Miriam has started reading the Harry Potter books, which means half the time I walk into the living room these days, I am greeted by this sight:
And it is marvelous in my eyes. I love that she is reading independently and enjoying it. I taught her to read three years ago and it was sometimes (often?) a very difficult struggle involving tears, not necessarily all from her. Moments like this - and I'm not saying this to be trite - make it all worthwhile. Really.
One observation and one issue:
Observation. Some of the vocabulary in the HP books is beyond her level, and every once in a while when she's telling me about what she's reading, I find out that she is pronouncing things incorrectly in her head as she reads. I totally remember this happening to me when I was a kid (or, um, an adult - see here and here). For example, she said "Hermione" as "HER-mee-own," (didn't we all?). "Dementors" was something like "DE-mentators." She got all the way to the last chapter of HP2 before she finally asked what "Slytherin's HEAR" was - Slytherin's "heir," that is. So adorable.
Issue. She is reading these faster than I anticipated when I suggested she start. Right now, she's about halfway through HP3. If she holds her same pace as HP1 and HP2, she will finish it in two or three more days. Then I'll have to decide if I want to let her read HP4 (and 5 and 6 and 7) on her own. In my opinion, those books are where the series gets darker and more mature. She's 7 years old and I know that's old enough for some kids, but Miriam is sensitive to scary media so she's not as used to it as some kids might be. Thoughts?
And it is marvelous in my eyes. I love that she is reading independently and enjoying it. I taught her to read three years ago and it was sometimes (often?) a very difficult struggle involving tears, not necessarily all from her. Moments like this - and I'm not saying this to be trite - make it all worthwhile. Really.
One observation and one issue:
Observation. Some of the vocabulary in the HP books is beyond her level, and every once in a while when she's telling me about what she's reading, I find out that she is pronouncing things incorrectly in her head as she reads. I totally remember this happening to me when I was a kid (or, um, an adult - see here and here). For example, she said "Hermione" as "HER-mee-own," (didn't we all?). "Dementors" was something like "DE-mentators." She got all the way to the last chapter of HP2 before she finally asked what "Slytherin's HEAR" was - Slytherin's "heir," that is. So adorable.
Issue. She is reading these faster than I anticipated when I suggested she start. Right now, she's about halfway through HP3. If she holds her same pace as HP1 and HP2, she will finish it in two or three more days. Then I'll have to decide if I want to let her read HP4 (and 5 and 6 and 7) on her own. In my opinion, those books are where the series gets darker and more mature. She's 7 years old and I know that's old enough for some kids, but Miriam is sensitive to scary media so she's not as used to it as some kids might be. Thoughts?