When My Daughter Learned to Read

My daughter has been struggling with reading since kindergarten. Letters swim around for her. She'd get frustrated and close the book and hide under the table.

We worked with a wonderful tutor all year. Lots of patience, lots of games, lots of sticker charts.

Then, one evening in October, she brought me a book I'd never seen, a beginner chapter book about a girl and a horse, and said, "Can I read you something?" She read the whole first chapter out loud. Slowly. Carefully. Every word.

When she finished, she looked up at me and said, "Mama, the words stayed still." I hugged her so hard she squeaked.

She's reading the whole series now. She reads to her little brother at bedtime. Last night I heard her doing the horse's voice. I stood outside the door and listened until she finished.