I'm just reading

When my boys were younger I was one of those mom's who said... "it's too quiet what are you up to?" And, nine times out of ten it was no good. Now that they are getting older, well we still have those moments, but typically when they are up to no good it's rather LOUD.

The scene I've been seeing around her a lot lately when it's quiet is reading. Blake has really blossomed into an avid reader. As I type this post I can see him reading on his bed in his room. He loves to read books. He has a basket of level 1 easy readers in his room that we read with him at night. Or should I say that he reads to us at night. Lately he has been exploring the books that we have not read together. The thing that blows my mind, as a teacher as much as a mother, is that he is reading silently to himself. No he is not just looking at the pictures, he is reading the stories. How do I know this? If you sit down with him and he had never read the book out loud his fluency should be off since there are new words and new text. But, when he has read the book ahead of time to himself the text is very fluent. The other reason I know is you can watch his eyes and he is scanning the text on the page.

In all my years of teaching I never encountered a child who could learn to read independently so fast and then on top of that master silent reading. You have to remember he is only 4 years 4 months and has only been reading since just before he turned 4, maybe 3 years 10 months? Now don't get me wrong I had early readers in my kindergarten classes, the top one I had was reading on a 5th grade level when she left kindergarten. So yes children can learn to silent read at a young age. My amazement is in how fast he went from not reading to silent reading on his own.

I love to see that love of reading being developed in my sons. Colby loves to sit and look at books and loves to be read to also. Both of my sons read to themselves, with each other and with Richard and I every day. I can not think of a better gift to give a child than the love of reading.

I hope you take time to read to your little ones today. No matter how old they are, reading aloud is fundamental is fluency development, vocabulary development, reading comprehension and just about every reading skill you can imagine. Pick a story 2 years above their independent reading level and read it to them, you may be shocked to see how much they enjoy the simple task of being read to.