Brainy Benefits….
A young mom shared an article
with me this week written by Camille Vicino.
If my computer skills allow,
I will try and also attach it for you at the end of this blog.
After having raised three
children, who are all literate, and after helping hundreds of young children in
my teaching career, I know that books, being surrounded by them, having them in
your home, and hearing them read to you, helps kids brain develop.
Of course, my training as a
teacher impacted how I raised my kids, and from the time they could sit on my
lap, we started reading.
The words kids hear, when we
spend talking with them, and reading to them expands their own sense of the
world around them, and leads, I believe to natural curiosity.
All three of my children love
to read. They are adults now, and one
has children of her own; she reads to her kids all the time.
It’s so fun to watch kids
react to books. I used to get so excited
at the beginning of each school year as I planned what new stories I wanted to
share with all my little 3 and 4 year olds!
I now get to have even more
fun watching my grandchildren enjoy some of the same great stories my own
children loved, as well as my favorite books from preschool.
Kids and books are just such
a natural combination.
I love the efforts of
organizations that help give books to kids.
In our area in northern Illinois, Bernie’s
Books, does a great job reaching children who need books to keep at their
homes.
With the beginning of school,
it’s a great time to set up a planned and promised reading time at your house…
even if it’s just a few minutes at bedtime each day, kids will love it and
benefit from it.
Here are some ideas from the
article I mentioned at the beginning of this blog from the American Academy of
Pediatrics:
· Read to your child every day, even if only for a few
minutes. It is your time together.
· Make reading fun.
You don’t have to finish a story if your child loses interest.
· Let your child choose the book even if it means
reading the same book over and over again.
· Invite your child to “read” to you from a familiar
book that he/she has memorized from.
· Stop and ask about the illustrations or what your
child thinks will happen next. The
answers may amaze you.
· Read from a variety of children’s books, including
fairy tales, poetry, and nursery rhymes.
· Follow your child’s interest in choosing the
books. There are many great books on
non-fiction subjects such as the ocean or dogs.
· Join your local library
There you
have it!
Go out and read…
just for the fun of it… it will make a big difference in your kids’ lives.
And… yay for
me! I attached the article…
Until next
time,
Pam
No comments:
Post a Comment