Walter

Daughter's school takes part in online reading program. The teachers sign up their students and after each child receives a password they can start accumulating points by reading books and answering questions about them. So far, so good. The students are participating, some more, some less.

Last September, at the first parent/teacher meeting one particulary eager father suggested that the teacher hand out an award for the "best" reader at the end of the school year. I remember the teacher making a funny face and replying "but, Walter, your son, will surely collect the most points anyway. He has so many already, the other students won't be able to catch up." To which the father replied: "Well, Walter would really like an award."

Now, this was just a few weeks into the new school year. At the time daughter and her friends hadn't read one single book yet. How on earth did Walter collect hundreds of points? Doesn't he sleep?   

A couple of months ago, daughter was working on said computer program when I sat next to her and mentioned casually: "you know, I think it is great that you are reading books and trying to get points. I just want to let you know that it seems that Walter is reading a REAL lot and he will have the most points at the end of the school year."

Daughter didn't answer for the longest time. But then she said: "Walter, eh? Well, I will at least try to come as close to his points as I can."

She has been reading ever since.    

      

One book after the other. 

Sometimes she will ask for finger food to be put right next to her, so she doesn't have to stop.

She is always reading aloud and insists on me listening to every word, which means I actually do get a lot of housework done. It is amazing how much I can get done when I have my own personal reader, who is too busy to make a mess.   

All this reading has turned her into the best second grade reader I have ever encountered. 

 

Except Walter, of course.