"Children don't stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic. Every child ought to know the pleasure of words so well chosen that they awaken sensibility, great emotions, and understanding of truth."
- Gladys Hunt, Honey For A Child's Heart
These two books have opened up a whole new world of wonder and knowledge into our home! I don't think our weekly library trips would be near as much fun or successful without the recommendations from these books that have helped develop our book list.
We've been introduced to Calico the Wonder Horse and the Saga of Stewy Stinker, one of Caleb's favorites! Jonathan has memorized I Went Walking and made friends with Tom and Pippo, Miffy, and Spot, all great toddler books. I think I read The Giant Jam Sandwich to Luke four times the other day.
We probably come away every week or so with 15-20 library books that include board books, poetry/ nursery rhymes, concepts, classics, chapter books, and wonderful picture books. Sometimes we do an author study; some of our favorites have been Marjorie Flack, Kevin Henkes, and Virginia Lee Burton to name a few. Or we'll check out several that have a letter theme the boys are learning such as Sheep in Jeep, The Giant Jam Sandwich, Bread and Jam for Frances. Of course the boys gravitate to some books more than others, and we find our favorites. But that is why we come home with many different selections. Some books we will check out over and over, and others we may only read once.
I would have never thought to attempt a chapter book such as Charlotte's Web with the boys' current ages (5, 3, 2), but they have loved it. I'm not sure a night passes that they don't ask, "Can we read a little Charlotte's Web?" One of the huge advantages I've found to reading chapter books is they use detailed descriptive language in the place of pictures; therefore building a new depth of language and imagination in the child. I usually answer once or twice each sitting, "What does (new word) mean?"
My goal is to read aloud 1-2 hours a day, and most of the time we land somewhere in the middle. The younger two get more time since they are home with me all day. When a friend challenged me with this goal, I thought how on earth with all the other things we want to do?! But she was right; it's not as hard as it sounds. You just have to be intentional. I've found I might read for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes before nap or rest time, waiting in carpool line, while they're in the bathtub, family devotion, before bedtime, and sometimes I'll read a chapter book while the boys are building blocks or legos. Their hands are busy, but it's amazing what they still hear with their ears!
Both these books give the "why" and "how" of reading aloud and include suggested reading lists. Honey For A Child's Heart is written from a Christian viewpoint, but both have excellent lists and present very persuasive and convincing cases for the importance of reading aloud to children. I think even those who don't consider themselves or perhaps their children "readers" will be inspired with a new paradigm and excited to embark with fresh perspective into the world of great children's books while snuggled up with your little ones!
"I heard my first stories in my mother's voice. A satisfactory subtitute for that technique has yet to be devised, because most of who we are is decided in those first five fleeting years of life before we ever see a school." - Richard Peck, Newbery Medal winner
"A good book is always an experience containing spiritual, emotional, and intellectual dimensions." - Gladys Hunt
"Quality is a high priority. Good stories have good writing." - Gladys Hunt
"This savoring of life is no small thing. The element of wonder is almost lost today with the onslaught of the media and gadgets of our noisy world." - Gladys Hunt
No comments:
Post a Comment