Dear Gaila,
I worry that it might be harmful to make too big a fuss over my child's reading. What do you think?
Enthusiastic Mother
Dear E.M.,
You definitely should celebrate every accomplishment of your child – including reading! Just like you send videos of your child's first steps on whatsapp, you should be sending videos of your child reading his first book. On the other hand, there is no need for excessive celebration. Make sure your child knows how proud you are of them with the appropriate fuss:
If your child manages to read Grandma's card, call up Grandma and have him read the card to her.
When your daughter is reading short words such as "and" in the newspaper - proudly inform everyone at the supper table that your daughter reads the paper!
When you go to the library make sure that your son is by you when you ask the librarian for harder books with 3 lines on a page.
Celebrate her first chapter book with a special dessert.
Recognize your child's accomplishments for what they are - they might seem small but every accomplishment is a big step, taking them from laborious reading to hours of enjoyed reading.
Gaila
Gaila has over 40 year of experience teaching and runs A.H.A.V.A., a non-profit to promote English literacy. Would you like to ask Gaila a question? Email us at ahava.org@gmail.com or send us a message. Look out for more Dear Gaila columns