Children should learn that reading is a pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.
— Beverly Cleary
Today is National Read a Book Day! What better day to kick off a new book series on the blog than today! Every month I will do a round up of all the books we have been loving as a family. Hopefully share some bookworm love!! When I was pregnant with Bug, I started to read aloud, and talk to myself…A lot! Why? Because I’m weird? Yes, but also because I wanted to be sure that she would be able to recognise my voice. I knew that I wanted her to have a love for books and reading. Something I lost in my teenage years but gained back in adulthood.
So much so that for my baby shower, I kindly asked people to gift a book with a little note to Molly in the front cover instead of a card. Something she could treasure forever and always look back on. I still have books from when I was a child with little notes written in them from loved ones. One day I will pass them down to Molly when she is old enough to not destroy them. I want her to be able to do the same when/if she decides to start her own family.
Books are the key to knowledge, adventure, mystery, and expertise. There are so many reasons why reading is good for you and your family. Old or young, reading has benefits for everyone…
Reading to/with your child helps to build a stronger relationship with them.
Strengthens self-esteem
Improves imagination
Focuses the mind and enhances concentration
Prepares for independent reading and writing
Acclimation to new experiences
Stress Release
Better communication skills
Memory improvement
Improves speech and language skills
More logical thinking skills
Helps prepare their minds to succeed in school
The basics of how to read a book
Improves general knowledge
We are so obsessed with reading in our house. Reading together to us, is family time. When we read a bedtime story before bed, it is our quiet time for all the cuddles. Reading during the day, it’s about learning, adventures, exploring! When we build a conversation or an activity around a story we encourage our children to communicate with us.
Molly’s favorite books at the moment are the Usborn ‘That’s not my..’ books. We have a ongoing growing collection and I get far too excited when I see one in mint condition, in a charity shop for a quid! Molly will sit there for what seems like hours, going through all her books, opening them,closing them, feeling the different textures and chatting away to herself. There are times I will sit there and read them with her. I’ll encourage her to touch the different materials and make the sounds of the different animals like a complete loon. Then there are times where I will leave her to it and view from a far. Independent and solitary play is the first stage of play that children go through and it’s a very important one. It’s ok to let them explore on their own from time to time.
Studies show that early reading with children helps them learn to speak, interact, understand the world around them. Books teach your child what is good and what is bad, what is real and what is not. When you’re reading aloud you’re increasing your baby’s vocabulary. When you first start reading with your baby, in the beginning, they learn about colours, shapes, numbers, and letters and then as they grow up, they discover an expanding chain of knowledge.
Don’t know where to start? Board books are great because they are usually condensed and just the right length for a tiny humans short attention span. The pages are also fat and easier for them to turn and hold. They also double as a nice chew toy!
Some of our favorite books that we read to Molly:
On the Night You Were Born
Where is Baby’s Bellybutton
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Hello Bugs
Ten Tiny Toes
Mr Brown can Moo
Dear Zoo
We’re going on a bear hunt
Elmer
National Read a Book Day is the perfect time to get lost in the pages of an old favorite or discover a new one. So if you haven’t started reading to your baby yet, today is the perfect time to start.
What are you family favorite books to read? I’m always looking to add more books to Molly’s collection!
Happy Reading!
Aw this is sweet! Heidi is taking a real interest in reading now. She smiles like mad when I do funny voices or tickle her when somethings funny! We don’t have any of the “thats not my” books, but they are on my list of gifts for her birthday! I think reading for kids is super important and I LOVED my bedtime story when I was a kid. I can’t wait to read her all my favourites and classics x
We love books in our house too! You baby shower idea is so sweet, I wish we’d done that! Tyler really like the that’s not my books too and I love guess how much I love you! Not sure he’s 100% into that one at the minute as he is into trying to rip the pages haha! Can’t believe I missed national read a book day!
This is so sweet and I love the idea of gifting a book with a note inside. I feel it is so important to get children into reading, I hated when I was younger and so many people would think it was cool not to read! It is so nice being able to get lost in a good book.