20 years now (and teaching this age group) I can't see her "advancing" herself. It just doesn't work that way and not having any knowledge of her reading ability when she was taken just makes it all wild speculation. Plus the trauma of being raped (and God knows what else) will have a HUGE effect on her emotional and mental development. I have worked with children that have been traumatized from all kinds of events. There is no set of parameters for these children. Some are voracious learners and do very well - others are stagnated for years, not learning anything until one day they just "bloom" and then catch up fairly quickly. It all depends on the child.
We don't know if these subhumans taught her, read to her or what she was given to read way back then. Depending on those variables - he could have very easily begun his mind control / brainwashing of her. Her tender age would have been a huge asset and certainly NOT a hinderance in this endeavor.
Here is an except concerning reading and 11 year olds:
By grade five, schools rarely give a separate mark for reading but there are still certain expectations. Children who fall a grade or two below the norm should be getting special help to catch up - or at least stay on par with their classmates.
Sight vocabulary: The average 11-year-old should be able to take a stab at most of the words, but might not know what many of them mean.
This would mean that someone would have had to work with her concerning definitions - remember she wasn't in a normal setting - no small talk at the dinner table, driving around seeing billboards, television and any other form of print aids in the child's process of development - being held captive in a backyard much less the trauma that was inflicted on her early on could have also hindered her development
Oral fluency: The ability to read a story out loud varies considerably. For a child with appropriate material, given a few minutes to practice, oral reading should be almost as fast and fluent as regular speaking.
I am willing to bet that all she was given to read early on was the Bible. Difficult reading - syntax, vocabulary and "voice". Although I'm sure he was more than willing to "help" her with this book.
Comprehension: For most junior novels, an average student should be able to discuss characters, plot and plot devices, and write a personal response to the material.
Key word - JUNIOR novels. Books from Koontz and Steele are not junior novels. Although she probably wasn't given those until much later on. Plus the plots of some of Steele's novels would have "helped" his effort in "controling" her and making her believe her station in life was what it was.
What they could read aloud to you, if they wanted to: Bright 11-year-olds can read almost anything - from The Lord of the Rings to Report on Business - but their
understanding is limited by what they know of the larger world. At this age, kids' actual taste in reading is often determined by their peer group. Favourites include series novels like Goosebumps or The Babysitters Club, young adult fiction like Some of the Kinder Planets by Tim Wynne-Jones, non-fiction and magazines on topics of interest like Nintendo Power or Seventeen
Bolded is what she would have had a huge problem with. Her development stopped at age 11. We simply don't know what she knew of the larger world. I've known some 11 year olds that truly still believe in Santa Claus - however I don't think this was the case with Jaycee.
I also agree with the poster that talked about the "variety" of books we saw in that bookcase. With her limited knowledge of the "world" and where her development stopped (age 11) she could have comprehended those books in a variety of ways.
I find it both helpful and hopeful that her reading ability is on an adult level as she then could have taught her girls how to read. But reading isn't everything - mathematical ability, logical thinking, critical thinking, and, most importantly her "reasoning ability" was stunted and we just don't know yet how that was progressed (if at all) by her captors.
She is obviously suffering from Stockholm Syndrome which would also affect all the other skills I just mentioned above. She has a long way to go but after seeing her stepfather on GR tonight and how he described her, I am very hopeful she can overcome this and find her way back, along with being there for her children so they can, as well, successfully enter society.
