The Journey of Reading

0

The JourneyThere have been several moments in motherhood that have been nothing short of amazing. Childbirth is obviously one of them. Hearing the word “mama” for the first time. Seeing those first steps which so quickly turn into an all-out run. But, those are the obvious ones.

There have also been some “rights of passage” that have been so amazing to witness that are not as obvious… well, at least they weren’t to me. Watching my children learn to read is one of those.

When my oldest started to read, I knew it was coming. She wanted it so badly and she has always been the type of kid who sets her mind to something and then focuses on it 110% until she masters it. But, it still snuck up on me one day. I wrote about that experience in this blog post. Reading back over that post, I realize how focused I was on trying to help her figure out this new skill that she wanted to master so badly.

Since then, I have realized that she will succeed in spite of me and what I do. And it has been humbling to watch. Every time she picks up a book to read, I stop and listen. It takes my breath away. She reads before bed now, just like I do. She reads aloud and also “in her mind” as she puts it. She ponders over the written animal descriptions at the zoo now and soaks in all.the.words she can in her little world. She heads to the “readers” section of the library and chooses smaller chapter books. This literary journey is SO MUCH FUN to bear witness to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV8HvI3tRXQ

And now my youngest is learning to read. She didn’t show as much interest, so her evolution has been a slower one. She wrote her name much later than her sister. She routinely skips from “P” to “W” when reciting the alphabet. I haven’t paid too much attention to it though because that is the kind of kid she is. You push, she pushes back. It’s best to let her chart her own course. So, while I read to her often (and now her sister reads to her as well), we weren’t really paying much attention to her own abilities.

She started “reading” a few months ago, but this entailed trying to make letter sounds and guessing what was happening in the story from what was on the page. Slowly, she started getting more and more letter recognition and then began sounding things out. Sometimes she could make transition from sounds to words… most of the time she was guessing (or remembering because we had read the book so much).

Then one day… this happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1WzuNoQy9g

Now, every night she chooses a new book (Love BOB books by the way!) and she reads it to me. Some are easier than others and she is definitely still learning more complicated sound blends, sight words and those nasty silent letters. But, she is learning. Every single day. And I consider myself so incredibly blessed to be able to watch her navigate that process.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever get tired of listening to my children read. It is such a testament to how amazing children are when it comes to soaking up knowledge and learning new things. I feel like there is so much I can learn from them as I observe. I am inspired by their passion for learning, their determination. I am humbled by the realization that sometimes things take time. And practice. I have even learned the value of pride… because sometimes when you accomplish something that you worked hard on, you need to be able to say “Look what I did.” I know eventually, this will lose some of its novelty for me and they will read effortlessly and silently. But, hopefully not too soon, because I am loving the journey.

Previous articleSchool Shootings: What Can We Do?
Next articleThe Friend Break-Up
Sarah
I am Mom to two beautiful, sassy little girls; Nora & Meredith. It was only after becoming a mother that I really started to appreciate how lucky we are to live in this Southwest Ohio, surrounded by amazing green space, culture, history, sports, and the arts. I love using all aspects of Cincinnati (Dayton and NKY too if I am being honest) as a playground for my kids and myself. I often drag my friends and family from the East side to the West side in search of another new and exciting adventure.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here