Cleod will be 6 in a little over a month. He's been reading for about a year now. Just before his 5th birthday he became really interested in reading. He was sounding out words and asking me what things said. It just exploded from there. He seriously has a gift for reading, which I have told him several times. The last few months he has been reading the Magic Tree House books, some really, cute, little chapter books. Today he finished number 6, which is rated at a second grade level of reading. He also has been reading his own verse at scripture time every night us for several months now.
I'm not trying to brag. Like I said, he has a gift. But I know that there were a few things that we did to help him.
NUMBER 1 - We have had tons of book since Cleod was a baby. I get books a thrift stores mostly, so they are cheap and I don't stress out about them much. Also, we get them as gifts a lot too, especially from my mom because she's obsessed with kids books like me.
Here's Cleod "reading," January 2006 at 14 months.
NUMBER 2 - We take books wherever we go!
Cleod, 18 months old in California.
NUMBER 3 - When I see that the kids are interested in a book or an author, I buy them or check them out. For example, when Cleod started showing interest, I checked out a Dick and Jane book from the library. Because it repeats so many of the same words over and over, he felt confident and loved to read them. Also, the Mo Willems, Elephant and Piggie books are so adorable and Cleod reads them with such emotion, it's hilarious. (Cleod is reading a Pigeon book in the first photo...also a Mo Willems series.)
Here he is (3 1/2) reading a "Who's Your Hero? Book of Mormon Stories Applied to You" book. THEY ARE AWESOME!
NUMBER 4 - Library time!
NUMBER 5 - Reading to the boys at night and at nap time.
NUMBER 6 - Reading in front of the kids so they know you love it too.
I could probably go on forever, and these are totally basic things, but I think they work. I will have to see how the other boys do. They all love books so I think we are going to be a family of nerdy readers, but that's fine with me.
2 comments:
That's so awesome, way to go Cleod! We love reading too!
Avery has started sounding out words in the last few weeks, and I love it! Maybe I'll try out the Dick and Jane books, I've been trying to find super simple books for Avery to try out.
I second all those ideas...I LOVE getting books from DI, and recently I discovered that our library sells old books for 25-75 cents. Brilliant!!
And Mo Willems is a favorite of ours as well. I have also loved getting books from book orders. I like getting books that are a level or two ahead of where she is so they're there and ready for her...especially the award winning books, the classic ones and stuff. There always seem to be a lot of those at DI, like Beverly Cleary books and whatnot.
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