Posted on March 11, 2015 by Book at Bedtime
This article from the Daily Telegraph last July came my way just recently and I couldn’t agree more. The journalist had personal experience of her son struggling with reading who was lucky in having a Reading Recovery programme at his primary school. It took several months but he went from the cat sat on the mat to voraciously reading anything that came his way – including road signs whilst in the car! That’s the kind of eagerness that is wonderful to hear about.
She goes on to say that a new study claims that reading well at an early age makes you more intelligent in later life. They are not sure exactly why but contrary to earlier opinion that intelligence is something you are born with they now think that the more you read the smarter you become.
I particularly like one bit where she says “watching a child learn to read is like seeing them reborn – this time with superpowers. They are suddenly capable of infinite adventures, in the privacy of their own head.”
And the final paragraph as she comments on watching him read Harry Potter in bed after his light is supposed to be out is lovely. “he moves his lips and frowns as he follows his finger across the page. He is lost to me, doing battle with dragons and wizards”. This is what reading is all about and how can you not smile at that?