The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte’s Web, Good-night Moon, Stuart Little and Winnie the Pooh are all beloved children’s books that my Mom read to me fifty plus years ago. You may recognize the list of classic book titles, may have listened to, or even read the same books as a kid. I am so thankful that my Mom instilled the value of reading in me. She modeled for my sister and me the value of learning, as young children. Visiting the public library and checking out a tall stack of favorite books, and sometimes checking out the same titles numerous times, was a family event that we enjoyed, prior to kindergarten and continued throughout our attendance in elementary school. Reading picture books to my sister and I was a special time when Mom shared the joy of reading with us. Reading was part of our daily routine, usually as a bedtime ritual, while cuddling in bed or sitting together in a big, comfy chair.
Do you value literacy and the importance of reading everyday? Do you promote the love of reading everyday? Parents can help promote their child's literacy and the development of reading comprehension. Even before a child can exhibit the skill of reading, young children begin to acquire basic concepts about literacy. The single most important activity for building these understandings and skills, that are essential for reading success, is reading aloud to children. Board books read to babies from birth develops the infant’s brain that continues to develop during the first year of life. Nursery rhymes read to tiny toddlers, lays the foundation for language development. Picture books read to children during the preschool years, builds success in learning. Reading to and with elementary school age kids, equals expanded vocabulary and builds a foundation for student achievement.
Want your child to be a better reader, develop the habit of reading as lifelong learning, and be successful in school? It is plain and simple; just read. Reading is magic.
Image: Scholastic
Read and Write Everyday!
Great information. Thanks for sharing :D
ReplyDeleteJackie: It really is quite simple. Twenty minutes a day = Student achievement. Thank you.
DeleteI agree. I read to mine when they were babies!
ReplyDeleteTina: Reading to babies, as you know, is a special time for the child and the reader. Your kids must be strong, independent readers.
DeleteMy brother read to his kids before they were born (in the womb)! And my own love of reading started early--my library card was a prized possession...I remember reading stories over and over to my younger brother. You can't start too early!
ReplyDeleteAnimal Author: I so agree with you. Reading to babies in the womb is a special place to begin, followed by board books that a baby can drool and chew on.
DeleteLove the graphics about what happens when you read to kids! Still reading, but now to grandson Tobin!
ReplyDeleteKathy: Every family should set aside at least 20 minutes to read to or with their child[re], daily. Why is there time to watch several hours of television a day? Twenty minutes is an investment in the future of our children. Enjoy your time with Tobin as you instill the love of reading.
DeleteMy kids were huge fans of reading aloud, Suzy. I think it may have been partly because they could make fun of me trying to do different voices. (I completely butchered the Yorkshire accent in Secret Garden!)
ReplyDeleteA great resource for choosing books is Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook - http://www.amazon.com/The-Read-Aloud-Handbook-Seventh-Edition/dp/014312160X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396061137&sr=8-1&keywords=read-aloud+handbook.
Pat: Such a great story of how you made the books *come alive* as you read to your kids. Yes, I own a copy of The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Excellent resource.
DeleteLove the chart. So, so important to read and be read to... I read to mine, they read for themselves, they read to theirs, they read for themselves, and one of those readers just scored extremely high on SATs!!!! I'm still a regular volunteer reader.
ReplyDeleteMona: As you have experienced, time spent reading, is an investment in our kids, grandkids, and great grands. Hope the high SAT scores = Entrance into an outstanding college or university.
DeleteAnother piece to the puzzle is to model reading a book for your children and grandchildren. I am also a big fan of turning off the TV!
ReplyDeleteJanie: Limiting the number of hours in front of the television and limited time with electronic devices is a good reminder. Select a good book, a comfy spot and just read. And then read some more.
DeleteFollowing Janie's comment (above) even when I did allow the kids to watch TV - I turned on the closed captioning to sneak in extra "reading" time. It works!
ReplyDeleteCathy: Thank you for sharing an interesting idea to encourage reading.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Cathy!!! It really does work, I find myself reading subtitles even if the movie is in English. You just can't help it! :D
ReplyDeleteReading is life. I cannot imagine a life without stories but more than that reading is like breathing. I read everything.
ReplyDeleteCecilia: I so agree with you. Everyday I read, write and create.
DeleteMy grandmother, an elementary school teacher, taught me to read when I was only three years old and I have had a love for reading and writing ever since, along with a natural knack for correct spelling and grammar and a varied vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I read to our kids every night.
Becky: Thank you for sharing such sweet memories of learning how to read with your Grandma. You were an early bloomer reading at three. May you and your husband contine to enjoy the daily reading time with your kids.
DeleteRead out loud time is the best time at our house!
ReplyDeleteMary: My preschoolers enjoy several read aloud times in our day at school. Yep, just like you, it is the best time.
DeleteI just read The Smartest Kids In The World And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. She looked at the International PISA tests and why some countries do so much better than others and why the United States is usually in the middle. One of the things she did find was that the most successful students, no matter which country, had some things in common. One was reading. They were read to as young children and spent a lot of time reading as they grew up.
ReplyDeleteAngela: Thank you for sharing great information by Amanda Ripley. Read, read, read; everyday.
DeleteI created a music & literacy program for early learners. I love this program because it encourages children to develop not only a love for reading but a love for descriptive language. Children really learning abstract terms that have been presented in concrete ways. Adding music to any piece of good literature creates such an atmosphere of enthusiastic learning. Concepts are learned, retained, and even applied in the early learners' everyday experience. Hooray, for literacy and great books!
ReplyDeletePam: The music and literacy program for early learners, created by you, sounds amazing. The development of language and vocabulary is so important, as you know. Music is such an excellent companion to literacy as our kids of all ages can master concepts through song.
DeleteI have always loved to read. I learned at any early age; so did both my kids. We read books to them and then they learned how to read themselves. You could definitely see the connection between reading and achievement in other areas.
ReplyDeleteChristine: Excellent, super, good job, great! Continue to share time reading aloud and with your kids, even once they become readers. May your children continue to excel in school through the love of reading.
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