We learn a great deal from books. The lessons of life often jump off the pages to help us express emotion, socialize, or even learn language. Books are a great way to get children involved in learning because reading to your kids is the number one way you will get them interested in books. Sharing a book connects families so, it is important to spend time reading as a family.
What do you read?
Where do you start and what you share. Begin with the short stories that have a lot of pictures. As your kids grow, embark on chapter books. My kids and I really got into the Magic Treehouse series. We would journey every night through the land of dragons, Victorian times, or even the old west. Each book was a new adventure that we looked forward to sharing. Pick up a book and travel with your kids tonight.
When do you read?
Once you find the book you want to share, when do you read to your loved one. Sharing a book with your family can be done anytime of the day. Start out with a nightly routine that ends with a book in bed. Eventually, venture to Storytime’s in the local libraries or take a book to a picnic in the park. The nice thing about books is that they travel nicely, most are light-weight, and they can be read anywhere.
Where do you read?
So, you have found your book, you know when to read it, where do you enjoy it? The living room, up at the table, even in bed. Reading can be done anywhere. Use your imagination and think outside the box for fun.
Ideas for quality time with your loved ones.
- Play music and dance with your child.
- Sing the ABCs in the car together.
- Ask your child to point to specific objects or colors they see so they can express them to you.
Activities to do with books as well as family
- Make a cozy place with pillows and blankets to read together.
- Sit on a blanket outside to share a book.
- Let your child hear you reading your own book, newspaper, or magazine out loud.
- Allow your kid to choose the book you read together.
- Have your baby turn the pages of the book you share.
- Create a spot in your home for a box or basket of board books your kid can easily reach.
- Use shaving cream as finger-paint to draw and make letters on a table.
- Encourage your child to scribble, color, and sign their artwork.
- Read a book using your silliest voices.
- Share a book with flaps, textures, and moveable parts.
- Visit a fire station then read a book about fire fighters.
- Read a book about vehicles and the sounds they make.
- At the library, let your child choose picture books from the shelves to read.
- Read a book about an experience your kid will have, such as a doctor visit.
- Find objects in your home like those in the books you are reading.
- Give your child old magazines to practice turning pages.
- Ask your baby to point to objects in book illustration.
- Read out loud the words or signs at the park or on the street.
- Name aloud the things you see as you walk through the neighborhood.
- Look for bugs outside, then share a book about insects.
- Make all the sound effects as you read a story.
- Let your child make the animal sounds as you read a book about animals to them.
- Make a book about things your child does every day then read the book aloud.
- Print your child’s name in big letters then help them trace the letters with their finger.
- Take a picture of your child reading then look at it and talk about it together.
- Bring a doll or stuffed animal to the library then have the toy engage in activities with your child.
- As you read aloud to your kid, follow the text with your finger.
- Ask your child to dictate a letter to a family member so your child can sign their name.
- Go ahead and read the same book over and over because research shows repeated readings helps kids learn new vocabulary.
conclusion
Reading as a family is a way of life that opens doors to literacy and builds bonds that result in stronger relationships between family members. So, go start reading as a family.