My Little Reader

I'm a bit lax on the pre-k thing.  From the sounds of it, last year's pre-k class at TCS was pretty intense.  I even had one mother tell me that Kinder is EASIER than the pre-k class was last year.  Things have lightened up quite a bit, though, as they encourage more creative, imaginative play and time spent outdoors coupled with a fair amount of daily reading.  One result of this is the class seems to be bringing the kids to "reading ready" rather than actually reading.  I am okay with that.  Kids should be allowed more time to be kids and need to learn through play much more than through actively studying. However, since Charlotte knows all of her letter sounds, though, and has demonstrated the ability to sound out short words, I (finally) bought the first readers recommended on the school's reading list. They arrived on the doorstep on Tuesday.

Then, one of the most amazing things happened, one of my favorite things about being a parent and living life with my own children: I spent fifteen minutes in my childhood memories as I watched Charlotte make hers. We curled up in her bed with Mac and Tab, and Charlotte began to read her first book, and it all happened just as I remembered.

She carefully sounded out each word with hints and tips from me as she needed them. After she worked her way through each sentence she put the words together in neat form to make a complete thought.  She knows more words than I imagined and yet stumbles in more places than I would have guessed.  Yet I remember sitting with my Mom in the blue chair in the living room and reading my first book to her.  I think it was The Gingerbread Man, but who knows.  It took me forever to get through that first reading, but Mom patiently helped me with each sound and word.  And by the time we'd finished I'd/she'd read the whole book, all 10 or 12 pages.  I was proud then, because I read my first book; I was proud the other night because Charlotte had just read hers.  Life really is a circle, isn't it?

My little reader was proud of herself, too.