Reading is Magic

A whole new world is being opened.  Andrew and Izzy have been learning how to read for the past year or so because I found an awesome yard sale deal.  Someone was selling their Hooked on Phonics and Hooked on Math programs for $5 total.  These are $100 programs each so I said, "Why not?"  The kids have loved it and when I first started, I was amazed at what they could do already.  You always hear that you need to read to your babies and toddlers and I totally agree, but I never had the patience for it.  It always drove me crazy when Andrew or Izzy wouldn't let me just read the book to them.  They wanted to turn the pages and didn't care if I was in the middle of a sentence or not (like all little ones do) so instead of getting frustrated with them, I didn't read to them.  I just left them with books to peruse anytime they wanted to and that was that.  Anytime I heard the commercials "Read to your kids" I'd felt like a bad mommy, but not bad enough to give them negative experiences with a frustrated mommy.=)  So when they picked up their first Hooked on Phonics book and were able to read some words, it was exciting and the whole learning to read process has been so much easier and more fun than I ever expected.  (A special thanks to Leapfrog videos teaching their letter sounds, how to put them together, etc.  Andrew came up to me one day telling me how to use the silent e.  To me that's amazing.)

Last week we went to the library and saw a program they're doing this month.  For every 5 books the child reads from the library, they get a free hamburger or cheeseburger from In 'n' Out Burger.  I asked Andrew and Izzy if they were up to the challenge and Andrew jumped on it. He loves to be challenged.  So each of them picked out the 5 books they wanted to read and Andrew started right away.  I knew he could read, but the books he chose were always the books he wanted mommy to read so I was amazed that he was picking up these Clifford books and catching every single word. 

 He read in the library, he continued reading in the car.  We got home and I started dinner while he was reading on the couch.  When I called the kids for dinner, he came walking into the kitchen with his nose in the book and wouldn't stop reading while eating.  Our rule is usually no toys or books at the table, but Glen and I didn't have the heart to say all done.  He finished 3 1/2 books that day.      

 

I've been reading the Wizard of Oz to them (we read a chapter every night and then sometimes when we just feel like we need to know what's going to happen we throw in an extra chapter if all the chores are done.--They finally sit down and let me read to them.=)  Last night Andrew kept stopping me to say, Is that word "interesting?"  There's "Dorothy, forehead"  These are big words that he's finally sounding out in his head and getting it.  I was so amazed and he was so proud of himself that I had to offer that he either reads or he needs to let me read.  Then this morning he kept coming up to me with the Honeycomb box saying, "This says "Now better tasting" and there was another line on it but I can't remember.  It is so much fun to see this whole world opening up to them.  I love it and wouldn't want to trade these milestones to anyone else.  Now I'm catching these kids trying to read the chapters by themselves to get ahead.  I love it!