The Importance of Children Reading

When my son was in early elementary school he hated reading!  It broke my heart because I loved to read.  We had always read aloud to him.  But unfortunately, he had a teacher who only focused on the rules of Phonics.  After doing pages of Phonics worksheets, he simply did not want to practice his reading.  Finally, I decided to pay him to read.  I know how unprofessional of me!  But I made him a deal.  I told him I didn't care what he read and that included his favorite Garfield books.  For every book he read I paid him twenty-five cents.  He felt that was a good deal and he started to read.  I held up my end of the bargain and paid him for each book he read.  It did not take long and he was reading and enjoying it! 
I truly believe that children need to experience the joy of reading and not just learn the mechanics.  Finding a good series can definitely make a difference.  I wrote my Jig series with my grandchildren in mind.  I wanted them to have an opportunity to enjoy their early reading experiences.  Also my hope is that other emerging readers will be captured by the different adventures of Jig!