Reading session

After many nights of frustration with my daughter Taryn and her reading assignment, I have finally found something that works.

Here is how it goes. Taryn comes home with a different beginning reading book every Monday. We are supposed to work on reading every night and write down the time and date of our reading session. Then I am to sign each entry. The book along with that weeks homework is then to be turned in every Friday.

Taryn has a letter and word ring. Different words are added each day or week as she learns and recognizes them. She has the letters downpat and from what she says, her name is on the Superstar board. So when we review the words she seems to know them but is unsure and will not say anything. She will just sit there. It aggravates the piss out of me and my patience just flys out the window. So when we go to read the book and I know she knows the words, she still just sits there. I'm feeling bad each time we end a reading session because they never end well. I either get upset because she doesn't try or she takes too long or whatever. Well tonite I had a bright idea.

I had Taryn take her book to the table. I gave her 15 mins to review the story (in total 45 words), sound the words out, and read the book to herself. She asked for help with one word. So after the 15 mins she was able to read the book by herself with the exception of 2 words. WOW!!!! I was so proud of her for reading the book and proud of myself for not getting mad and impatient.

Just to make sure she wasn't just memorizing the sentences and reading based on the pictures, I mixed things up a little bit. I had her read each page with the pictures covered. I then had her read just random pages. She passed both with flying colors. Then came the hard one. I told her I wanted her to read the book backwards. I meant from the last page to the first. She had another idea. She started to read the last page backwards. I started laughing. She said her infamous "What?" with a innocent look on her face. Then she said, "Ohhhh! You wanted me to read the book backwards, not the words!!!" I just shook my head and laughed; it was really cute. Anyway reading the book proved to be a bit difficult for her. But she stuck with it and I didn't lose my patience and get mad. Needless to say this reading session last 40 mins; our longest since school started.

Then to top off the wonderful session; Taryn said, "Mommy, I'm going to read the book to you like parents do. Once upon a time....." All I did was smile and let her read the book to me.

I'm so proud of her. :)