The differences

These are the types of books that both girls are selecting from the library at the moment, amongst others. They are both slim paperbacks. I read them aloud to U and Ia reads them herself. A book like the one in the top picture is a quick read for Ia, but she enjoys reading something easy with cute pictures. She also chooses longer chapter books, which she reads one chapter at a time. With the sort of book pictured above she'll happily read through two or three at one go, maashAllah.
The book in the picture below is one she is reading aloud to me at the moment. It is a comfortable level for her. I tend to alternate the levels, letting her read one at comfort level, then another with a little bit more challenge, then back to comfort again. She usually has at least two books on the go, one she reads to me, the other by herself. She usually chooses the titles from the library herself, but some I keep for her to read aloud. She also enjoys non-fiction books about animals.

The thing is that having this type of book around is a novelty for me. The boys seem to have missed out this stage altogether and gone straight from learning to read to reading books designed more for the stage above.

It just goes to show how each child learns in their own way, even when you start them off in the same way, maashAllah.