My little book worm

February 3, 2007- OK I love these pictures and I still can't get over them. The reason why I absolutely adore these pictures is because as a teacher I try to show my students how much it fun it can be to read. So, when I became a mother I thought OK, I have to try to instill that in my own children so pretty much the moment Diego came home I was reading to him. I didn't care if he fell asleep, it didn't bother me if he always wasn't looking at the pages, I just wanted him to hear my voice, the vocabulary, and how my tone of voice changed.

As he got older, he would swipe at the pictures on the pages and for brief moments he would focus on the pictures, I thought SWEET, he is getting the hang of it. Time went on and the more I read to him, the more I noticed his attention span growing longer and he would place his hands on mine while I turned the pages. He would sit patiently through the entire book with out wiggling around on my lap. In January Diego turned six months and I would hold his hands out to hold the book himself and used his hands to turn the pages. Most of the time he would pull his hands away because he likes to do things his way so I would just talk to him in both English and Spanish on how to turn the pages, hold the book, using my finger to follow the words, talk about the pictures, etc. Basically, I would use the same strategies as I used in the classroom with my students.

Never knowing if he was actually was paying attention, I was just showing him now so that as he got older it can be natural for the both of us when reading books. I wasn't much of a reader, in fact I disliked it but I understand that you when you start children at a young age to love reading it follows them and children do better in school than others that never lifted a book at a young age. There are so many benefits to reading for young children that as a teacher I have met bright children because their parents encouraged them to read in the early stages of life. OK, that being said........

On this day, we were getting ready for Diego's bath as you can see he was half way there. Before I took off his diaper, I felt something in my eye so I put him down in his crib and gave him his Pooh bear and his Clifford book. I thought to myself "I don't know why I am giving him the book", but I wanted him to at least look at the cover. After taking care of my eye, I go back to the crib and what do I discover, Diego is READING HIS BOOK!! My jaw just dropped, I couldn't believe it, my eyes started to fill with tears because I was and am so proud of that moment!!! I wish you were a fly on the wall to see the both of us. Diego reading and momma running in circles looking for my camera. I dashed for the camera and took these pictures. Even, while I was taking the pictures he never dropped the book, he looked at me and smiled and continued reading his book.

I was just so proud. I waited until he put the book down to continue on with his bath time but not before I gave him a standing-ovation. I still can't get over it, the whole time I have been reading to him he really was paying attention and look he can do it by himself. I saw him hold the book the right way (not upside down), he turned the pages and was looking at the book. He was just babbling away in his own little voice as he turned the pages as if reading the book. I am so blessed that I am a stay at home mom because I would have totally missed out on this opportunity!!! Thank you God for giving us this time to share!!!