Coming Soon: World Read Aloud Day!

World Read About Day is an exciting collaboration between LitWorld, the nonprofit organization devoted to promoting literacy worldwide, and the publisher, Scholastic. Read about this exciting upcoming event. Find out how you can participate on February 1.

Here is the link:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/litworld-and-scholastic-announce-world-read-aloud-day-2018-and-a-special-collaboration-with-harry-potter-book-night-300587424.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Author, Author!

Have your preschooler pen the next great American memoir. A favorite book for preschoolers to write is a record of an outing or excursion. It is a way to make a lasting memento and and be able to relive an event that is meaningful. Think family vacation this summer . . . 

Get fancy or keep it simple. You can staple together some pieces of paper or index cards, or buy a blank book, or use a commercial service. Encourage your child to write and illustrate her own books. You provide the raw materials, but let your preschooler dictate the contents—literally and figuratively.

The book can be wordless—let her tell her tale with pictures. She is getting a taste of what goes into planning what goes on the page of a book, recalling a sequence, and communicating something that is important and memorable for her.

Get to School!

Now that the school year has begun, consider a visit to your child's classroom to read aloud with your child’s class. Once the teacher has given the OK, also be sure your child agrees with this plan. And ask him which book he wants to share with the class. Then, schedule the visit. (If he is hesitant, wait a month or two and ask again. He may well change his mind as he becomes more comfortable in the classroom.)

Visiting the classroom is a good way to keep an open connection between school and home. It provides a good chance for your child’s teachers and classmates to get to know your child better. You will also get a sense of your child’s day and what the school environment is like. It is a terrific way to get to know some of the classmates he may be talking about at home. And he will like to show you off to his school friends and maybe even show off some of his reading prowess. And, of course, reading aloud is a wonderful way to engage children in the joys of reading.

Summer Reading . . .

This one takes a little advance planning. Before the summer break, ask your child’s preschool for a list of books that will be read in class in the next year. Over the summer, read some of them with your child.

That summertime experience makes the books familiar and gives your child a little head start. Many preschoolers are caught between taking steps into the unknown and holding onto what is comfortable. Making the adjustment to school—especially if it is a new school or unfamiliar teacher—can be a challenge. So if your child “knows” a book she will feel comfortable in the reading setting. She may even share with her teacher or classmates some of the routines you and she have enjoyed, or your discussion about the book, or even tell the story of how she got the book. (Was it it a surprise?) The book experience can create a new and positive connection to the school and help put her at ease. 

Plan Ahead for That School Visit

When you do visit your child's class, make sure to bring your child's favorite book to share with her friends. Talk together before the visit to plan the selelction. (Remember that you are visiting her world.)

It can be a book that is brand-new and not yet familiar to the other students. Or it might be a classroom favorite that the children know by heart. Good books can never be read too many times!  Children benefit from being exposed to a range of readers, with different styles.  And if your child is willing, let her read some of the book aloud as well. It is a chance for her to shine.

Imagine That!

If a book sparks your child's interest—say something a character does in the course of the story—see if you can replicate the experience. When your child is intrigued by something she reads in a book, encouraging that interest will strengthen the connection between books and her life.

Plant magic beans, or dig a rabbit hole.

Set up a tent in the bedroom, or visit a firehouse. 

If the story she likes is realistic, together you can plan an event to replicate the events. If it is a fantasy, let your child’s imagination run the event. She can travel to the moon . . . right in your living room.

Knowledge Is Power

Have you noticed a topic or theme that your child is passionate about? It might be princesses or earth movers or dinosaurs. Your child is discovering that reading can help him learn more about what he is interested in. This is a very exciting idea. It is a powerful link to the idea of reading as a means to learning. 

Becoming an expert will make him feel proud of learning, and also provide a purpose for your reading together. 

Start a little “collection.” 

Go to the library or purchase books that are on this “topic.” If you elect to buy books, keep the books about that topic together on a shelf. 

Undoubtedly your child will move on to other interests. But you have shown him that there is power in knowledge. And reading is the key. 

Learn Something New

Learn something new (yes, you). Show your child that you too, as an adult are learning. Send the message that learning is something you do for a lifetime. Say you see something interesting on TV—maybe a program about a time in history that intrigues you or an endangered animal species. Mention that you want to learn more about that topic. Then take your child to the library with you or to a bookstore, or even sit her beside you at the computer. Show her how you do the research and tell her what you are learning. 

This is a good way to help your child understand that reading is a way to learn about things—even for adults! That sounds simple and obvious, but your child might not really understand the power that reading provides. Model it. Help her gain an appreciation for the value of reading to learn.

A Perfect Gift

Over the next few days, with some time off from work and school, make some time to read with your child. Enjoy some quiet time, laughing over favorite books. Snuggle together and enjoy some peaceful moments amid all the excitement. That is the best gift ever!

Celebrate "Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day!"

Saturday, December 6 is "Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day." It is the fifth anniversary of this special day. Five years ago 80 stores were part of the event. This year, more than 700 bookstores are observing the day.

Bookstores hold a special place in the lives of our communities and families. So many of us learned to love stories or discovered new authors in bookstores. Knowledgable vendors helped us to find just the right book for just the right time. And while the means for obtaining our reading material has been changing, bookstores are still an important venue for all of us. They are places to engage others in conversation about books and reading.

So expose your young child to the treasures that await in a bookstore. Large or small, bookstores need to be supported. So join in this celebration!

Read all about it:



http://takeyourchildtoabookstore.org/

Visit School to Read Aloud

Visiting the classroom is a good way to keep an open connection between school and home. If it is okay with your child’s preschool, ask if you can visit the classroom to read your child’s favorite books with the class. 

A visit provides a good chance for your child’s teachers and classmates to get to know your child a little better. You will also get a sense of your child’s day and what the school environment is like. It is a terrific way to get to know some of the classmates she may be talking about at home. And she will like to show you off to her school friends and maybe even show off some of her reading prowess.

First, be sure your child if she is OK with this plan. And ask her which book she wants to share with the class. Then, schedule the visit. If she is hesitant, wait a month or two and ask again. 

How Much Do Books Matter for Kids?

Take a look at this interesting piece, and wonderful infographic from First Book. It speaks to the positive effects of being a reader, and confirms the importance of surrounding our children with BOOKS!

http://blog.firstbook.org/2014/03/24/how_much_do_books_really_matter_for_kids_infographic/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=LDSocialMedia

Seek out books. Be creative. As warmer weather appears to be here to stay, there are new opportunities to pick up books for great prices. Check out yard sales where many people like to recycle books their own children have outgrown. Public libraries also have annual sales that provide books for sale at crazy  low prices. (And as a side benefit, the sale proceeds can help the library purchase new books. So it is a win-win situation for all.)

Your child can never have too many BOOKS!

Author! Author!

If your child really, really enjoys a book, do some research. Find out if the author of her favorite book has written other books. If so, get your hands on them. Do a search and find photos or biographical information about the author. Many authors have their own websites so it is easy-breezy to get the facts. Show your child the sites and talk about the author and his or her life.

This pursuit helps children understand that books are written by real people who have ideas and feelings and they lead their own lives . . . that might include their own family and perhaps even some pets. 

You are teaching your preschooler that books are the creations of real people who come up with ideas and then share them in the form of a book. You are teaching her to respect the creative process and to understand that books come from people—not just libraries and bookstores! This will help your child gain appreciation for the writing process as well as the idea of authorship. And it might just inspire your budding writer to think about sharing her own ideas

Turn Black Friday into Book Friday

By substituting a few letters, you can turn Black Friday into Book Friday!

As you start your holiday shopping, consider buying books for everyone on your list. Personal, thoughtful, portable, and relatively inexpensive, books are a perfect and personal gift for young and old.

Is your three-year old obsessed with soccer? Feed that obsession! Is your mother-in-law an avid gardener or a marathon runner?  Is your father a creative cook? There will be books to provide inspiration. Browse the shelves or the pages of your favorite online retailer.

And maybe gift yourself while you are at it. Happy shopping! Happy reading!

It's Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day!

Have you heard about Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day? It is today, December 1.

The idea, as explained by its founder, Jennifer Milchman, is to expose children to the possibilities  that bookstores hold. Milchman noticed how her own children were thrilled by the excitement of entering and exploring bookstores. She began to make it an official event. The movement has grown.

Today, with so many different options for reading, in order for bookstores to flourish it is important to expose new generations to the potential that lies within the shelves. Milchman's website shows the hundreds of bookstores across the country that are participating. Take some time today to take your children--or grandchildren--to a bookstore!


http://www.takeyourchildtoabookstore.org/

Simple Holiday Shopping

If you are pondering what kinds of gifts to buy for young children in your life, don’t overlook the obvious: books! No child can have too many books. And if people ask you what your own children need, tell them: books. As gifts, books are easy to wrap, inexpensive to ship, and can provide hours and hours of joy. 

Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.

-Oprah Winfrey