My girls love books. We have them all over the house, and impromptu storytime is a regular occurrence. Now that K is an early reader, she seems to grow more excited each week about reading. Picking out words in books, signs, menus even the back of cups.
“Mom that says, ‘New.'”
I couldn’t be more thrilled, or more proud, with how far she has come since the end of last school year. In less than six months, she has gone from not wanting to even try to read to knowing more than 50 sight words and having an unquenchable thirst to learn more. In the last two weeks she has even moved beyond just asking me to spell words when she wants to write something to sound it out and trying herself. I cannot tell you how much this former editor LOVES her miss-spelled attempts. She is making huge progress and I am so proud! (Wait, I said that already. Oh well, I’ll say it again – so proud!)
While my kids get crazy excited about getting new toys with kids’ meals, the prizes that have the most staying power in our house are the books. My daughter’s favorite place to read is in the car. She has a whole stack of small books in the car that she can read. When she gets to a word she doesn’t know I help her sound it out. It’s actually a fantastic place to practice because she has a captive audience.
Because reading is so important in November, McDonald’s is celebrating literacy by including a book in every Happy Meal with a new title each week.
- The Goat Who Ate Everything
- Dotti the Dodo Goes to Orlando
- Deana’s Big Dreams
- Ant Can’t
In our house, McDonald’s is a big treat. We only eat it when we are on our way somewhere — a car trip, rushing to a fun event, etc. And the girls have never actually eaten inside. So when we pulled up to McDonald’s the other night K was bouncing in her seat with excitement. (You’d have thought I told her we were having ice cream for dinner she was so excited.)
Here is the coolest thing about books. K was super excited when I told her there would be a book in her Happy Meal as I walked her to the display, but K is a girly-girl, she took one look at the line-up of books and said, “Awe, those are boy books.” (Stick with me here.) I point out to her that the dinosaur in one of the pictures was pink, and another book was about a character going to Orlando. Those sounded like fun. She wasn’t sure, but she went with it.
When the Happy Meals arrived (in old school boxes I must add), she was less than thrilled to get the goat book with a brown cover. But as they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” As soon as dinner was over, she tore open her book and the giggles began. The silly goat in the book was eating everything — even a bite out of the book.
See, I told her. There aren’t boy books and girl books — just books for all kids. (Mom is so smart.)
My girls had a great time at their McDonald’s treat, and mom was impressed with the decor, interactive tabletops and flat-screen TVs that filled our newly remodeled McDonald’s.
When we got home, there was no question about which book we should read before bed. And we all giggled before lights out learning about that silly goat who ate everything.
I’m Lovin’ It ®
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by McDonald’s via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of McDonald’s.