"I'll read to them, mama".

Reading. It's my absolute favorite thing to do with my children.  I could talk books, look up books, order books, hold books, smell books, organize books and read books all day long. I love picture books, chapter books, audio books. Fiction. Non-Fiction. Old books. Modern books.  My husband wants me to read more books so we can do what he loves-watch the movie that corresponds with the book.

That being said, I also have strong feelings that children do not need to know how to read themselves in those early years. I've felt this way for a long time and am now living my soap box.  In my mind, those early years are to fall in love with books and fall in love with being read to. It's time for the imagination to soar and ideas to be developing. It's not time to make reading 'work'.

Of course even with strong convictions, one always hopes their views measure up when it really counts.

Age seven, he's a reader now and doing quite fine. 

Even more, he loves books.  Picture books, chapter books, audio books. All books.

My decision to wait until he was ready ended up being a good decision.  Phew.

Now it's his turn to read to his sisters. It won't be long before it's their turn to learn to read.  We are in no hurry.  Right now it's time to fall in love with the stories.