I often take my kids to the library. We go because the play area gives them a chance to interact with other children.
Well, today they discovered something wonderful. The library has books too! I have been trying to guide them in that direction for a long time, but all I got were looks like - this toy dinosaur is way cooler than a book - so I gave up.
I figured we had enough books at home, and we spent enough time reading that they were satisfied with just going to the library to play. Today, however, (to my joy) they started bringing me books they were interested in. The girl brought me the book "Meat Eating Dinosaurs" and the boy choose "The Berenstain Bears family vacation." interesting choices to say the least, but hey, there only one and three.
So I read a little, and they played a little. When the time came to go I asked, "Should we take these books home?" To which the boy replied "No we have to leave it here mom." I laughed as the boy volunteered to put the books back.
Oh well, at least it's a step in the right direction.
That brings me to a question. I must first preface it by saying that I read to my kids and I let my kids see me read, in hopes that they will pick it up. But I wondered if anyone does anything fun to help their kids enjoy books? Is there something out there to help them get more excited about learning to read? Because I feel like I'm on the right track, but I also think there must be more that one could do to inspire a great mind. Any ideas?
5 comments:
My girls and I write our own stories sometimes. They make them up and I type whatever they say. Also I recently wrote a book for them. I printed off two copies and let each one draw their own illustrations for it. We read it for storytime some days. Fun all the way around.
That is so cute! You are so creative! Thanks for the tips :D
I teach preschool (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 year olds) and we make story time more fun with interactive things, such as flannel boards (cutting out the characters from the book with flannel), and finger puppets, etc. Sometimes I just take some of the animals in the book and draw my own and laminate them; then they can hold them while we read. For example, "In the Tall Tall Grass" is all about the bugs/insects you can find in the grass, each page with a different one. So I give each child one of the "insects", and when we get to their page, they can act out what that bug does (ie: a bumble bee goes BZZZZZ). It keeps their attention span longer, and even if they aren't completely focused on the book but rather on the props, it helps them realize all the possibilities that books hold. :)
Hope this helps!
aredenvelope.blogspot.com
Michelle, thank you! See - this is why I am glad to have a blog, because I can't think of these fun creative things! Although at one point I wanted to be preschool teacher, but maybe I'm not really cut out for it ha ha! Thanks again :D
Your kids aren't quite old enough, yet, but my kids read at least 100 minutes a week. Those that can't read, I read to them. During the summer, we have read-a-thons every Friday on a blanket, usually outside with snacks galore. If the kids are really into their own books, we read separate but many times, we read a series aloud ie. Chronicles of Narnia, The Book of Three- ?Chronicles of Prydain?. We also read scriptures every night. I think that helps a ton, also.
Post a Comment