I tell parents that there are two ways kids learn to read. One is all at once and the other is slowly and steadily.

Katherine has taken slow and steady to new lengths. The child has been ‘reading’ now for close to two years. She began reading simple three letter words when she was barely four. Now at six, she has mastered simple text, easily decodable words and a large number of sight words. She has never shown any signs of a reading difficulty. She is simply taking her time. I have been patient with her and with myself, never encouraging her to do more than she is comfortable to do.

I came downstairs tonight to see Katherine laboriously reading Ramona’s World with Rob. Her reading was slow and you could call it painful. However, she is now clearly self-motivated to move herself to the next level. I would never have suggested such a huge leap for her but who knows… it might be just the thing she needs.

Time to step back and watch it happen…