I don't think that parents need to assist their children with reading as much as be an active discussion partner. That's what I remember missing anyway as a child. I seemed to almost inhabit the books and then was quite lonely with no one to discuss them with. Plus, by reading books together one builds a family vocabulary with references and in-jokes, which I really enjoyed with my son. There are moments when we just look at each other and know that we are both thinking of the same literary reference. And we grin.
Love and more Love,
Grinity
I totally agree with this. My 12-year-old son learned best by reading and discussing. Since there were no other kids near us reading at his level and with his interests, that left me and sometimes his dad to read and discuss books with him, but this is the thing I have enjoyed most about homeschooling. My son refused to read Magic Tree House books after about age 5 because the he thought the vocabulary was boring and predictable.
Another homeschool mom who had a daughter my son's age told me that I shouldn't let him read his favorite book at the time, a science encyclopedia, when he was six and that I should only use books and curriculum at his grade level. I am so glad I didn't listen to her. He read what he wanted to read and he always chose books with a high vocabulary level. He liked learning and using new words. He liked to use alliteration and metaphor and the more words you know, the easier that is to do.
In his 7th-9th grade writing composition class yesterday he had to read a short story he had written for peer review. They laughed at his humor. Kids who read a lot do get his humor and references which wasn't happening when he was younger and with kids his age. The new boy in his writing composition class, who I think might also be gifted, wrote on the peer revision sheet that my son "words things perfectly." A girl clapped after my son read the story he wrote, the same girl that clapped last time they did peer review. She doesn't clap for anyone else in the class. My son definitely enjoys this. He reads his stories like an actor reading his lines, so maybe applause is appropriate.
I just don't think he would be able to do what he is doing now if I hadn't let him read things above grade level and encouraged his interest in learning new vocabulary. He is going through some difficult things right now and his ability to write well and quickly, usually the day before the assignment is due, is because he developed this wonderful thesaurus in his brain that allows him to choose just the right words.
