Today I am sitting at our local library. As I look over my shoulder, I see a mother and her son both sitting opposite of one another staring at a device; mom with her ‘smart’ phone, and son with his electronic game. While surrounded by thousands of books, they sit in the library, waiting for Dad to finish checking his email.
How sad
With literally unlimited adventurous tales around them, they have fallen victim to a 21st century desperately destructive dilemma.
Screen Time
Why read aloud to our kids anymore? What are we really missing? Can’t we just let them learn from their machines and get the same results?
Sadly, No.
Reading aloud builds more than just an unbreakable bond between parent and child, it actually makes the brain work harder.
According to Susan Wise Bauer, author of A Well Trained Mind , “Language learning, and image learning require very different habits of thought. Language requires the mind to work harder, in reading, the brain is required to translate a symbol (words on a page) into a concept. Images, such as those on videos or television, allow the mind to be passive. In front of a video screen, the mind can ‘sit back’ and ‘relax’, faced with a written page, the mind is required to roll up its sleeves and get back to work.”
Love for reading starts at birth. Over the next three weeks we’ll share resources with you that will help you to enjoy a beautiful time of bonding with your child. Kindle books are a great way to marry the electronic world of images with the written word. We love Kindle books because you can jump from one book to the next without ever having to leave the couch.
Some suggested readers
0-6 years old:
Board Books for Babies:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Moo Baa La La La! by Sandra Boyton
Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boyton
But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boyton
Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Down by the Bay
Dr. Seuss on Kindle
Miss Spider’s Bedtime Story on Kindle
The Color Kittens
The tale of Tom Kitten bedtime story on Kindle
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on Kindle
The Wheels on the Bus on Kindle
Big Trucks Little Trucks on Kindle
Toddlers to age six:
Katy and the Big Snow on Kindle
The Three Little Pigs on Kindle
Three Billy Goats Gruff on Kindle
The Tale of Peter Rabbit on Kindle
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile on Kindle
Amelia Bedelia makes a friend on Kindle
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day
Series:
The Children’s Bible on Kindle
Noah’s Ark, Children’s Picture Bible Stories (Show and Tell Bible) on Kindle
Jonah and the Whale and other Bible stories on Kindle
You are There Bible Stories with David and Goliath on Kindle
Stay tuned next week for more book recommendations for older kids.
Have a wonderful school year!
Happy Reading!!
Laundry Mom~Erin♥
I couldn’t agree with you more, Erin. Reading aloud has always been a favorite activity in our family. I read from one book to the kids every day after lunch. My husband reads from another book aloud at bedtime. My older kids read chapter books aloud for their little siblings. The middle kids read picture books to the babies. Reading is truly a family affair and gives rise to so many great discussions and shared memories.
Thanks for sharing. We read aloud to our kids even when they are all grown up! Reading aloud is one of the best gifts parents can give a child.
[…] stronger relationships and lasting memories. Last week I gave several recommended books for toddlers to age six. This week the list is for Kindergarten to third grade. Many of these books can be found in a […]
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