We have always tried to read a lot with our kids, and they love it. Haley especially was interested in letters from early on and was able to write her name by the time she was 2 1/2. When she started kindergarten this past fall she could sound out words and write notes to us (albeit with very creative spelling). We knew that she was ahead of the curve with the reading and writing, but were still surprised when sometime this winter she started reading "chapter books" on her own. She has discovered how useful it is to have a book on hand when we're running errands as a family and she's bored (Rob and I never go anywhere without a book). We've added a "quiet reading time" before bed for her, where she gets to go in and read on her own before we read to her. I'm still surprised sometimes that her comprehension is at that level, but since the stories hold her attention she must be understanding them. 
At her latest parent/teacher conference her teacher told us she's reading at a 2nd-grade level. WOW! We are so proud of our little reader. She's been enjoying the Weather Fairies and Ramona series, but I think it's time to start on some classics like Secret Garden and Charlotte's Web. What were some of your favorite stories as a kid?
