Now or Later
by Stacey
Professionally, I am asked over and over again when a child will read. We have become such a competitive society that even non-competitive people seem to put due dates on everything. Including when our children will read.
Will she read soon? Isn’t it late? She should be reading by now, right?
I often tell the story of my own two girls. My oldest didn’t read much at all until she read everything at the age of six. My youngest began sounding out simple words at the age of four but has taken much more gradual steps toward fluent reader than her older sister did. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure people think I’m making this story up to make them feel better.
Therefore I was thrilled when I read my dear friend Sara’s post titled, The Reader. Turns out her children’s reading story is pretty similar to mine.
Make sure to click through for a fun read and even an adorable video of sweet Susanna reading…
My youngest, learning to read now, also would rather be read to, as I think Sara noted, too, and I try to remember that — and the many joys of snuggling with mama and being read *to*. (She also prefers to sit with a book and pretend to read, making up elaborate stories as she goes along, and I also try to remember how much fun that must be for her.) The older child was BORN reading fluently, it seemed (like Sara’s older child), but I know reading will come soon enough to the one learning now.
I just read this and thought you might like it: http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/magazine/whats-right/2012/02/06/childhood-goes-by-too-quickly-as-it-is/. I love what he says about the sophisticated language in picture books:
“Furthermore, picture books are designed to be read by an adult, not by a child, and therefore the language is much more complex. A child who can independently read a picture book is a much stronger reader than one who can independently read an early reader. Because picture books are not held to readability standards, they are not only more difficult to read but often more beautifully and lyrically written than books intended to teach children to read. Its so much easier to love literature when the language in books you read is beautiful—in my opinion, children who experience picture books have that much more love for books in general.”
I see his point, and in general (before that quote I excerpted), he’s saying that we don’t need to rush past picture books in these efforts to get our kids to read. Amen!
Oops. Make that: What *she* says about rushing past picture books ….
Makes sense to me! I was essentially unschooled (before unschooling was popular) until I was 7, and asked to go to school. So I learned to read at 7, and was one of the best readers in my class.
To me, it’s a lot like watching my kids walk – my son started early and was walking everywhere by 10 months – but falling constantly. My daughters both walked at 13 months, and rarely fell.