100 Lesson Celebration

I would be remiss if I let this occasion pass without blogging about it.  This event was months in the making.  Oliver and I started his reading lessons in February with the goal in mind of finishing by the time he graduated preschool on May 31.  Totally doable.  We started out on the easy lessons and Oliver did great.  The lessons are designed so that there are no preconceived notions about what your child already knows.  It teaches them everything they need to know before they need to know it and that was fantastic because I have to admit, in our earlier sound discussions I was saying some of the sounds a little incorrectly like buuu for the b sound instead of only the quick b.  

Oliver quickly progressed through the first lessons and some days even begged for more.  As the lessons progressed, so did the length of the lessons and that is where we started to see problems.  The book touts that the lessons are 20 minutes - ha!  Maybe for the first "easy" lessons.  Somedays were two hours long and others were interrupted by bouts of crying because he just didn't want to go on.  But, like my sister Michele who used this book with her girls and recommended it to me, I was stubborn and persisted.  The reason for my persistence was clear: it was working!  He could read everything I asked him to, now if he could only sit still long enough to do it!  We took a few more days off than we had planned, but we were still able to reach our goal just at the end of the wire.  He had his very last lesson from the book on his last day of preschool.  Wow, was that close and a relief.  Anyway, I just want to say how proud of this little guy I am.  Every lesson started with a smile and he really tried so hard to learn everything I was trying to teach him.  I want to publicly apologize for loosing my cool a few times, but I hope that he can forgive me for that, and just focus on the end result.  YOU CAN READ! 

As I'm writing this a few weeks post lesson completion, I can tell you that Oliver loves being able to read.  He now reads the street signs to himself and sounds things out where ever we go.  Today he read membership all by himself and that is a big word.  Mommy, Daddy & Miles are so so so proud of the work you have done Oliver.  We love you!

We celebrated a week after he finished as we went to Oklahoma the day after completion and then Daddy went out of town for a week after that... so the party was a complete surprise to him!  I love surprising my boys!

We had some of Oliver's favorites to celebrate; homemade pizza, strawberries and popcorn.  Yummy!

And we can't forget the chocolate cake.  His favorite favorite!  

Also as a reward for completion, Oliver got a small library of easy reader books (not pictured here) this penguin book, a book light, and a new PBK anywhere chair just for his room.  And I added glow in the dark planets and stars to his ceiling along with an orbiting space shuttle on a string.  He was delighted. 

Check out the length of Miles hair.  I'm so glad Aunt Tricia does such a good job on his hair!  :)