I wanted to share this message from Pam Allyn for parents everywhere about the Scholastic Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life campaign. I couldn't agree more with what she has to say about reading to your kids.
For our family, we are busy. We are up an running by 6 am every morning, and then it is a mad dash for the rest of the day.
....The bus comes at 6:50 am, then it is a race to daycare, a commute into the city, a day at the office, what seems like 9,000 emails requiring a response, a commute home, pick up two hungry kids, a mad dash to make dinner, throw two messy tired children into the tub....
Sometimes life can feel like a cross between being a hamster in a cage or a full-time marathon runner. Either way, as Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
And that is what reading is for our family- it is what grounds us every day and forces us to stop and look around. Every night, without fail, I will snuggle into bed with my little love bugs and read. Sometimes it is only one book, and some nights, we will read chapter after chapter because we can't stand to put the book down. Either way, my girls know that they are guaranteed a quiet time to reflect on the day over a good book EVERY DAY. Through reading, I have shared my favorite stories from my childhood, discovered new adventures with my daughters, and engaged in discussions about topics ranging from how many people live in China to whether Giants eating children is any different from people eating pigs.
I never expected it, but reading aloud together as a family has created a set time and place for sharing about our days and dreaming about our tomorrows. I am a firm believer in read every day, lead a better life.Check out the Scholastic page.
My favorite resources on the site include:
The Family Guide for Ages 0-6,
The Early Literacy Milestones list,
And the booklists by age:
Ages 0-2
Ages 3-5
Ages 5-7
Ages 8-10
Ages 10-12
Young Adult/ 12+.
What does reading every day mean to you?
My parents' friend died of cancer a few years ago. He was born on a farm, and he lived on and plowed the land for his entire life. When he found out he was dying, our minister came to see him. My parents' friend told him that he didn't have to go to church to find God--that he talked to him every day while riding his tractor in the fields. As silly as it sounds, that's what reading every day means to me--it's my quiet time, my meditation, my church.
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful, Jamie. It doesn't sound silly in the least.
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