Adventures In Reading - How my children tackled reading individually

Each of my children has had their own journey to reading. Some took longer than others but I have faith that they will all be lifetime readers.

Oldest - We could not get this girl to read to save a life. Any books she picked wouldn't hold her attention for more than 30 pages. She was close to failing sixth-grade language arts when we knew we had to do something. She had asked me many times to read a specific book on my shelf but it was for grownups so I'd always said no. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I finally gave in and let her read To the Nines by Janet Evanovich. After that, I don't think I ever saw her without a book and now she's a writer too!

Second born - I sent her to Kindergarten barely knowing her letters and as soon as she learned letter sounds, she taught herself to read. And she used to carry books around and sleep with them in her bed. But after middle school, her autism narrowed her interests, and reading just wasn't a priority. Don't get me wrong, she is still freakishly good at it but she just doesn't read as much as she used to. And proudly, she is a writer too!

Third born- Here we had another one that was good at reading but hated to do it. But this time, she would do it if she had to for school. She wasn't much of a pleasure reader, though. I don't remember the tide changing until the day I gave her a spoiler about my novel Anguish and she rushed to get to that part. She finished the book and I'm not sure she has really stopped reading since - including many of my books. And guess what, she's a writer too!

My one and only son - Trying to get this boy to read was nearly impossible unless there were pictures on every page. At every Parent-Teacher conference, I voiced my concerns and the teachers told me not to worry. Fast forward to middle school and he's the only one in his class reading large, pictureless sagas like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Shogun. Go figure, huh? And you'll never believe what comes next - Yep, he loves to write, and all this after almost failing writing in school. Hmmm.

My baby girl- My sweet baby girl came home from school one day and read me a book. In Kindergarten. Before they'd started learning to read. Unfortunately, she is up to her head in the digital age and although she is super advanced in reading, she prefers Tic Tok and YouTube and anime. I'm hoping eventually she will develop a love of reading and not just a talent for it. She's still young. She has plenty of time. Oh yeah, she loves to write too!

Yes, I'm very proud of my readers and writers. If your child is having trouble, be patient and don't be afraid of getting them help. Oh, and think outside the box!

Until Next Time... *Copy from https://take2brokenblog.wixsite.com/take2blog*