Parents can have endless demands on their time. There is a long list of tasks to attend to: shopping for groceries, preparing nourishing meals, trying to scale ‘laundry mountain’, checking to make sure everyone’s homework is done.
All the daily chores can make it hard to find time to read with a child. We want to spend time reading, but so many things demand our attention.
Reading to a child is a gift we give both to ourselves and to our kids. Kids who are familiar with books and like to read are better prepared to succeed in school and to entertain themselves rather than be entertained by TV and video games. Adults who read with a child are building shared memories and bolstering their child’s reading skills. But where can we find the time?
All the daily chores can make it hard to find time to read with a child. We want to spend time reading, but so many things demand our attention.
Reading to a child is a gift we give both to ourselves and to our kids. Kids who are familiar with books and like to read are better prepared to succeed in school and to entertain themselves rather than be entertained by TV and video games. Adults who read with a child are building shared memories and bolstering their child’s reading skills. But where can we find the time?
Here are some thoughts:
• Is there an older child who plays little league baseball or Albany Youth Soccer? Is it a challenge to keep a younger one entertained while you wait in the stands or on the field? Maybe “sports time” for the older child becomes that special “reading time” for the younger one.
• Do you ride the CDTA bus together every morning? Commute time can be story time. Do you drive instead of take the bus? Maybe a tape/CD book becomes a treat you both can look forward to.
• Do you have two or more children to guide through the bedtime routine? Although they might not admit it, the older one might enjoy listening to a picture book along with the younger one. And a younger child may enjoy listening to a book picked out by the older child as you read it
to both of them. A child’s listening skills are generally stronger than their reading skills until about eighth grade, so continue to read aloud.
• Is everyone in your house an early bird? Maybe breakfast time is story/reading time.
• Make every Tuesday or Thursday afternoon your regular visit to the library. New books can add big excitement to your regular reading time.
Whatever time you decide on, try to make it a regular and predictable event. Kids thrive on a regular schedule and look forward to their story time with you.
I was a very fortunate child as I always had adults reading to me. The regular reading time made me an early reader and I have loved books ever since.
There is no magic formula for making time to read. Try things, and then keep doing what works for your child and discard what doesn’t.
• Is there an older child who plays little league baseball or Albany Youth Soccer? Is it a challenge to keep a younger one entertained while you wait in the stands or on the field? Maybe “sports time” for the older child becomes that special “reading time” for the younger one.
• Do you ride the CDTA bus together every morning? Commute time can be story time. Do you drive instead of take the bus? Maybe a tape/CD book becomes a treat you both can look forward to.
• Do you have two or more children to guide through the bedtime routine? Although they might not admit it, the older one might enjoy listening to a picture book along with the younger one. And a younger child may enjoy listening to a book picked out by the older child as you read it
to both of them. A child’s listening skills are generally stronger than their reading skills until about eighth grade, so continue to read aloud.
• Is everyone in your house an early bird? Maybe breakfast time is story/reading time.
• Make every Tuesday or Thursday afternoon your regular visit to the library. New books can add big excitement to your regular reading time.
Whatever time you decide on, try to make it a regular and predictable event. Kids thrive on a regular schedule and look forward to their story time with you.
I was a very fortunate child as I always had adults reading to me. The regular reading time made me an early reader and I have loved books ever since.
There is no magic formula for making time to read. Try things, and then keep doing what works for your child and discard what doesn’t.
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