Sign of the Beaver

We finished our last book and we enjoyed our reading together so much that we started Sign of the Beaver together. We were hooked immediately, DS loved it! Instead of going on with what I had planned, we just kept reading.

I was playing with him a little bit. While we're snuggled up in the big chair together, reading out loud, I got an idea. Suddenly I started almost whispering the words. Not long and DS was too. We kept going at the same pace, but then I'd get really loud. DS would get loud. Then I'd stop and he'd read a few words then stop dead in his tracks and look at me. I played this game for awhile, chuckling at how suggestive my influence was on him.

Anyway, we both got really engrossed in the story. We read eight chapters together. At about chapter six, I noticed DS was clinging to my arm and not reading. I think he had quit at chapter 5 because he was so engrossed. I stopped reading and he picked up. Then we both laughed because he realized he hadn't been reading, but he didn't want the story to stop.

I have learned a lot about his reading skills this week by reading in unison. I think we'll continue to do it every day, even though I'll still have him read on his own. He's somewhat of a slow reader -- like me, he takes his time as he is soaking it all up. However, with our reading in unison I am able to set the pace -- and I've been speeding things up just a tad, scanning ahead for trouble words and slowing down right before we get to them.

Today after we put the book down, DS gave me a big hug. He then asked if he could have the chair we were sitting in when he grows up. I asked him why and he said because I've made it very special for him and he never wants to forget our reading adventures together. Ahhhh, music to a mother's heart.