The Reading Record

This is Simon's weekly Reading Record from last week.

Most weeks it's missing a few days. Most weeks the minutes read is somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes with a bunch of stopping to look at the clock and ask how much more time? Most weeks it's a challenge to get him to do his daily reading. Most weeks I have to decide if it's the battle I want to fight that night.

I want him to want to do it and I don't want it to be a battle. I want him to love it in that "this can change your world buddy" kind of way.

Last week the Edwards' household did some major celebrating as Simon finally found a book he wanted to devour.

It came in his Easter basket and it was very unassuming at first.

He actually got a bunch of books in his basket (including The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, The Boxcar Children, and The Wizard of Oz). This particular one happened to come in a bucket via a special Easter scavenger hunt set up by our Katie (babysitter/nanny/caregiver - I never know what to call her but man do we love her so maybe I'll just call her "our Katie").

It's a chapter book based on a movie he likes and already knows the story called How To Train Your Dragon: The Chapter Book. Familiar things are a "happy place" for Simon - stories, foods, places, events, etc. He started reading and he didn't want to stop. He was excited. The looks on his face as the words connected with the movie in his head were so awesome. Glee. Joy. Excitement. Happiness.

One night he read for two hours straight and another night for an entire hour.

Tonight we're currently searching high and low for this book. It's gotten misplaced in the upstairs/downstairs shuffle of clothes, books, toys, etc. He's almost done - maybe just a couple pages left.

Here's to hoping he'll connect with another book he wants to devour very soon.

Go Simon go.

UPDATE | He found the book (it was on the bench near the front door). He finished it tonight and came in and told me "I finished the book. And the last word was sunshine."