Joshua Starts Accelerated Reader Training at School

Joshua has settled in to Beauchamps Secondary School really well and has become so much more grown up and independent already. The school of completed various tests on all the children to establish where they are against where they should be and for Joshua they have identified that his reading age is at 9 years and 11 months. So they have put him on to an accelerated reading program which they say can reap a 2 year advancement in reading age within a 9 month period.

This accelerated reading started yesterday where I was invited in to school with him before the first period to sit in the library and have him read to me. The school did a brief introduction to why reading is important and what the benefits of ready are, then we had half an hour to just sit and read. As an incentive the school also put on bacon rolls, fruit, tea/coffee and fruit juices which I think is a great idea. I think Joshua will now be doing this every Tuesday and will be retested at Xmas and then Easter to see what improvement there has been.

Last night when I got in from work I nagged him to get some reading done and got the usual unenthusiastic response and comments like “I’ll do it when I go to bed”. So after a bit of thought and to try and inspire him to get the reading done now I told him that I would read with him and that we could also go outside and sit in the Jacuzzi to relax while we read. Joshua was well up for this and so we sat outside with a couple of books and read for about 15 to 20 mins under the stars and moonlight. I don’t read much at home normally so maybe by me joining him I am leading by example and showing that it is important.

We are also now working hard with Holly’s reading. She is so keen to read her school books at bedtime, but I had forgotten just how much hard work it is going back to reading out the sounds for each letter and then trying to put the sounds together to make a word. My patience isn’t what it used to be!!!! I still laugh when they sound out the word “was” and then pronounce it “waz”.

Me and Josh sitting under the moon and stars in the hot tub doing some relaxing reading.