Please Read To Small Children

This poster was a definite Aha! moment for me. Subconsciously, I'm sure I already knew this, but here it is in print. A terrific reminder to all who have small children. It's also a trigger to memories of long ago. 

Think about it--when we read to a small child, we're usually in a very comfortable situation. Curled up together in a chair or on the sofa, or even on a bed. The child has the warm touch of someone they love and trust while those soothing words trickle down to them as mom, dad, or a grandparent reads to them. It's a safe place, a pleasant time, a special time. 

It's no wonder that we then come to associate reading and books as a part of all that. But what about the child who doesn't like reading once they acquire the skill at school? Does it mean they didn't have a parent who lovingly read to them in the very early years? No, it does not. But there are children who would never pick up a book to read on their own. It's a big question with few answers.

I think that those who do love books definitely continue to associate those loving times with an adult reading to them as part of the book/reading experience. Without realizing it, we practice the theory of Pavlova's dog when we establish a reading pattern with our young children. Pavlova's dog theory is nothing more than learning something through conditioning. 

One memorable reading session with a child has stayed with me. When our two youngest grandchildren were 3 and 6, they were spending the Thanksgiving holiday at our house. I had bought a children's book about the First Thanksgiving. I showed it to them when we were in the kitchen. They were seated on stools at the counter and I was standing on the opposite side of the counter. "Read it to us, Grandma," Jordan, the 6 year old said. 

So, I opened to the first page and began to read. When I looked up before turning the page, I noticed that 3 year old Cole was staring intently at me and the book. Each time I turned the page, I took note that Cole's attention never waned, he ketp listening intently, an occasional frown on his face during the tense moments of the story. When it all ended well, the relief on his face was clear and a broad smile came with it. 

Did he love the story? Or did he love that Grandma devoted some special time to him? Did he feel the love? Maybe a bit of all of the above. Either way it was a win-win situation and a special time for me, too.

I read to my children on a regular basis and so have my children done with their own. I continued to read to my children when we took long road trips. It helped the long hours in the car go by a little faster and it brought back what had been a special time for us when they were much younger. They're both in their forties now and I doubt they'd consider having Mama read to them now, but maybe they remembered how special it was when they continued the practice with their own children. 

There's no guarantee that reading to a child early on will make them love books, but it's most likely that it can be extremely beneficial to all involved in the process. Take time out of your busy life to read to a child whenever possible. 

Wise Words From An Expert

Phillip Chipping, CEO and Founder of Knowonder! magazine

I'm privileged to have a Guest Blogger today. Phillip Chipping is the man responsible for the very fine childrens' magazine, Knowonder! His post is directed at parents and writers alike, especially childrens' writers. His are wise words! Phillip has published several of my children's stories in the past, the most recent being "Message In The Night."

Phillip says:

     As parents, there is nothing in the world quite as precious and special to us as our children and grandchildren. There is a love and magic there that doesn’t exist anywhere else in our lives. So it is understandable that we want them to succeed in life! We want them to get good grades in school, to make good friends, to get good jobs and graduate college. We want them to be self-sustaining, contributing members of society. And above all, we want them to have a strong self-esteem, to have confidence, to feel loved, and to be happy.

     So, no pressure, right?!

     Of course there is no guaranteed, magic solution to ensuring that each child will live up to our hopes for them. Each child is different. 

     Yet, statistics and new research show that there are definitely two things, above any others, that have a much higher likelihood of delivering on these hopes; proactively talking to your child, and regularly reading to your child.

     As simple as they sound at first blush, these two things, if done proactively and regularly, have the potential and power to literally hardwire your child’s brain for literacy, learning and success!

But therein lies the kicker. These are habits that need to be formed early on in a child’s life – even starting at birth – and that need to be done over and over and over, day after day after day. It is in the compounding of these actions that we find the greatest impacts. 

    “This particular strand of research is teaching us that a significant portion of a person’s intellectual capacity is determined in his or her first 36 months.” (Disrupting Class, by Clayton Christensen)

     It’s interesting to me that research is now showing that children’s intellectual and physical/eating habits are largely set by the time they are three years.  Think about it. This is the time of their lives when we, the parents, have almost absolute control of everything that goes into their minds and mouths. 

     And so, although a child’s success will largely be determined by their own choices in life as they grow older, we cannot ignore the impact of our influence on their lives during their youngest years. We cannot afford to sit back and pursue our own personal interests and hobbies at the expense of our children. Just as it would be negligence for us to simply feed a child only the scraps that fall on the floor, so, too, is it negligent for us to give them our attention only when it’s convenient for us.

In a world that is hell-bent on providing the easiest, most-convenient solutions for every situation, we cannot afford to turn to the TV, the video games, or other forms of entertainment whenever our child is bored or “in our way.”

     I invite you to learn more about the impact of reading to your child every day, and proactively talking to your infants every day, as well as the most effective ways these two things can be done. As simple as they sound, there are definitely “best practices” that every parent and grandparent should know. 

     You can find more information at www.knowonder.com.

Phillip Chipping (CEO & Founder) is a born entrepreneur and a natural storyteller and the creative force behind knowonder!  As a father of four young children, he understands the need to provide imaginative stimulation and creative outlets to developing minds.  Phillip learned his deep love of reading from an early age, which in turn nurtured his own imagination and creativity.  This fostered in him a desire to find innovative solutions for everyday problems.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Phillip had the inspiration for knowonder! while living with his family in England as the Managing Director of ZAGG Ltd., the UK arm of ZAGG Inc.; a company Phillip founded.  He saw his children’s love of reading blossom when they had a new story each day and decided to bring that concept home when they returned.  Phillip now lives with his wife and children in Cache Valley, Utah.

Start Good Reading Habits Early

Children are made readers on  the laps of their parents. (Emilie Buchwald, 1994)

I ran across this quote and my first thought was to wonder who Emilie Buchwald is. Why did her name not ring a bell. So I googled her and learned that she was the founder of Milkweed Publishing Co., one of the top juvenile books companies. I agree with Ms. Buchwald wholeheartedly.

Parents who do not begin reading to their children in infancy are doing them a disservice. It's never too soon to begin. In the book world of today, there are many books with no words, only pictures. What nicer way to begin than with baby cuddled on your lap, the book held in front of both of you. Sure, she's going to bat at it with her little hands, but soon, she'll begin to pay attention to the pictures and to the tone of your voice as you talk about them. Before long, there are toddler books with words below the pictures and full stories as they get a little older.

I still have memories of my mother and father reading to me. Also my aunts. As I got older, I'd snuggle up next to them, partly to see the pictures in the book, but also to have that closeness to a loved one that children enjoy. Positives on both counts.

My daughter and her husband began reading a bedtime story to their children at a very early age. They started with a child on their lap, and as the children have gotten older, that's changed to sitting on the side of the bed together to read. The children each have a large basket filled with books in their bedroom, and they pull out favorites for Mom or Dad to read. And when Grandma (that's me!) is there, guess who gets the pleasure of reading the bedtime story?

These are children who will one day graduate to reading a chapter or two in bed before falling asleep. A habit has been established, and a good one it is. Our two older grandchildren were also read to at a very early age, and both of them are voracious readers today.

Read to your children, your grandchildren, nieces and nephews--whatever children are in your life. You couldn't give them a finer gift.