When I was in grade school I was in the "slow" reading circle. I had a very difficult time sounding out words and comprehending their meaning. My grades reflected my struggle. I loved it when the teacher read aloud because I remembered all the details and could be a part of the conversation. There were no reading specialists back then and my Mom knew there was something wrong so she asked the teachers what she could do to help me with my reading comprehension. Eventually she purchased the SRA Reading Program and things began to improve.
Every summer morning I and two of my younger brothers would sit at the kitchen table and read the little stories then answer the comprehension questions. It was pure torture but necessary if I wanted to keep up in school. I was so mad that I "had" to do this special work. It made me feel even more incompetent.
As a means of keeping her sanity, my Mom signed us up for the summer reading program at the local library. Back then if you read 15 or more books you would get a certificate for one ice cream cone from Highs convenience store which was like the 7-11 of my neighborhood. I had been working hard at my SRA work so the task did not seem completely overwhelming to me. Then I met the librarian who explained the "rules". You had to read "age-appropriate books". I had just finished the third grade which meant that I could no longer count picture books, only chapter books would count. I was NOT happy!
