reading rainbow(of starbursts)

In just a few short months the baby boy that made me a mother will be seven. It seems unreal. Zander is in first grade, and he mostly loves it, except for maybe the learning to read part. I started reading to Zander out loud when he was just a baby and it's something we still do everyday with he and his brothers.




Our daily read-a-louds after school around the kitchen table while the boys munch on freshly popped kettle corn or plain yogurt drizzled with raw honey are some of my favorite parts of our days. I decided to try reading a chapter or two from a childrens' chapter book a couple months ago and we just finished Stuart Little and have recently started Charlotte's Web.

I wondered at first how much a 6, 4, and 2 year old would understand or enjoy a chapter book, but after preforming my kid-approved litmus test: a) do they sit relatively still? and b) and do they ask for more?, I have determined that they approve. So because my children love to be read to and will sit for many long minutes looking at books on their own I naturally assumed that they would be thrilled to learn to read.

Well, it hasn't actually happened that way. In fact it's been a bit of a battle since the end of kindergarten last year with Zander. For some reason he has fought learning to read every step of the way. There have been a few tears shed, several tantrums thrown, and also good progress made. Zander is now starting to read.

A couple weeks ago while talking on the phone to his Yiayia and Papa Drew(my parents), Zander decided to demonstrate his new nun-chuck/reading skillz. The proud grandparents were duly impressed and Papa Drew promised a reward for Zander's hard work. Soon after that a package arrived in the mail for Zander with this inside:




Zander was so excited, he got started right away. We called to thank the grandparents later and Yiayia wanted me to know that Papa Drew had thought long and hard about this reward and he had gone out and bought it and written the note himself. *grinning from ear to ear* Thanks Papa Drew!

It was such a hit that later that night Zander brought me a stack of about 28 books to redeem for Starbursts. After a few pointed questions about the volume read in less than an hour(he wasn't sure how about 7 of those got in the stack, it was the mystery of the hour. *wink*) I cashed him out.




This exchange immediately produced all kinds of questions from the two sidekicks . . . like would Zander share and how could they earn candy too? Hmmmm. . . a slight hitch in Papa Drew's otherwise brilliant plan.

So I told Asher that if he and Tiernan sat by Zander and listened to him read they would get a Starburst for each book too. Aaaannnndd they had to read within hearing distance of me or dad so that we could keep em' honest. So now the only question is when will that refill bag arrive, Papa Drew? Zander is reading in every spare moment and it is music to this momma's ears.