Well, D1 has progressed from beginning readers like Hop on Pop, to chapter books. He really enjoys the Henry and Mudge series, and has read I think ten of those now. He’s taking Accelerated Reader quizzes on the books he reads (at school) and that’s okay I guess, but I hate to see his love to reading become destroyed over the AR program and passing or failing book quizzes! I just can’t wait to have him home again.

A few nights ago, as we sat down to have him read to me at bedtime, he had a new book. Well, it wasn’t a NEW book, it was a book from his own bookshelf. It was Charlotte’s Web, by EB White. I put the E.B. White books on the shelf, thinking they boys would want me to read them to them. Nope. D1 opened that book and began reading it to ME. Now I know that this is around a 4th grade reading level book. I also know that he is reading it with *VERY* little help from me! He is learning new vocabulary and sounding out many multi-syllable words, and he’s loving it!

He told me yesterday that his teacher won’t let him read chapter books at school during silent reading. Maybe that’s for the best, as he does need someone sitting with him to make sure he follows the sentences. But on the other hand, if he CAN read it, why not LET him? Oh I SO dislike public education!

He has been reading a few pages a day to me from Charlotte’s Web. He is determined to read the entire book, and he found Stuart Little on the bookshelf yesterday too, and wants to read that as soon as he’s done with this one. :)