Reading

I have an education degree, and if you asked me what one thing you could do for your children to help them get a good start academically, I wouldn’t need to give it a second thought: read, read, read!

It not only provides a relaxing cuddle time with young children; it will increase their vocabulary and their knowledge about a variety of topics, usually help them learn their letters and how to read sooner and instill in them a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.  The most obvious source of free books is your local library, but there is a wealth of other places to get books free or very inexpensively.

If you’re not familiar with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, you’re missing out!  Children from birth through age five can get a free book mailed to them every month just for signing up.  No strings attached!  I got Cooper involved just a couple of months after he was born, and we have gotten a lot of great books.  I always look forward to seeing what he will get each month.  (At this point that excites me more than it does him, but he enjoys reading them.)

Seriously, these (plus a few more) were all free!

I buy a lot of books at thrift stores (Goodwill is my favorite), garage sales and used bookstores.  Amazon.com also sells used books, but there is usually an extra charge for postage.

Although I’m partial to having a good, old-fashioned book in my hand, there are a lot of free or very inexpensive e-books available for children, and you don’t have to have a tablet computer to read them; they will download onto any computer.  You can go to Amazon and type “free ebooks for children” in the search box and it will bring some up, or you can do a search on your Kindle, Ipad or other device.  Many libraries loan out e-books as well.

This is one Cooper has learned to "read" himself

Cooper and I read when he gets up in the morning, before nap and before bed, and sometimes other times during the day.  It’s always a time we both look forward to.  Our routine is that he picks one book and I pick one, so that he gets to read his favorites, but I make sure the others don’t get overlooked.  I have a “once a day” policy on reading any book (to help maintain my sanity).  My husband reads to him as well, and when grandparents or other people are visiting, I encourage them to read to him.  It’s great bonding time!

Reading with Dad and Granddad