Since it’s my birthday week…
{Come back for the Big Birthday Bash Giveaway on Thursday!}
I’d like to share about one of my greatest loves with you dolls today.
Books. The love of reading.
I’ve always loved to read. I have a strong inkling that it’s probably my parents’ fault. Weird right… parents’ encouraging their children to read?!? 😉 I grew up with BOTH parents reading me and my siblings a bedtime story. I watched my mom AND dad head off to read their favorite book before bedtime. To this day when I’m visiting my parents if you can’t find either of them a good place to look is their room with a book in hand.
I think I need a bigger bookshelf… ;)
As a kiddo it was a treat to get to choose a new book when we went to the store. At the time it was just my brother and I… he’d choose something most likely related to cowboys or Davy Crockett… Me on the other hand? I loved it all. Ponies, princesses, wizards… you name it I read it!
With new technological developments like the e-reader and being able to download an entire book onto your cell phone reading has become even easier to access. BUT you still hear people say they hate to read! The hubs is one of those… He’s getting better here lately I’m sure because I love it so much it might be rubbing off on him… 😉 Regardless I have this irrational fear of someday having my own children and not knowing how to encourage and teach them to love reading.
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Of course I know how my parents’ encouraged me… they both loved it. I saw that and copied them. Easy enough right!? But my plea to you friends, is what if that doesn’t work? What if it’s not that easy??
I would love to know how you learned to love reading? If you don’t love it, why not?
What methods have you used to encourage your own children to love to read?
Because come on… doesn’t everyone want this relationship with the ones they love??? 😉
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Happy reading lovelies!
By the way… Are you on Goodreads?? Let’s be friends!
My parents read all the time. I wasn’t as avid a reader as them, but I enjoyed reading. I love reading now, but I just don’t have the time. Or I don’t make as much time for it as i should. I have a whole stack of books that I need to read. Maybe this post will give me some motivation to start!
You’re on Goodreads, right Sarah?? I was like that for awhile, where I didn’t make time to read. Doing the 2012 reading challenge on Goodreads has really helped me fit it into my day! I love a good challenge! 😉
Yes! I think we’re friends on Goodreads?? I will double check! I did really well for the first half or more of the year. I actually surpassed the goal I set for myself. I need to back at it and set a higher goal for 2013!!
I thought so too!
You should!!! Or I know there are several book clubs out there in blog land! Maybe that’s another option!
Just checked – we are friends! I hadn’t thought about an online book club. That’s a good idea!
I’ve always loved to read! At age 2, my parents told me I took a stack (I’m talking 20+) of books to bed with me each night. And I couldn’t even read yet. I’d just pretend. (Yes, we have photo & video proof of this. So funny!) But my parents have never been big readers, so I’m not sure where I got it.
My son is now two and he LOVES books. How have I taught him to love it? Here are my tips:
1. Buy a TON of kids books. Buy a TON of board books so you can let them (as babies) run around with them without worrying about them ripping. The more books are around, the more often they will play with them.
2. Make reading time special. Make a fort and read inside it. Cuddle up. Do something out of the ordinary.
3. Read to them every. single. day. And read with a very animated voice.
4. As they get older, start to use books to teach them things. “Do you know what this is? It’s a cow.” Then later, “Where’s the cow?” Then you can move to, “What does the cow say?” “What color is the cow?” “What letters are in the word cow?” and so on.
5. When you can tell they are getting bored and restless with the book, STOP! Even if you aren’t finished. Same with pages. If you haven’t finished reading that page and they want to turn the page, turn it. Do it their way!
Thanks SO SO much for the tips Britney!!! Each of these makes complete sense! We did a thing at my friend’s baby shower asking for a child’s book with your note in it instead of a card… It was a HIT! Anyone out there that may ever give me a baby shower… HINT HINT!!!!! 😉
Noted. haha
Ok good… 😉
I think I love reading because of my mom. I’ve been reading since before I was even in school – I got grounded from books when I was little instead of “normal” stuff!
That makes sense…. I’m thinking my mom might have done that if she would have thought of it… 😉 Too funny!
Well, I can go at this as an avid reader, mom of 3 teens/adults, and a pre-K teacher. Three words: exposure, encouragement, and example. I read to all my kids and two of the 3 LOVE to read, the other does not. I encourage him by reading along whatever they’re reading and discussing in his 9th grade lit class so I can incorporate it into our conversations in a different way. I also let him read all the popular stuff (Hunger Games, etc) because that’s what speaks to kids these days. In my classroom, we read all the time: Bible stories, books, lessons. I also have designated “book on the rug” time where they can choose a book to look at quietly on the rug. Many times, the pictures engage them and they want me to read them that story. I have always been a huge reader — trips to the library were outings for me and my siblings! I belong to a book club and always have at least two books I’m reading at any point in time. I love that I share books with my 19 year old daughter now!! Exposure, encouragement, and example.
Awesome insights Heidi!!! I’ve heard of teachers using popular literature in their junior high/high school classes as a means to get older kids to read. Love the idea of book on a rug!!
I love to read. If you could see my bookcase…. its so full and my memory on my phone is getting low because I have a kindle app.
Mine too!!! You should see my parents’ bookcase! They have a HUGE one and it’s overflowing… We’ve gotten to the point that if the book isn’t anything worth keeping around and reading again, we just pass them on to the next reader… There’s just no more space!!! haha