Monday, 18 August 2014

HOW SOON SHOULD YOU START READING TO YOUR CHILDREN? [Sooner than you think!]



Reading to your children is one of the most important gifts you can give them.

In reading to your children, you have the opportunity to pass on parts of your own childhood and upbringing. You can read them the exact same books you loved. The ones that your parents, your grandparents, or your big sister and brother read to you.

If you no longer have the actual book, you can usually find a replacement on alibris.com. This site sells out-of-print and rare books, and I learned about it from one of our friends. She was able to find some beloved titles for her aging father, such as Frog: The Horse Who Knew No Master, by S. P. Meek, and Jimmy Neutron, a popular grade school science series.

He also wanted to read, once again, The Last Flower, which was written and illustrated by James Thurber, for his daughter as World War II drew near. This 1930s classic was recently republished and is now widely available.

I’m sure you can think of many, many books you want your children to learn about. How can you possibly read them everything you want them to learn, and everything you want them to enjoy?

Of course you know it’s important to read to your children. But what’s the best time to start doing that? Is it better to wait until they’re older and they’ve begun to talk, or begun to learn the alphabet, at least?

The newest advice is don’t wait. A new policy the American Academy of Pediatrics has instituted is to advise parents to read to their children every day, and from the time they are born.

Imagine that! From the time they are born. Now you have plenty of time to make sure you’ve read those important and treasured books to your children.

You can read more about this new policy here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/us/pediatrics-group-to-recommend-reading-aloud-to-children-from-birth.html?emc=edit_th_20140624&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=41377984&_r=1

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