Delighting in Charlotte’s Web

For the past few weeks, Sienna and I have been reading Charlotte’s Web together, a chapter or two a night.  She knows the story because we have the movie, but reading it was so enjoyable!  It’s the most delightful little story.

As a first grader, Sienna is fully immersed in the world of early reading.  Her elementary school is part of a very good school district, which we’ve come to learn, means pretty high expectations.  She’s reading well and growing her skills daily.  The other evening she mentioned that some of the kids in her class are already reading chapter books.  They’ve been doing a Charlotte’s Web unit, studying spiders and the story.  Sienna said some of the kids were reading the book themselves.

Later that night, as we settled in to finish up the last couple chapters of Charlotte’s Web, Sienna said she wanted to read.  She read me the first full page, with little trouble.  When I told her how wonderfully she did, she replied, “I’m going to tell my teacher and then I can start picking some chapter books from the bin!”  It was awesome to see her embrace this challenge and be excited about reading.

I read a couple pages and then, without comment, put my finger under the first word of the next paragraph and Sienna started reading.  She was very proud of her accomplishment and eager to keep reading.

As a parent, this stage of life is so rich with little moments of growth and discovery.  It’s so precious and rewarding to witness our children delighting in the new things they can do or facts they’ve learned.  Reading to Sienna, and now reading with her, is one of the best parts of my day.  When we cuddle up to read, it feels like the very best way I could be spending my time.