Secret Agent Man has really flourished with his reading this year.
It has to be one of the most amazing experiences a person can have in life; to see another learn to read. The world just becomes an incredible opportunity of experience and adventure.
We started reading to Secret Agent Man very early. Since he was only a few months old we have diligently read to him each night before bed.
For several years it was three books. Each night part of his bedtime routine would be to choose three books from his vast collection and whatever was checked out from the library.
They were mainly board books or very short books.
We supplemented with audio books in the car once he was older. Bunnicula, the treehouse series, wayside school, whatever we could find at the library.
Then we did the entire Harry Potter series. I didn't know if he was old enough because I had never read the series myself. He was 5 when we started and it was just fine for him. He LOVED it. We ended up listening to the series twice over about a year period. Every time we got in the car he escaped into the world of Harry Potter.
His ability steadily increased throughout the past year and he has been easily reading on his own for a while. Now at night we take turns reading or we read him chapters from longer books. We are on the third book from the Little House on the Prairie series now.
Of course he takes advantage of the summer reading programs. Remember this?
Well he was enrolled in another summer reading program with the book chain Half Price Books. For them he counted minutes rather than pages. He turned in the log today and earned a $5 gift card to spend in the store.
He was very excited and began to search the store for the perfect book. We asked about what lego books they had in stock. Nothing great, we looked at the Bionicle books but they aren't written very well and are pretty boring.
Then down on the shelf below I saw something he might like.
I remember my niece and nephew reading these a few years back and they seemed pretty funny. Just perfect for the sense of humor of a young boy.
He quickly began thumbing through it and agreed when he saw the funny illustrations and titles. We picked up the first and second book. The cashier very generously gave them to him for the $5 he had and we headed to the car.
He started reading in the car.
He finished the first book an hour later.
It has to be one of the most amazing experiences a person can have in life; to see another learn to read. The world just becomes an incredible opportunity of experience and adventure.
We started reading to Secret Agent Man very early. Since he was only a few months old we have diligently read to him each night before bed.
For several years it was three books. Each night part of his bedtime routine would be to choose three books from his vast collection and whatever was checked out from the library.
They were mainly board books or very short books.
We supplemented with audio books in the car once he was older. Bunnicula, the treehouse series, wayside school, whatever we could find at the library.
Then we did the entire Harry Potter series. I didn't know if he was old enough because I had never read the series myself. He was 5 when we started and it was just fine for him. He LOVED it. We ended up listening to the series twice over about a year period. Every time we got in the car he escaped into the world of Harry Potter.
His ability steadily increased throughout the past year and he has been easily reading on his own for a while. Now at night we take turns reading or we read him chapters from longer books. We are on the third book from the Little House on the Prairie series now.
Of course he takes advantage of the summer reading programs. Remember this?
Well he was enrolled in another summer reading program with the book chain Half Price Books. For them he counted minutes rather than pages. He turned in the log today and earned a $5 gift card to spend in the store.
He was very excited and began to search the store for the perfect book. We asked about what lego books they had in stock. Nothing great, we looked at the Bionicle books but they aren't written very well and are pretty boring.
Then down on the shelf below I saw something he might like.
I remember my niece and nephew reading these a few years back and they seemed pretty funny. Just perfect for the sense of humor of a young boy.
He quickly began thumbing through it and agreed when he saw the funny illustrations and titles. We picked up the first and second book. The cashier very generously gave them to him for the $5 he had and we headed to the car.
He started reading in the car.
He finished the first book an hour later.
