Love of Reading

I was so happy when I drove about thirty minutes away to pick up a television to look back and see that my AJ was reading a Dr Seuss book! For a child who has so many hyperactive spouts during the day and is often found not staying still for longer than a few minutes I was proud to see him reading a book, quietly staying buckled in his booster seat while we drove more than ten minutes!

I have always loved books, growing up I would sit and read a whole chapter book in one sitting. I have very few memories, not sure why but my memories are all mumbled together and there are few events or passed situations I can recall in detail. I do remember my love for reading and I do remember vividly sitting on a couch in my parents living room (back when they were still married I believe) and reading a whole chapter book.

Reading is a great skill to have, and I remember how shocked I was to find out that I had a family member who never learned to read! I guess that wasn’t something he was taught back in school and to me it seemed crazy! The old days were different, now kids can learn to read in a variety of ways, such as having parents read to them, attending story time at the local library to the new LeapFrog® Tag Reading System. It’s amazing how reading has been incorporated into just about every area of a child’s life!

My oldest is now reading chapter books, she is reading Charlotte’s Web on her own and we are reading Stuart Little together. My daughter brings home those monthly Scholastic book orders and goes through asking for all the low cost items, and if there is a higher priced book she is willing to settle for something a bit more within my budget, as long as she gets a book!

A few weeks ago my daughter and I went through her huge book collection and donated those she no longer would read to her school and others to her brothers that would fit their interest level.

Reading is the doorway to so many opportunities, without reading I don’t think you could even learn to drive, complete a job application, read a letter from a loved one or even write a letter to a loved one.

How do you encourage a love of reading in your home? Do all of your children surprise you like my AJ, being hyperactive but then when you least expect it sit down to open up a book and read it?

Make it a Happy Day!