Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you didn't know how to read? Many adults do not read for enjoyment, but reading is a part of our every day life.
As a child I remember asking my 3rd grade teacher why I needed to know how to "do math"....as I got older and math got harder, I still asked "why do I need to know how to do Geometry?" I'm not sure how I use geometry in my daily life now, but I'm sure I use it somehow, in some way. However, never once have I asked "why do I need to know how to read?" or "Why do I need to have to think about what I read when I read?" I just do.
From the time I was a small child my mom always read to me, and I watched my mom and dad read on a daily basis, whether it was their Bible study, a book for enjoyment, a cookbook, or a book to my brother or I. Literacy was instilled in me from the time I was old enough to know what a book was. I even remember wanting to sit on my training potty and read my Snoopy book, reading has just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
We live in a BUSY world, do you take the time to just read? Whether for your own enjoyment or to your child? 20 minutes a day with your child and a book will make a HUGE difference in their view of literacy. Books bring a new world to life, I challenge you to spend 20 minutes a day with your child and a book...no stress, just encouraging them to enjoy the time with you! If they are a beginning reader, turn it into a game, hunt for sight words, don't watch the clock, don't practice fluency, just enjoy the 20 minutes together, getting lost in a book, or two!
As a child I remember asking my 3rd grade teacher why I needed to know how to "do math"....as I got older and math got harder, I still asked "why do I need to know how to do Geometry?" I'm not sure how I use geometry in my daily life now, but I'm sure I use it somehow, in some way. However, never once have I asked "why do I need to know how to read?" or "Why do I need to have to think about what I read when I read?" I just do.
From the time I was a small child my mom always read to me, and I watched my mom and dad read on a daily basis, whether it was their Bible study, a book for enjoyment, a cookbook, or a book to my brother or I. Literacy was instilled in me from the time I was old enough to know what a book was. I even remember wanting to sit on my training potty and read my Snoopy book, reading has just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
We live in a BUSY world, do you take the time to just read? Whether for your own enjoyment or to your child? 20 minutes a day with your child and a book will make a HUGE difference in their view of literacy. Books bring a new world to life, I challenge you to spend 20 minutes a day with your child and a book...no stress, just encouraging them to enjoy the time with you! If they are a beginning reader, turn it into a game, hunt for sight words, don't watch the clock, don't practice fluency, just enjoy the 20 minutes together, getting lost in a book, or two!