Reading Time

When I first saw the idea for this post, I scoffed at the idea that I would be able to contribute much. I'm very much in the phase of life where I feel like pretty Hot Stuff if I end the day with a clean kitchen. But there are a few little projects and good habits that I'd like to work on and this is a nice way to keep me accountable.

Recently, I've been trying to come up with a better way to help Maddie practice her reading. She knows all her sounds but is still very slow and frustrates easily. Trying to practice when there's a question-asking brother or book-grabbing sister to break her concentration is especially aggravating for her. Last week, she went to school in tears because her little carpool friend spent the ride boasting about her advanced reading level. Maddie draws better than any 6(or 7) year old that I know and learned to tie her shoes and ride a two-wheeler long before her peers. But reading is the academic equivalent of the Golden Child and I want her to FEEL as smart as she is.

So...the plan is that every night after Lucy is in bed, Cameron takes James off to some other area of the house and Maddie and I meet up in the kitchen. She reads to me while I clean-up the kitchen for the night. It keeps my hands busy so I'm not looking over her shoulder and helping her too much. Tonight she read about a newborn litter of puppies. My goal is to make this a nightly ritual and keep it as fun and positive as possible. I will report back!