Reading and Hope

Every time we go to the Dollar Tree, Hope buys a novel  or two or three.  They are a dollar so I don't care what she buys.  I can't figure out what the attraction is. She picks up a  book, examines the cover, feels for the weight, flips through the pages and either accepts or rejects it.  So many times, I have tried to steer her to a book that I would like.  She doesn't fall for it!

When we get home, she takes them to her room.  Here she will place them in a bag or put a bag in them as a bookmark.  She does not read the books.

If we go to Target, I won’t let her buy books.  They are full price at Target!!!  She has purchased from the Goodwill but the Goodwill has purses and hats and that usually supersedes a book.

She has taken the newspaper right from under my nose.

 “ Get back here, I’m still reading this!” I will shout!  ( yes I am a shouter)

“But I need it!” she shouts back.  It is the same with magazines and mail.  If I don’t watch my stuff, it goes to her room.

Hope doesn’t read.  We are going to change that.

For eight weeks this year, we are in a group of like minded students. The program is Special Reads for Special Needs.  It teaches reading through the HEART.  We are writing easy stories about Birthday’s, Shopping and Fashion.  This is very exciting.

I have tried this approach with my “typical grandchild” Harper, age 4.  She is whizzing right through.  There is a book called I See and the first story is about a bird, a red bird.  After Harper read it through several times, I asked her what the story was about.  She said, “It’s about a red bird, but actually, it is about a cardinal.”  Smarty pants!

If you are interested in checking out this program go to www.specialreads.com/blog/

Stay tuned….Reading is in our future!