A Reading Milestone

So today, C actually was so into his book that he read past his 1 hr of reading mark, didn't jump at the chance to  stop when we needed to leave the house, and actually took his Kindle with him in the car once we left (I waited 20 minutes to let him 'get through the good part' before making him get up and move).  My little homeschooling heart jumped for joy.  He has never, ever, been that absorbed in a book.

C is not a reader.  In the three years that I have known him I have brought book after book into the house to encourage him to read.   He's hated it every step of the way.  Despite that, I have kept pushing him to read.

Reading is my answer to everything in the Language Arts realm of education.  If your child is struggling with spelling, I'd suggest reading more.  Slow reader?  Read more.  Reading Comprehension?  Read more.  Writing, Grammar, or Vocabulary?  You guessed it - read, read and read.  I've seen it work with my siblings and other friends who homeschooled, and I am already seeing a small (slow and steady wins the race, right?) difference with C.

Our approach to reading every day is simple, and modeled after what my mom did with my siblings and me. C must read 1 hr a day and log what he reads, with a sentence or two either reacting to or summarizing his reading.  I use the reading log as an accountability device, and a way to make sure he is making progress in his book.  His reading must be done before any screen time, and he usually does it in the afternoons, after all of his other work is done.  I give him a lot of choice in what he reads, and try to shoot for that 80% - 90% comprehension range level in the books he reads for free reading.  If he's hating a book I don't make him stick with it too long, but I balance that with expecting him in general to finish books. He's not reading especially great or famous literature right now, and that's okay.  I just want him to get used to the feeling of sinking into a book and getting lost in another world.  Today was a small but significant step in that direction!