I can’t find anything in this world for our children more enriching than a good book. A book with fantastic pictures as well as text can soon become a child’s best friend in this fast paced world! From their earliest development we as parents have followed the studies and read to our babies. As a teacher I can’t express enough how this early intervention helps later in the classroom. Books are such an exciting way to stimulate our children’s brain. The development of letter recognition and expanding vocabulary, later fosters listening, comprehension, and writing skills.
Directly we allow our children to imagine, learn, become curious, and be enthusiastic about the world around them. Through characters of people or animals our children can discover what to love, find courage in, resolve problems of, and have empathy for most of life’s situations.
Books boost confidence in our children and create uncounted hours of bonding between parent and child. The more we read to children, the more they enjoy literature. The more they enjoy reading, the better readers they will become. A good reader is usually always a good student. Inspire reading in your life. At a minimum children should be read to for at least twenty minutes scattered throughout the day. As they grow they will still have the need to be read to, but they also should have the skill reading orally to anyone else for correct pronunciation, enhancing their language skills making it easier to express themselves in their lives. Put a book in the hands of a child and they quickly can discover anything is possible.
In our home we have been very fortunate to be a part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Each of our children have been registered since they were born. Associated with “Books From Birth Foundation” by Gov. Bredesen in 2004, all of Tennessee’s ninety-five counties put books in the hands of children. From birth to age five, each child monthly receives a book in the mail from Dolly’s Imagination Library. Helping to foster a love of reading in children, Dolly Parton says, “The seeds of dreams are often found in books.” As mommies, excited about our children’s future, let’s plant these seeds early so too our children can continue pursuing dreams, reading and changing their world!
The pictures below are early days of falling in love with books. I LOVE the one of Jackson reading to Abigail in March of 2009.
Isabela was just a few days old in this photo sharing her first story time!
For my children 