learning to read

Maggie and I sat on the sofa this morning with set 1 of the cute Bob Books that I picked up at the bookstore a few months back. She is a very smart little girl and declares to everyone who will listen, "I am going to be reading by the end of the summer. I want to be able to read in bed with my flashlight, 'cause I'm a big girl!" Unfortunately I can't tell with the first 6 books if she is sounding out the words since Mary read them aloud and helped her memorize the stories. Maggie can rattle off the text almost before I turn the page. I think that we will only spend a week or so finishing up the set before we begin Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Both Will and Mary gained a lot of skills and confidence from the simple stories even though neither got past lesson 62. I can tell that Maggie is right on the brink, if I work with her for just 10 minutes a day she will be soon be staying up until midnight with her wind-up flashlight and a copy of Make Way for Ducklings under the covers.