At the moment I have books and reading on my mind.
I know the importance of teaching your children to read.
I know that I am not invested as much as I'd like to be.
My kids attend a reading program, based on phonic reading. It is here each week they learn a new sound that helps them to learn and associated letters with words.
I know that they love it. I know that I need to spend more time with them in between classes each week, revisiting what they are learning.
I know I will always have a list as long as my arm of other things that need doing, but this is important and I need to just stop.
We used to visit the library once a week and borrow books, I used to shuffle through the rows of books in search of short stories, not too many words, stories I know we'd read.
But we haven't done that this year.
In all honesty we have that many books at home, there would a handful we've not even read.
I know that my kids tend to go for the same books over and over again, and they need encouragement to try something new.
I am going to try and select a small handful of books from the bookshelf, perhaps even with a theme, to encourage my children to look beyond their favourites.
And when time permits look beyond just reading the book but embracing the theme with other activities.
I know that there is more to reading books, than education.
I know dedicating time each day to sitting and reading a book with the kids, is good quality family time, quiet time.
An opportunity for a snuggle.
An opportunity to communicate with one another in a tone that is not bossy, frustrated, demanding, but warm, caring and considerate.
I know we've gotten a little slack with our reading over the last few months. But I am determined to get back on track. Bed time WILL start half an hour earlier than usual, thus ensuring this quality time doesn't walk out the door.
Do you do anything special when it comes to reading to your kids? Do you have a routine that you incorporate into your day?
I'd love to hear about it if you do.
Cheers
Mandy.
Ah, Mandy, you've touched a topic close to my heart. We got into a very good habit of reading to the twinlets before bed. Things have gone a little out of sync the past couple of weeks (coughs, colds, administering asthma preventive medications...small hiccups...). But I want to get back right into it.
ReplyDeleteMy boys already love books. It makes me so happy and proud.
Happy Friday !
Ah Mandy same here. We have readers for the big two, but the big boy doesn't really enjoy them. We did have some great pre-bed reading time routines but they seem to have gone out the window of late.
ReplyDeleteI know I MUST refocus and make this a regular part of our days again too.
Bed time is our book time - the girls pick which one they would like to have. I am lucky that my mum was a kinder teacher and kepot a LOT of books. We swap them between her place and ours so we are not reading the same ones over and over.
ReplyDeleteI am blessed that all my kids enjoy reading. I often find the bigger kids upstairs sitting in front of the bookshelf with a book in their hands. My little one loves me reading to her too.
ReplyDeleteMy kids find it easier to enjoy books when I have a small selection out at a time and rotate. Otherwise they can be used as surfboards/bricks ect
ReplyDeleteBooks are important to us. The kids love their books and i am always resisting the urge to buy more!
ReplyDeleteMaster 7 can read by himself now and sits in bed every night reading before bed while Miss 5 is learning to read and is very proud when she recognizes a word. Miss 1 also likes books - however she also likes chewing them too!
Great post, thanks for sharing!
Kirsty @ My Home Truthd
Roo loves being read to, and is starting to repeat books back to us as well. We have a little game that every day when the boys go to bed we play "Another one" - it consists of me giving her my undivided attention and reading her book after book after book (a new one each time, so we don't get stuck on the same book) until she is either finished, or the boys wake up and I have to attend to them. It's such lovely special Mummy and Rory time that I love it, and she loves it, and I feel like I'm at least ticking off one box in the "good mum" list.
ReplyDeleteYep, we are happy to have book loving kiddos too. We have read to them from a very young age, and its always been part of the teeth, toilet, books , bed routine.
ReplyDeleteWe usually read 2 books a night, and Stella (3) now likes to read them back to us, not that she can, but she has a fantastic memory!! It has never ceased to amaze me, just how many parents don't read to their kids!!
we love reading in our house. We read every night with our boys as part of our bedtime routine (and during the day too but every night at least) and we love the library and bookstores too. My 6 year old is an amazing reader, his teacher cannot believe how good he is. I am just a little bit proud :)
ReplyDeleteMandy this is a great post! We read a lot in our house too - 2 stories before bed, and on weekends when there's no work or Kindy, we snuggle in bed together in the morning and Alex keeps bringing in book after book until I can read no more! But I love it :)
ReplyDeleteSuch an important topic. Our house is full of books and Bliss loves to read them. We do 3 stories before her day sleep and 3 before bed. If The Architect is doing story time with her he'll read more than that (softie!) It's a really lovely routine and we've done it since she was so little that we can't get away with skipping it. I am trying to work out what to do for Bear as he's missed out thus far and I'm not sure how to incorporate it for him at the moment. He's too little to do it all together as he just wriggles and climbs over us and that annoys Bliss but trying to read them 3 books each at separate times isn't that appealing. Thanks for getting me thinking about this!
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