Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Getting Hooked on Reading

Looking over the past month, I can pick out several triumphs. Triathlons. Half-marathon. Running every day (so far) in October. New She Plans Dinner subscribers. Finishing up 6 weeks of school.

But, none registers as much as a certain one...

Freckles found his love of reading.

If you are a teacher or a parent, you probably understand why I am uber excited about this.

See, almost any teacher or parent can teach the mechanics of teaching. Phonics. Word families. Dick and Jane. We can set a good example by reading books ourselves. We can build a good foundation by reading aloud to the kids.

But, each and every child will struggle through reading until they are hooked. They will read because it is required, not for the love of it.

Until they find that book or series that catches their interest enough that they will read and read any chance they get.

The book they can't put down. The book that is more interesting than playing outside or than watching movies. The book that is the first tangible step to a life-long love of reading.

Freckles discovered his hook within the past month.

It was in the form of the Percy Jackson series. (for those of you who have never read them, it's a modern series about teenagers with lots of Greek mythology mixed in.)

He had read the entire first series (5 books) in the past month. This is unheard of for him. He'd rather be doing about anything, but reading. This month I keep stumbling upon him reading. In his bed. On the floor. Eyes moving back and forth. Lips silently mouthing the words.

This truly makes my heart happy.


Another reader has been born.