See Ella Read.

Well, my plan to get the blog caught up while I was in Indiana went out the window when Mom & Phil couldn't remember their wireless internet password. So, my laptop was useless last week. Be patient as I catch up on our last two weeks - we've been busy!

Phonics were mastered earlier in the year. We heard rumors that her friends were reading. But, Ella would not practice with us. Our gentle encouragements to sound out letters were met with much drama and angst. So, we stopped the obvious requests to read & tried to be more subtle. She didn't fall for it.
Ella & I spent a lot of time reading books while Nick "worked" on his MBA at Snowbird earlier this month. One night, as we were searching for the perfect book, I found an old book that I liked as a girl - The Best Loved Doll. Ella held on to it while I continued to look for her book. She sounded out the words, only stumbling a bit. I cheered & exclaimed that I couldn't believe that she hadn't told me that she knew how to read. Her smile got big. Then, I came across an old "See Dick Work" book in her closet. We've been reading a chapter a night, doling out lots of well deserved praises. She was very eager to show Nick when he got home. And, she showed Grandpa & Nina how much progress she is making with reading. There are lots of up & downs along the way which is frustrating for Ella, but we are so proud of her!