Lucas hasn't been much of a reader. Although he loved to be read to before bed, and he could read independently, he never viewed reading as a past-time of choice. Until now!His third grade teacher has been working on "reading stamina" with them -- she times how long they can read without looking up from their books. For whatever reason, this did the trick. He would get so excited when they beat their previous record, and the day they read for 40 minutes and beat the sixth grade was a banner day.
I have been reading the Harry Potter books with Lucas, just a chapter or so before bed at night. We are currently on #4. When school started 2 months ago, he started reading the first book on his own, and now he's a third of the way through #5!
It was a triumphant day for him (and me!) when he passed the point we had read to together. This is a photo of his bookmark being further in the book than our bookmark.
Now he reads at least 2 hours a day. Sometimes I find him reading in bed when I go to wake him for school. Many times I have wondered where he was and found him in his room, engrossed in his book.Thank you, J. K. Rowling! Thank you, Miss Mackay!
I could not be more thrilled.
25 comments:
Fantastic photos Michelle! I'm so happy for both Lucas and for you. It's such a great thing to be a reader and to want to do that on your own, he's a lucky boy to have figured that out by age 8.
Hooray Lucas!
Wow that's fantastic. Way to go Lucas. I really wish I would've read more as a child. I love to read now.
What a good past time.
That is GREAT! My third grader isn't quite there yet.
Oh, I love this! How fabulous for reading to be his past time of choice! Excellent pictures. That is a lot of reading since the first of the year!
I love how you documented that his bookmark is now further along. What great pics! I have never read any of the Harry Potter books but I know people get hooked.
Luci is my reading addict here. It is really neat for me to see her read books now that I read as a child. She prefers non-fiction esp books about how things work and medical-type books but lately she has started to read more fiction.
I am curious to see if Griffin shares the reading interest. I fear he will have trouble since he has speech problems and that is connected to reading issues sometimes- but hopefully not!
Oh, I have to be careful though - Luci sometimes gets a hold of things I'd prefer she didn't read!
WOW! So glad to hear of Lucas and his reading! What a blessing to have such an interest so early... This will serve him very well.
Great pictures.
Fabulous photos Michelle! I love his hands, holding his bookmark... I love that he disappears to go read! I love that you read together- I am terrible about doing that with my kids!
We appreciate JK Rowling too!
Wow, that is so amazing. That is my goal with my children- that they will dive into a book and never want to come out. Don't you love good teachers?
I totally miss Harry Potter (I read all 8 books/saw all 5 movies in a two week period this August.... which was insane, and made me think they might be real people) I wish I hadn't read them so I could do it again! I am so happy for Lucas- reading is the best.
i wish i could find time to read like that! jack (1st grade) has just gotten to the point where, when we are reading together, he will suddenly take the book out of my hands and continue on his own.
What a good thing at such a good age! I wish I could find just the right hook for my 11 year old to gain a love of reading.
Love the photo documentation! That is so great that he reads so much and is enjoying it too!
This post could totally be about my Lindsey! She really didn't like reading at first. But by the end of 1st grade she was unstoppable! She too will be up late reading, or up early reading! I have to physically take books away to get her to do the important things like eat breakfast, get dressed, brush her teeth. So good though!
This is so awesome! I love the photos Michelle and so happy for the both of you. I wish I would have embraced reading much sooner and wasted so much time!
That's great! As you know, I am a huge fan of reading and I love it when I see kids have that passion as well. John and Sarah are sometimes so into their books and it just gives me a warm feeling inside. From fellow avid reader to another Lucas--YAY!!
I love the photos and the sentiment behind his bookmark, and its ritual passage of "yours." Happens in so many aspects of their little lives.
That's quite a momentous thing to have photographed: Lucas' bookmark overtaking 'your' bookmark. I'm so glad you captured that. Long may his love of reading reign.
That is wonderful...wished I could read more often. I have a hate/love relationships with books...I only learned most of my english when I was a softmore in HS, and having only two years of HS before college was tough...since I really had a hard time at the university--when it came to reading...sometimes I would have to read everything twice to comprehend it, and they leave you serious chapters in short periods of time...so since I struggled it is hard sometimes to just let go and read leasurably. I also regret not having my formal education in literature in my mother tongue Spanish, since I DID embrace English literature primarily from UK authors--I guess it is never too late to persue...I love the photos
Awesome! So good for his little mind! I just bought Preston his first Harry Potter book this fall, and it took a little while for him to get going..but this past week, he was obsessed with it, even taking it in the car and to resteraunts. Hooray for Harry!
That's a thrilling victory, for sure!
The book photos are perfect, good job! What a great discovery for Lucas. You too, he'll love a gift card to Barnes and Noble!
oh my goodness. we are doing the same thing here. tried for years to get cass to try HP series. she resisted.
she finally started the series in late august and finished book 7 today...a lot of reading going on to say the least...
YAY for reading...
I LOVE this! Sophie is very interested in HP--but is still a little frustrated in that it is a little advanced for her. AND did you hear that JK Rowling just "outed" Dumbledore? Yep, he's gay, go figure!
That is great! I have always loved reading so much I never though about what to do if I didn't have a child just like me. I will have to file reading stamina away for future reference.
Such a good report! Someday, hopefully before my eyes go bad like Grandma's did, I want to get back to real reading, not just reading and tearing out ideas!
Go for it, Lucas!!! Yea!!
Now that would melt my heart. I love to find Alexis quietly reading. I read her the first chapter of the first book and decided it was too much and too long for her. For Christmas I think I'll stock up on Judy Bloom, Ramona, and the Magic Treehouse.
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