Reading

Recently we had a big night at our house.  Beatrice filled in her 49th bubble, completing the summer reading log organized by our local library.  Seven rows of seven bubbles, each standing for  15 minutes of reading.  For ages 7 and under, those minutes could represent minutes read independently OR being read to, but I decided there was no glory (and far less likelihood in improvement of her decoding skills) in the latter. She read almost every single day for AT LEAST 15 minutes and many days much more. 49 bubbles of remembering what "sh" and "ch" say, remembering the "ay" words say A, remembering to stick her tongue between her teeth when she sees the th blend, and that "ou" and "ow" are band-aid words because they say "ow!" 49 bubbles of deciding to figure out whether the w or the h is quiet  for "wh" words,  learning that there are quiet l's in should/could/would, and 49 days of wondering why "come" and "some" have magic e's at the end but don't have long o sounds. Day after day after day.  And it's only beginning.  And I wasn't always as patient as I should have been.  But somewhere along the way, I realized how insanely hard she was working and trying, and I focused a bit less on the rules of reading and focused more on her amazing effort, and my patience blossomed. She has made so much improvement and worked so very hard it brings tears to my eyes.  She wants to read independently so very badly, and she is very close.  Most days.

I honestly can't think of one day since we met her that we haven't read at least one book to her, and most days it's more like two, or three, or ten.  I once said there would be no books at bedtime, years ago when she was being very naughty, and to this day I've not seen her as inconsolable. I broke my parenting rule and didn't follow through on the punishment and did read to her that night.

She has often said she prefers books over toys.  The library and bookstores are her very favorite places.  Since she was about two years old, I've  hoped so hard that reading would come easily to her because she loves it so very much.  That she be one of those kids who basically teachers herself how to crack that code of symbols, letters, and sounds, from the thousands of books she's had read to her.

She's not one of those kids.  But her love of books hasn't wavered despite the challenge she's faced. She has persisted and now that she's feeling more confidence and knowing there are so many words that she sees, she wants to read more and more.  She's asking to read on her own, and there's nothing as gratifying as seeing her face and hearing the strength in her voice when she sounds out a new word or reads a sentence fluently.

School starts next week.  She is starting to say she's "scared" and "nervous."  I know it has nothing to do with her teacher or the school or her classmates.  She knows she's going to have to work very hard and that it isn't always easy for her.  

I've come to learn that the "smart" kids aren't necessarily the ones for whom things come easily or who get the highest scores, especially in elementary school.  The "smart" ones, or at least those who are successful in the long run, are those who show grit, persistence, work hard.  I've decided my daughter just might be brilliant.