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Reading is its OWN reward system.

This.

DD was another one whose reading level went from The Cat in the Hat to chapter books (not Harry Potter, but 4th grade level or so) in a few short months. When it happened, it happened fast. DS started earlier (he was reading at mid-4, I think? perhaps young 4--it's blurry) but he also took off fast. I don't even know what a typical trajectory is. It seems to me that a lot of kids I know took the sounding out words-just sitting there-got it--KABOOM route.