An Interest in reading, you what!

I am trying not to get over excited, but after over 5 years of trying to install an interest in looking at words in any way shape or form in my son, or even the willingness to pick up a pen, we finally have a little progress.

Obviously its a priority just to teach him to read, but I also want him to love reading, and the learning will certainly be a lot easier if he actually willingly starts to look at and write words in his own time.

On his bedroom floor I found one of his long neglected jotters open and now containing 3 lines of writing. I couldn't read a word, but who gives a monkey about this. I saw it and wanted to shout like an over excited toddler, he actually with no prompts or fights or persuasion picked up a pen and attempted to write down his thoughts.

Then over the last week he has suddenly started hunting for the longest word he can find. He is not hugely interested in reading the words, but is very keen to find a longer word. His current longest is congratulations at 15, and is looking out for a better one.

Finally driving to school he asked me why a van had the words "burnt tree" on the back. Now this may not seem like a huge thrill to most parents that have a 9 year old, but until very recently he would have really struggled to read the ur sound in burnt, and so would not have worked been able to work out what that word said. Even more important is the fact that he saw a word and made that choice to read it. Rock on Aidan!