Learning to read

Learning to read #SSAmazingAchievements

Monkey has been as school in Reception for 2 weeks now.  He has had one major wobble which left the staff peeling him off me, and me walking home in tears.  But generally he is settling in quite well for him.  I get ‘I don’t want to go to school Mummy’, ‘I don’t want to leave you Mummy’ and ‘I want you to stay all day Mummy’ in the mornings, but then he happily walks to school each morning chatting away.  The last two mornings he’s even sat on the story mat and just waved me off.  Fingers crossed it is all ok now.  Now Monkey has started a new journey – he is learning to read.

I’ve waited so long for him to read to me, to read for himself.  He was introduced to Phonics in Nursery class and took to it with great enthusiasm.  He suddenly spotted letters all over the place and would proudly tell me their sound.  But get him to put letters together into a word!  Not a chance.  Nothing I have tried over the summer has worked. We read countless books both at home and at the Library.  But Monkey has resolutely refused to try to read the words himself.  That was until last week, when this came home in his school bag.

Learning to read

How apt that Book 1 is called A Cat, and a cat who looks rather like our very own Brewster. Look Mummy I have a school book!  Ok, Monkey, do you know what that means?  You have to try to read the letters and form the words.  Then you will be so clever and you will be able to read to Mummy.

So our learning to read journey began. I have to be totally honest, going on past performance I had no expectations of this being an easy journey.  But, as he so often does, Monkey was going to prove me wrong.  Within 2 days of practicing before and after school he’s cracked it and could read all the words and put the short sentences together.  I was so proud of him.  Something had clicked and the look on his face when he saw my reaction to him reading for himself, was priceless.  He was so excited.  It was lovely.

This week we are reading about a Dog and a Log.  Monkey seems to have that book sussed in one evening and doesn’t seem that inspired by it.  I’m hoping that boredom isn’t going to set in.

A little part of me is sad that our learning to read journey has begun.  A big part of me is struggling to come to terms with the fact I have a school boy.  A son who is going to become ever more independent.  Being a mother is a strange thing isn’t it.  You want your child to flourish, develop and be a wonderful, happy individual, whilst wanting them to stay your baby forever!

But mostly I am so excited for him.  I have loved books and read all my life, I can’t imagine a world without books.  I have always been surrounded by them.  I hope that Monkey will enjoy this new chapter in his relationship with books.  I hope that learning to read will inspire him, will take him to far away places and show him a world of possibilities.  Most of all I hope he enjoys it, even if it is just reading about a dog sitting on a log!

 

15 thoughts on “Learning to read #SSAmazingAchievements

  1. Well done Monkey. Sounds like he’ll be flying with books soon.

    I can’t wait until N learns to read. At the moment he knows a few letters, but he came home with a book for phonics the other day – I can hop, and refused to look at it until the day before we had to give it back. Then came home with an Oxford reading book which is more like a normal story. I think he’s going to be quite anti blending until he’s at school too – not helped by him being more receptive in the mornings, but we won’t be able to read in the mornings as they’re so rushed. God knows when we’ll find the time post work to do reading!

  2. Yay, go Monkey! He’s really coming on isn’t he-seems starting school has cone at just the right time for him. For what it’s worth, my daughter has brought home some incredibly boring school books ( why they are so boring I don’t understand) but anyway, it’s not put her off. We just read the ones she’s more interested in.
    It’s always mixed emotions as a parent- bittersweet but lovely to see them flourish xx

  3. That’s brilliant. I remember we struggled with 7yo for ages when she started in reception, she just wasn’t interested. Now I can’t get her head out of a book.

  4. It sounds like he is doing so well! I remember E bringing home his first book, it is so wonderful when they start reading (although a little sad that they are growing so fast!).

  5. I just love this, how wonderful! You must be so very proud. Mine will be a schoolboy next year and I know I won’t get my head around this for probably the next 10! Lovely blog, as ever. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and looking forward to reading more xxx

  6. This post brought a tear to my eye. I’m sorry he has found it hard starting school and you have both been upset by it but I’m so happy to hear he has started his reading journey. It’s great that he has taken to it so well, it’s funny how something has just clicked. I can’t wait to hear about how he gets on.

    Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements :0)
    x

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