KEP had an interesting post on her blog today. it's something that jerry and i talk about a lot, regarding the two older boys. i swear, it's like pulling teeth to get them to read a book. i guess kep's post wasn't really about getting kids to read, more about what we should or shouldn't allow them to read. but one of the ways to motivate them to read is to let them read what they want. alec is now 15, and he has stuff that he has to read for school. he'll talk about how the book is really interesting, but we have to practically beg him to read. it's as if he figures if he pretends to really like reading, or at least has a good attitude about it, we won't be all over him to do it. noah on the other hand will react as if we're punishing him if we tell him to read for thirty minutes. he will sometimes even cry. he will go to his room to read, and will pop his head out every five minutes asking if it's time to stop yet. i've tried giving him interesting books, like star wars, hardy boys, etc. no go. even joke books or kids poetry books, like where the sidewalk ends or jack prelutsky, stuff i loved when i was a kid. no way. he's simply addicted to television, and i think the idea that he can imagine pictures in his head while he reads is not worth the effort for him. it's really sad. this is why he has difficulty expressing himself in full sentences that make sense, because he doesn't have the vocabulary that reading will give you. to him, life is scripted, but if he doesn't have the script in front of him, he struggles to speak intelligibly. i'm kind of at a loss as to what to do about this. i have however promised myself not to let aidan and sadie fall into that trap!!

by the way, the eci lady couldn't come for aidan's evaluation. she was running late, then went to a seminar, then was on vacation, etc etc. so we'll have to reschedule another time, but i have to build up some more vacation time to take so i can be home. frustrating. in the meantime, however, he is picking up more and more words. i think he may be catching up a little. he can now say hat, juice, shoes, and the first consonant of many other words. i just have to keep talking with him more, and creating opportunities for him to have to speak in order to get what he wants. and get cha cha to do the same. that's the tough part....


ok, enough procrastination. back to work.