Contributed by: Amy Secord
I am currently a stay-at-home-mom, but was previously a children’s librarian. I currently have a two year old who loves books. I first started to read to my son when he was about 6 months old. The first book that I read to him was Good Night Moon. This book is a favorite of mine. I wanted this moment to be the beginning of a life-long love of reading. Starting to read to your child at a young age exposes them to different textures, repetition, builds their language development and offers quality time with your child. My son is at the stage where he will pick a book that we have read a hundred times and go through the pages and read them in his own way. He can sit with books and they capture and build his imagainative world in ways that only he will understand.
I am always looking for new books and ways to incorporate reading into my child’s life. We frequent the library during a story time that is appropriate for his age (or when we have overdue books). The library is a great place to get started introducing books to your child and may offer a baby or preschool story time, or other ideas to help parents engage their child in reading. Another bonus is that you can meet up with other moms and kids which provides opportunities for both you and your baby to be social.
Here is another idea which might help you to build your childs home library. I was approached by my sister-in-law when my son was very young, she simply asked if she could be his “Book Aunt”. She explained that she did not want to purchase toys for him on birthdays and holidays, she wanted to buy books. So now when a birthday or holiday comes around I email her some suggestions of books that I think that he might like and she picks which ones she wants to buy. I love it and my son loves to open them.
I have just started a couple of new reading activities with my son. He is now at the age where we read the same book over and over and over and over. I simply let him fill in the blanks in the story. He is now participating so much more in the story. He loves to say words that I have just said that sound funny or make him laugh. Sometimes we spent a long time just looking at the pictures. He loves to find hidden pictures or details in each picture. I love this interaction and am so excited about the early love of reading that he is developing.
Here are some of my son’s favorites:
Goodnight Moon
The Napping House
I love Trains
I love Trucks
My Big Truck Book
Road Builders
What are some of your child’s favorite books?
More Information on Reading with your Kids:
Reading Rockets
Just One More Book
Babycenter
ParentHacks
Child Literacy
Scholastic
Suite 101
Photo: Megin Hatch
[tags]reading with kids, reading to babies, literacy, books, sharing books, favorite books, parenting, education[/tags]
10 responses so far ↓
Megin // Nov 2, 2006 at 5:42 pm
We go to the library weekly, it’s nice to shake up your reading routine with some new books. I love the book aunt idea. Here’s how we build our at home library: yard sales, scholastic book sales thru school, library book sales, and even the good will stores and consignment shops. I think it would be a great idea to have a book swap, too. I hardly ever buy new books at book stores, although sometimes I’ll order something from Amazon for an occasional birthday gift.
My kids love books and we have pictures (like the one on this post) of my son sleep reading, reading in baskets, almost upside down, book towers and all sorts of fun stuff!
Erica // Nov 2, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Lovely post.
Erin and I love;
Push and Pop Farm
Farm Babies
Ten in the Bed
Megin // Nov 2, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Oh, right, favorite books:
any non-fiction by Susan E. Goodman (of “the truth about poop” fame
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers- seriously the best book ever written for babies 10 months-3? 4? I buy this book for every baby I know and have one stashed for Lucy when she’s older. If you knew me, you’d know how NOT me it is to do that, but my baby LOVES this book and we have so much fun reading it over and over and over.
The remarkable Farkle McBride- by John Lithgow- so so fun to read.
My 6 year old is big into the Hardy Boys and the Magic Tree House books.
I have a gazillion more- but I’ll leave you with only 1, the Hairy Mclary series by Lynley Dodd- again- so fun.
Andrea // Nov 2, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Amy,
Great post. I agree with you completely.
Thank you for spreading the Just One More Book!! word.
Another great reading resource is the CLIP podcast, http://www.clippodcast.com. Host Vivian Vasques is a leader in the Critical Literacy world who not only suggests some great children’s books but encourages us (and shows us how) to use the books as springboards for improving the world around us.
Thanks again and HAVE FUN reading!
Andrea
Andrea // Nov 4, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Me again…
I see the link to CLIP is damaged above by the period at the end of my sentence. Hope this one works:
http://www.clippodcast.com
Andrea
Scott Secord // Nov 5, 2006 at 12:07 am
GO MOM!!!
Erica // Nov 5, 2006 at 11:16 am
Hi Scott,
Would love to hear about your favourite book
Amy Secord // Jan 25, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Hi Amy Secord! My name is also Amy Secord. (No, I’m not joking!). A search result on my own name brought up your comment. I’m glad to hear you are reading to your child.
Amy Secord // Apr 4, 2007 at 11:28 am
Hi! My name to is Amy Secord. When I googled my name it brought me to this site. My husband, Scott and I have two boys, a three year old and a two year old who love to read. They like books that are short and our three year old loves to repeat all the words.
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