Life is a great balancing act. Guiding children - yet letting them have enough freedom to find themselves and explore their possibilities. Not pushing so hard that they rebel - yet urging them with enough gumption that they take us seriously. Not expecting too little. Not expecting too much.
What is she reading? Is it good stuff? 40 books is still a lot depending on what she is reading. Are these books longer and more meaty than the 184? I'm not sure that numbers really count that much. I once spent months on one book. Les Miserables.... but it was just one book. My son used to read 5 or 6 books a week. Now he has been on the same book for a couple of weeks - Harry Potter. I'm okay with that - lack of volume replaced with something more challenging.
Look at the big picture? Are her grades still good? Does she have friends that you approve of? Does she have goals in her life?
For a gifted child, meeting the intellectual needs is critical - but that is only one aspect of the child. Maybe 184 books was meeting only one of her needs. Maybe 40 books and being more well rounded is meeting more of her needs.
So.... I guess my opinion is that you shouldn't just let her do her own thing and you shouldn't tell her she needs to read more..... you should look at the whole picture and encourage her to make good decisions. Help her to set her own goals and make her own decisions. Guide her.
Mary
