So proud of my boy!!!!!!!!!!

He has finally been given a new reader at school and he is so excited and wants to read to me tonight. Wow!

My prayers are being answered.... Thank God!!!!!

Now for that teacher of his that told me if he doesn't concentrate on his reading she will fail him this year. This is for you:

Ages 6 to 9

Learning to read:

When children start school they are usually excited about learning to read and can't wait to read stories for themselves. Often, though, they are disappointed because reading turns out to be more difficult then they expected. Many children, even very clever ones, take quite a long time to learn to read. Also, the books they learn to read at first are not nearly as interesting as the stories you have been reading.

What can you do?

The golden rule is not to make an issue of children's difficulties with reading. The last thing they need is to be made to feel anxious; what they do need is encouragement and praise. Pressure to succeed may just confirm for them that reading is difficult and unpleasant. The whole idea of books and reading may become a nightmare - an attitude which can remain with them for life.
Practise with your child by all means, but practise only with homework reading, not when you are reading to him for pleasure. Read aloud with your child, occasionally pointing to the words, until he or she feels able to continue alone. If he begins to struggle, join in again immediately in a supportive way. This helps to build confidence and establish a fluent pace. It also helps the child to understand the sense of the story, which is what will capture his interest and inspire him to persevere.

Reading aloud

There are two levels of reading: the level the child can manage on her own, and the level she can understand but cannot read by herself. Don't worry if the level she can manage on her own is lower than you would like. Continue to read aloud to her, choosing stories she enjoys but which are too difficult for her to read on her own. The more a child enjoys listening, the more likely he is to want to learn to read at the level by himself. The Winnie the Pooh stories (A.A. Milne), Thomas the Tank Engine stories (Rev. Awdry), the Just So stories (Rudyard Kipling), and Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll) make ideal choices for reading aloud.

First Readers

A reading series is often a good introduction to story books which can be tackled independently. In a series, the language and vocabulary are kept at a consistent level, even if the titles are by different authors. For example, the Beginner Books series includes titles by Dr. Seuss, like Hop on Pop and The Cat in the Hat; it also includes titles by other authors like The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman and The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins.

Young Fluent Readers

At this stage children will start developing their own tastes. You can help them assess whether a book is likely to appeal to them by teaching them to look at the cover, dip into the story, or read the synopsis on the back cover or at the front of the book.
Some children go through phases in which they will read only books on a particular theme or by a particular author, or books which you might not consider worthwhile. Leave them to it. It is the pleasure of reading that you want to encourage. Discrimination can come later. So, if they want to read every single title in the 'Animal Ark' series by Lucy Daniels, or they are hooked on the Famous Five or the Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton, be prepared to take them to the library once a week (they should have their own library cards by now) to show your support.

PS: tomorrow I will update on how the reading went ...