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Ashley
moved in with us when she was about 15 months old. Her
Mother went back to school so she would be able to raise
Ashley with help from her Father, who was in the Service.
When her Mom went to work, I would watch Ashley, or I should
say I would play with Ashley and be astonished at the rate
she was learning. She wanted to read from the first time her
Mother read her a book and then Papa and I would read to her
during the day and always at bedtime. She would take the
book away from me and pretend to read it to me. She knew
most of them by heart.
By the time she started talking real well. She would say, me
read now, Noni, me read now, and I would go along with her
until she became a little irritated because she wanted to
really read. And she said so. Quite adamantly.
Finally I decided to make Ashley a book that she could read.
Something like our old Dick and Jane books but I used words
she was familiar with. She knew her name, she knew Dog,
cat, Mommie, Papa, Noni, Aunt Sherry. In fact there were
quite a few words that she recognized by sight and she
learned so quickly.
Finally the book was finished. I put a cover on it, named it
and all. She read that book word for word and carried it
around until I was afraid it was coming apart.
I scotch-taped it and I was impressed by this child reading
at such a young age. No one else was quite as impressed as
I was but what the heck, I am her grandmother. She named me
Noni, and way later we found out Noni is the Italian word
for Grandma. I am Italian and I didn't even know that. And
yes, she grew up to be a very tenacious reader and on the
honor roll every year.
The future looks bright for Ashley who can do so many things
and do them well.
Nanci L. Stroupe |
