Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Magical Reading

If you were in my classroom you would know that I looooove books. The 4th graders know that about me before the first day is over. I want them to go home that very first day and when they are asked, "soooo what's your teacher like?" I want them to say "she really loves books!"

In my classroom I read a picture book a day - every single day. I have a whole bulletin board dedicated to something I call "Open The Magic". I also read a chapter book a little each day. Fostering reading in my classroom feels natural to me. Sometimes I pinch myself that each year I get a brand new group for 9 year olds that I get to help them fall in love with reading.

In my own home, since the moment Anna was placed in my arms I've fostered a love of reading in their lives - a love of books. In fact, in my hands was a board book about rainbows when she was placed in my arms. I was reading to her within the first 15 minutes she was ours. {there is a video of that somewhere}

✨magical✨

'Reading on the Couch' is something we do after lunch all summer long - since Anna was a baby. I can remember when baby and toddler Abigail took a nap in her crib in the afternoons and 4 year old Anna made up the words to her Fancy Nancy books. I made a 'nest' out of blankets on my bedroom floor, over in the corner, every day during Abigail's nap time. I read my book and Anna 'read' hers. It was magical.

✨magical✨

It feels easy to me to have my 'taught' my girls a love for reading - and simple really. I made it magical. Like this ordinary day:

It was time for 'reading on the couch' one day this week and Scott was working right where we were reading and we had to find a new spot. "Quick girls, let's go up on my bed". We turned on the air conditioning and snuggled under the covers and read.

✨magical✨

Abigail was on her last chapter of a very long book and I snuck out of bed, scooped a bit of our homemade strawberry ice cream in a little bowl, added some chocolate chips and we had a little "you finished your book party" right there.

✨magical✨

It doesn't take much, really. Just a little magic in an ordinary day to make reading come to life.

books 2

books 1

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