Each week I read to a different classroom, and it never fails to amaze me how eager the kids are for books and listening to stories. They're so excited and aren't afraid to comment about the characters or the pictures they see on the pages. Sometimes, by popular demand, I need to read a book more than once. Other times, several children rush to give me books they enjoy from a classroom shelf so I can read them aloud.
I taught high school English 20 years ago, and I honestly don't remember my students being half as excited about reading as the preschoolers at the CDC. More often than not, trying to get the teens to participate in class discussions was as easy as pulling teeth, no matter how I tried to get them involved or interested. Even though I made Friday a day to read any book for pleasure in class (in my time, it was called SSR or "Sustained Silent Reading"), some students agonized over reading. And bringing some reluctant readers to the school library to help them choose books about things they liked didn't always make a difference.
Thinking about my high school students from years ago and seeing the CDC kids' enthusiasm for reading today has made me realize, more than before, that if you want your children to be readers, you need to start reading to them and with them from infancy. Yes, infancy. Reading board books to babies and progressing to picture books as they grow help kids develop a love for books and reading in addition to developing their thinking, analytical skills, and imagination. It sets them up to succeed in school and beyond. Spark their interest in reading while they're very young; that spark will transform into a raging fire as they get older.
What are some of your favorite childhood books? Share with us!
Looking forward to sharing more reading journeys from the perch.
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