Ellie Reads!!!!

Michael has memories of being able to read all by himself when he entered Kindergarten. I never really gave it much thought as I don't have those same memories. In fact I have very few memories. But with Ellie approaching that age (I went to Kindergarten Open Houses a couple weeks ago and could barely keep it together), I wondered if she was even close to being able to read.

She knows her letters really well. She can even write a bunch of words, making them look just right. She knows the sounds that all the letters make (though she needs a little help with the vowels because they're always so different)... but actually READ??? I wasn't so sure.

The other night (a week ago, actually), I gave it a shot. I pulled out an "I Can Read" book called "Cat and Dog" and tried to have her read it to me. We spelled out each word, sounded it out and she read the book. SHE FRICKIN' READ THE BOOK. Ok, so not completely by herself, but considering it was the first time I had ever attempted to get her to read, she did amazingly well.

And oh the pride! She wanted to show Daddy every time she finished reading a page. She was kicking her feet in bed with so much excitement at realizing she could do it. And when she messed up? She didn't get frustrated like I expected her to. Instead, she just giggled and said "the letter I doesn't say KA!"

When showing Daddy some of the sentences she could read, like "The dog is old. The cat is fat," she beamed with pride.

Ellie: Does that make you happy?
Daddy: Oh, yes it does! You must have worked so hard at reading that book!
Ellie: Yeah, my heart is so happy right now I can not help it. I have to smile.

Yes, and Mommy has to sniffle.