I can READ!

I think the only thing more challenging this year than teaching my tots to read, was convincing them that they were readers. It didn't matter how many times we discussed the different ways of reading (searching for sight words, telling a story with the pictures, sounding out words, etc.), or how much praise was poured upon them for doing the things that good readers do (make pictures inside their heads, use sound clues to figure out a word, etc.), the majority were convinced that they were not readers because they could not read like big brother&sister/mom&dad/grandma&grandpa/Ms.S.

But then there was Seuss.

We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday by having an all Seuss day (because of snow days, we didn't have the time to do an all Seuss week, like we usually do). We rhymed, we danced, we created, and most of all we read. And read and read and read. And then read some more. Like every child I've ever encountered in my life, my dear tots fell madly in love with Dr. Seuss books. We read all of my books, and then they would go home and read more Dr.Seuss. A few tots brought in their books the next day to share with the class. We even created and read our own version of Green Eggs and Ham.

The change was subtle, but I could see it throughout the day, and the rest of the week. Through the magic of Dr. Seuss, my not-so-tiny tots have come to seem themselves as readers.

Thank you, Dr. Seuss.

I Love My Job.