There are things you do as a parent because you think you’re supposed to do them. And there are things you do because you enjoy doing them.
For me, reading aloud to (and with) my children is one of those things that falls into both of these categories.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love books. In fact, I’ve built much of this blog around it. I love words, language and communication, and books (and reading and writing) are a natural extension of that.
So I read with my children all the time. And, whether it’s because of genetics or conditioning, nature or nurture, my kids love books too.
Books allow you to do things with your children that you will never get to do. Together, we’ve ridden broomsticks. We’ve fought dragons. We’ve huffed and puffed, and had hair on our chinny-chin-chins. We’ve cast spells and eaten chocolate trees.
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| Images from the following books: Room on the Broom, The Reluctant Dragon, Numbers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
Books reflect your lives in their pages. Together, we’ve brushed our teeth before going to bed. We’ve learnt to tell the time. We’ve danced (an approximation of) ballet and hugged and hugged and hugged (and hugged and hugged and hugged).
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| Images from: The Going to Bed Book, How to Catch a Star, Be a Ballet Dancer!, I Love my Mum, I Love to Hug You, Look at You!, Charlie the Chimney Sweep, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Peepo! |
Books teach you about the world beyond your house and activities. Together, we’ve heard elephants trumpet and lions roar. We’ve taught farm animals what they’re supposed to say. We’ve been to Edinburgh and Buckingham Palace, and seen caterpillars become butterflies.
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| Images from: Hello Baby!, Muddled-Up Farm, Greyfriars Bobby, There’s Always Pooh and Me, The Very Hungry Caterpillar |
Books encourage language development. The repetition of words, and the rhythm and cadence of storytelling, particularly of rhyme, make it fun. The introduction of new words, the discussion of concepts and the questions that follow make it stick. Language, vocabulary and imagination grow.
My children are almost-four and just-turned-one. We are still in picture book land. Almost-four-year-old and I have read some thin chapter books – Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot, Julia Donaldson’s Dinosaur Diaries – but we’re still years away from visiting Narnia, Hogwarts or Middle Earth. Luckily we’ve got the Magic Faraway Tree to climb before then. I’m almost embarrassed about how much I’m looking forward to it all. Almost.
Then the day will come when I’m told I’m no longer required to read aloud. The day my children will select their own books, sit down, and immerse themselves in other worlds without my accompanying presence.
It will be bittersweet. But I’ll be so proud. I think that helping my children to enjoy reading is one of the greatest gifts I can give them. If they can find pleasure in reading, they will never be bored.<
I read because I’m supposed to. I read because I want to. Most of all, I read because I can. Because sharing this gift with my children just feels so good.
How important is reading with your children to you? What are your favourite books to read together?
We have started Charle and the Chocolate Factory and they are loving it. I was determined they read the books before they see the movie!!
My 5 year old is reading like a champ since he started school at the start of the year. It didn’t take long for him to really get the hang of it. Such a pround mum moment watching him pick up a home reader and read it himself!!
I have always read to my kids and I enjoy it too!!
We love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have a pop-up version so I’ve been able to sneak it into the reading pile years earlier than I’d anticipated!
Brilliant. A love of books is truly a wondrous thing.
Thank you. Indeed it is.
We have always read to our girls, ever since they were about three months old it has been a bed time ritual. Reading is the most wonderful way to spend time with your child, ignite their imagination, and is a wonderful gift. Our youngest started school this year and is now reading to us. It fills me with joy x
Bedtime ritual, absolutely. And a morning one, afternoon, sleepy, pre-lunch, post-lunch… it’s always reading time around here!
Funny, my boy is home sick today and I just read him three books as he ate his lunch, he adored them! So glad we started at an early age, I hope I never tire of it! We do it every night before bed, my Grade 1 girl is now reading to her brothers!
Oh, I can’t wait until Ashleigh can read to Mitchell! She ‘reads’ to him now – recites a few favourites as he turns the pages – but I look forward to them discovering books together.
My one year old loves those books too (we’ve just read ten little fingers and ten little toes). My parents instilled a love of reading in me that’s stayed with me all my life, so I hope I can pass that on. It’s a wonderful gift.
Can’t go past Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes! Solid gold.
Books are AWESOME! We’re about to start the Magic Faraway tree here with the gremlins too, Maya is reading her way through the Chronicles of Narnia and Chiara insists on the same Skinny Doug story every. single. night.
Haha, it’s interesting to see what books they choose for themselves isn’t it? I’ve bought Narnia – it’s on the bookshelf teasing me!
We never seem to read to Nick before bedtime anymore. We used to every night. I think it’s a combination of he now reads to us for his homework for school (though not very exciting books) and we also got him a loft bunk bed (I think I put this comment here recently?) and it isn’t really conducive to bed-time reading. We could read in OUR bed though I guess. Need to stop making excuses and just get back to it. It used to be he couldn’t go to sleep without a book, now he doesn’t care so much, but I miss it. I miss laying next to him and living all those stories! It makes me sad to hear about kids who are never read to. 🙁 x
Sometimes it’s hard to get back into an old habit when it goes. I’m sure it will come back. Yes, I agree with your last line. I’m always surprised by the stats.
Just wanted to let you know that we’ve been reading again! We read in my bed then he goes into his. It’s great! Thanks xo
This is a gorgeous post about your love for reading. I have gotten really slack lately with reading to Mr 4 but we both love it when we do remember to do it.
Thanks Tegan. As long as the love is still there it will come back!
Reading has always been huge here, thank goodness. I can’t even imagine life without books. We just had a clean out, and Bell kept a whole lot of books from when she was little, maybe one day she’ll pass them on to her kids.
Lovely post Em x
I’m the same – just can’t imagine not having books in my life.
Love this – such an important concept. We read and read and read all day with Miss2.5, and now our littlest babe is getting in on the action. Books are a wonderful gift to the imagination.
Lovely words. A gift to the imagination. Yes!
It is always lovely to hear another passionate book lover’s story! I was a voracious reader as a child & still squeeze any time I can in now that I am a mum. Reading to my little ones (2 & 4) helps to satiate that for me a little – we have story time every night before bed, which usually involves at least 3 or 4 books & I love just kicking back on a quiet afternoon to read to them as part of a little quiet time. They have so many favourites – big fans of Julia Donaldson’s books, ‘The Gruffalo’ &’Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ are always on repeat. Such an important part of our lives & I can see the benefits for the kids with every page. 🙂
Julia Donaldson gets quite the workout at our house, too! Room on the Broom and Monkey Puzzle top our list.
Love this post! As a mother, a reader and an author.
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
Thank you! I’m glad all of you liked it 😉
Oooh, oooh! We don’t have Dinosaur Diaries!!! Thanks for the tip!
I’m actually really loving reading aloud with the boys more and more. I guess the older they get the more interactive they’ve become. So many memorable moments we’re creating 🙂 x
You’re welcome! It’s great – it’s set as an actual diary so we read one entry each night.
I love children’s books and I love reading before bed. It’s one of my favourite things to do with my daughters. It brings a lot of joy to our days x
It’s MUCH better than doing the laundry, cooking dinner… pretty much anything else I do for the kids!
Loved this! Both of my boys are good readers who happily read on their own – but I still read to both of them, even Mr10. It is one of our favourite times of the whole day.
This makes me happy. I hope my kids still want me to read with them (occasionally) when they’re ten.
I have to admit that for a long while there I was NOT into reading to my son aloud and gratefully outsourced that job to my husband. But now he is reading Roald Dahl chapter books which gives me the opportunity to revisit wonderful books from my childhood, I am back on the bandwagon!!!
Fair enough! But I’m glad you’re back on the bandwagon. Roald Dahl’s words are hard to resist.
I do love it, but some says I’m just so “done” at bedtime that I just can’t face it. I guess I’m a decade in. That said our current book is my old childhood fave Mr Galliano’s Circus and we are loving if! x
Yep, occasionally that’s the case! I’m only four years in so when 4yo is too tired and just wants to go to sleep without a story, I get a little sad. (Lame? Yeah. I’ll own it.)
This is such a great post Em – and soooo important. It’s never too early to start! It really helps children learn to read when they start school. Some great books you’ve sampled here as well! Xx