My little bookworm

Today was a day I have marked in my Mama's Marvelous Memories!  It was 4:40 and the rain had just stopped.  Me and the three little people got in the car and headed to the library.  As I wiped the sweat from my forehead after unloading 70+ pounds of children, a man told me the library closes at five.  I looked at my phone: 4:54.  I had 6 minutes.  Kiera sloppily ran in her galoshes noisily asking me why we were hurrying.  "So we can get some more books!"

Because reading is that important.

We happily trotted back to the car with a new Jan Thomas (our current favorite author) book and some other cat book that I grabbed as the librarian shook her head in disgust at me that I would have the audacity to come five minutes before closing.  

Kiera is 4 and she can read on a first grade level.  I know this because I tested her.  I am a teacher and just had to know what level she was reading at.  33 words per minute.  Kevin and I are so proud.  She has been reading since right before her fourth birthday, but lately she has completely figured it out and there isn't any word she won't try to read!

As we entered our home satisfied we at least grabbed two books, I walked into the kitchen to start dinner.  I asked Kiera to sit down and read me her new books and she did!  She contently sat there and tackled these brand new books.  I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a sweet little smile.  This is what I dreamt mothering would be about.  I would happily make dinner while my younger children played and others sat around reading aloud.  It was simply music to my ears.  I  just had no idea the sweet lullaby of a child reading would come from a little four year old.

Some people ask me what I did to raise a reader.  Did you read to her in the womb?  No.  Did you teach her to read?  Not really.  I tutor on the side, so occassionally she asks to be tutored and we satisify her request, but not enough for her to grasp phonics and begin reading.  She is just a reader.  We couldn't stop her.  One thing we did do is raise her in a language rich house.  I began reading to Kiera throughout the day since birth.  It became part of her bedtime routine before 6 months. 

There is not a night that goes by that she doesn't get read to by Kevin or me.  Ever.  If we don't have a book, we recite one of her favorite books from memory:

Many times she chooses to cut her shower short so she can listen to the babies' books and then her own:

 

Many nights she will read half of her books to us and we finish up the rest when she gets tired of reading aloud.  Lately, this is what we find we check on her before we turn in:

I am so very proud of this little girl!  I know she will go far in life.  I am so happy we have taught her to have a love for reading.  I hope she is often found with her nose buried deep in a book!