The best thing about kids learning to read is that they can read themselves to sleep. Don’t get me wrong. I very much enjoy reading books to Sophie. But it sure is nice when (1) Sophie reads a book to me, like she did tonight – “I Broke My Trunk” by Mo Willems and (2) Sophie reads to herself when she can’t fall asleep.
After I tucked her in, Sophie came back downstairs to say she wasn’t tired. “What should I do?” she asked. I suggested she read a book. So she did. “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. Thirty minutes later, she came bounding down the stairs to announce, “I did it! I read the WHOLE book. 62 pages!”
“Did you enjoy it?” I asked. “Oh, yes!” she replied, a face full of smiles.
The joys of reading. There’s nothing else like it, I tell you.