Take Your Child to the Library Day!

All Over the United States and Canada, a new holiday is emerging: Take Your Child to the Library Day. It is celebrated on February 1.

Well, as a huge fan of libraries and a proponent of introducing your young child to public libraries, this is a day I can celebrate in a big way.

Even if this "holiday" only serves to remind you that libraries are there--and a valuable resource--then it is worth the fanfare. 

Go tomorrow.  Go often. The library in your hometown holds amazing treasure for you and  your child.

Multi-Media is the Message

Here is somethng that is fun to do with your preschooler--and can also help her develop her critical thinking skills. Read a book together. Then watch the movie version--on DVD or online. Talk with your preschooler about what happened in the movie. How it was different from the book? How was it similar? Did it have the same ending? If not, how were the endings different? Talk about music and how it adds to the story. Which version did she like better and why? See how many similarities and differences your child can come up with . . . She’s on her way to becoming a critic! 

Make a Reading Resolution

As 2013 comes to and end and we anticipate a shiny new year, resolves to read more--with your family.  Make time for reading aloud with your young children, and even for a regular story hour with your whole family. It is a wonderful way to feel closer and also spread the message that reading is a joyful experience.

Check out this wonderful article by Pam Allyn, Director of LitWorld and LitLife, two organizations committed to literacy.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/litlife/201312/five-transformational-family-resolutions-the-new-year

Happy and healthy new year to you and your family!

Wind Down and Read

If you are lucky enough to have some time off from work, your children home from school, and a little free time, use it to read with your young child.

Find some quiet spot to curl up with your preschooler, and enjoy a favorite story book, or a brand new book that was a holiday gift. Seize those precious moments and forget about the shopping and cooking and pressures of the season. It will do you good! And it will help your young child feel the familiar comfort of reading together during what can be a hectic time.

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!

Read as I Read

A new study confirms the importance of the role that modeling reading behavior plays in raising readers. ". . . Parents who read more for pleasure read more often to their kids, and that both of these parental behaviors were also related to their children’s literacy skills."

Read all about the study here. 

http://www.edcentral.org/study-links-parents-reading-practices-to-childrens-literacy-skills/#sthash.IdKvMKMX.dpuf

And most important, keep reading with your young child--and for yourself!