Sunday, June 24, 2007

Sweet Memories

This a picture of Cody and my dad reading their papers. Cody is probably three here, but had a passion for reading I nearly killed when I tried to introduce Phonics. I eventually scrapped Phonics and allowed him to learn to read what he wanted in his time. On one of my loops we are discussing the value of comics, graphic novels, and other less than"literary" works in the teaching of reading. It reminded me of this picture. Sure, the Truck Trader doesn't seem very educational when compared the The Snowy Day or Blueberries for Sal.. but it was starting point. In the 4th grade, he tested at a college reading level, and he can sit down and read a Tolkien epic in a matter of a few days. Recently he has shown great talent for picking out symbolism and deep meanings in what he reads and has even mentioned majoring in literature when he heads to college. And it all started with a truck trader magazine. Do not despise small beginnings.

1 comment:

Peculiar Blogs said...

awwww what a sweet picture and a great message! I have a pic of Britty avidly "reading" the comics when she was 4, too! It's one of my favorite pics of her.

Oh, and btw, a degree in literature is a splendid idea! Then I will have someone to talk to about how useless it is! ;-)