This opinion paper was based on a lesson from Strategies for Writers.  When I asked Katie what her favorite book was, she immediately said that it was The Rainbow Fish. I was surprised because she hasn’t read that book in a long time. She used to ask my husband and I to read it aloud to her when she was a toddler. Between us, we probably read it to her more than 50 times, because she used to ask for it several times a night for weeks. I reminded her of the titles of books she has recently read – like Charlotte’s Web, which she gave a 10-star rating on a 5 star scale. But she said her favorite was The Rainbow Fish. From her paper below, I realized that it wasn’t just the story that she liked about it. She remembered the times when I read it to her and that made her happy. It has been almost three years since we read it to her (she was 2-3 years old at the time). She has literally read hundred of books since that time. However, Katie cherished the time when she was sitting down on my lap and hearing her mommy read it to her. That’s what made the book special. This is why from time to time I still read to her even if she can read fluently by herself.

Continue reading “Why I Still Read To My Child Who’s An Independent Reader” »