Tuesday, April 21, 2015

R is for reading

Some time last year, Xena started reading. Not just repeating what I was reading to her, or preempting the words because we'd read the book 23985789437 times, but actually using phonics to read simple words.

I'm so glad that she enjoys reading, is always excited to go to the library, and often picks a book over a toy. I'm also amazed to see that the skill of reading, something that we take for granted, also has its own steps and process.

When I look back at her journey of reading, I feel happy. I'd started reading to her when she was barely a month or two old. At first, when we gave her books, she'd just bite and chew them, but soon, she began learning how to flip the pages, she started recognising objects and characters, she started asking us to read the book to her a million times. When she had severe feeding issues and we had to resort to distraction to feed her, we didn't want to use the TV or iPad. Books came to our rescue again. (Though I do hope she starts to eat without any accompaniments and assistance soon).

I thought that I'd do up a post of videos and photos of Xena's journey of reading for my own cataloguing.

This is us, reading together, when she was about 3 months old. 

Trying to decide which page is the tastiest

Pretending to be reading

And not just baby stuff, okayyy? 

What do you mean - it's time for milk? Mama, this book is unputdownable!

When we got the bumbo seat for her, sometimes we'd give her a book...

... and she'd read for a while...

... and almost doze off if it was too boring!

Sometimes, she wouldn't eat even with a book...

But check out for appetite for girly magazines!

Yeayyy new issue!

She spent many many seconds, at times minutes, in her play yard with her books.

Some books were sad...

...while others were full of suspense.

And some were so engrossing that it didn't even matter if they were upside-down. 

Lifting the flaps of lift-the-flap books

Her high chair - the place where she reads most of her books!


Identifying the letters of the alphabet (age 1.5)


This is how we used to read until she started recognising words. (age 2.5)


Her hilarious observations in books left me in splits (age 2.5)


Listing what the very hungry caterpillar ate (age 2.5)


Using phonics to read words by herself (age 3.5)



5 comments:

Shraddha said...

Reading your post today made me feel guilty that I dont spend this much time with my son reading to him :(

Hats off to you for doing 2341567819190 things like managing Xena, work and home all by yourself and still managing to raise a screen-free child... and one who loves to read instead!

I'm inspired... I will surely try to read a bit more to my son from now on...

Keirthana said...

That's a habit that Xena will always be proud of. Books are always good companions.

Arun said...

R is for Rewarding...

Anonymous said...

cute.
girls love colorful things.

Sayesha said...

Shraddha,
Thank you. And all the best! :)

Keirthana,
Thank you. I hope so! :)

Arun,
Yep! :)

Layne,
Thanks. :)