Two More Readers

Even though a child can read, it doesn't mean they will read.  The oldest picked up reading easily and from then on read everything she could get her hands on and still does.  The second child also began reading and did well, but she didn't read for fun like her sister until she read the first of "The Series of Unfortunate Events."  That was the book that hooked her and she too has been reading everything and anything.

Along comes number 3, a boy at that.  He didn't want to read as early as his older sisters.  Even though for the past year he has been able to read, he hasn't really wanted too.  Oh he loves stories, and loves to listen to read alouds or books on tape.  His mind is full of adventures, but he just didn't have the desire to read himself.  I knew that there would be a book that would captivate him and I was waiting to see which it would be.  I suggested "Nate the Great" books, and he did read a couple, but that one wasn't it.  We tried some others, but still nothing, until a few weeks ago.  He began reading a "Magic Tree House" book, and was listening to some of them on tape.  About the same time a mom on my homeschool list shared this link.

I looked at the sight and thought that Nathan would love to be able to have his very own passport and this might give him al little more incentive to keep reading these books.  One day, I printed out the passport onto cardstock and  handed it to him.  I explained that with each book he reads, he can answer questions and if correct, can print out a passport "stamp" to put into his passport.  Just like his dad and I used our passports to go to Germany, and it was stamped, he will go places by reading and get a stamp. That was too cool for him and he right away began cutting out the passport book so we could glue it together and collect his first stamp.

Little sister, also capable of reading, but so far no desire, saw what her brother was doing and asked all about it.  She saw his excitement, the cool passport book and stamps, and high-tailed it to the living room, Magic Tree House book in hand, and began reading.  She sat and read the entire thing throughout the afternoon.  I never saw anyone grab a book so fast.  By late afternoon, she came asking for her own passport and wanted to get her first stamp.

Now they both can't wait for library day in order to get more "Jack and Annie" books (as they refer to them).  It is so fun to have beginning readers who have gone from just looking at the pictures in the books to desiring to read the words and find out what it says on the page.

Because it is true, that once you read, the world is yours to travel.