The Best Gift of All…

Brenda Rollins, Ed.D.

            Don’t hesitate to start reading aloud to your child or grandchild. Choose a favorite book from your own childhood or one suggested by a friend or librarian and just do it! You will be repaid in giggles and hugs a thousand times over.

Reading aloud helps children in many ways including:

§        Strengthening the bonds of love between the child and the reader.

§        Building the child’s desire to read and listen.

§        Providing a definite educational advantage.

§        Becoming part of a family’s traditions.

           If you have raised children, you know that they progress through the stages of
development and phases of likes and dislikes. Here are some pointers to help you choose
read-aloud materials and some hints about things to do to encourage good reading habits.

Infants and Reading

            The period in a child’s life from birth to one year old is one of the most exciting and active periods which bring forth an amazing number of changes. If anyone ever causes you, as a parent or grandparent, to doubt the influence that you have with your children, tell them to read any or all of the books listed at the end of this article. Never doubt your importance to your precious baby. One of the very best times of your child’s life is when you interact with him by reading aloud and by helping him “read”. The chart below outlines the major physical, cognitive (learning), and emotional stages an infant experiences:

Characteristics of an Infant (birth to 4 months)

Some good books for infants

§         Time for Bed by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer

§         A Child's Good Night Book by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Jean Charlotte

§         Playtime Rhymes for Little People by Clare Beaton

§         What Makes a Rainbow? by Betty Ann Schwartz and Dona Turner

§         Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton

§         Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

§         Barney Plays Nose to Toes by Margie Larsen

§         Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book) by Dorothy Kunhardt

§         Personalized Children's Books  found at More4Kids Inc.

     And many, many others…

Facts about reading aloud

            Reading to young children promotes language acquisition and correlates with literacy development and, later on, with achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. The percentage of young children read aloud to daily by a family member is one indicator of how well young children are prepared for school. Mother's education is consistently related to whether children are read to by a family member.

·         In 1999, 53 percent of children ages 3 to 5 were read to daily by a family member, the same as in 1993 after increasing to 57 percent in 1996.                 

·         As a mother's education increases, so does the likelihood that her child is read to every day. In 1999, 70 percent of children whose mothers were college graduates were read aloud to every day. In comparison, daily reading aloud occurred for 53 percent of children whose mothers had some postsecondary education, 44 percent whose mothers had completed high school but had no education beyond that, and 38 percent whose mothers had not completed high school.

·         White, non-Hispanic children are more likely to be read aloud to every day than are Black, non-Hispanic or Hispanic children. Sixty-one percent of white, non-Hispanic children, 41 percent of Black, non-Hispanic children, and 33 percent of Hispanic children were read to every day.

• Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read aloud to every day than are children in families with incomes at or above the poverty line. Thirty-eight percent of children in families in poverty were read to every day in 1999, down from 46 percent in 1996, compared with 58 percent of children in families at or above the poverty line, down from 61 percent in 1996. The percentage of children who were read to or told a story was higher in 1996 than in 1991 (“Family Reading”, NCES Fast Facts. National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education).

Characteristics of a Baby (8 to 12 months old)

Some good books for babies

• My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman, Kevin Hawkes
• Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
• Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
• The Napping House by Audrey Wood
• Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
• See the Rabbit by Janet & Allen Ahlberg  
• Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
• All Night Near the Water by Jim Arnosky
• The Cat Barked by Lydia Monks
• Color Box by Dale Ann Dodds
• Come Along Daisy by Jane Simmons
• Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
• Do Donkeys Dance by Melanie Walsh

and of course, many, many more. 

Reference guides for parents and caregivers

            This is a handy list of reference sources to find additional books to be read aloud: 

 

Reference guides for parents and caregivers

            This is a handy list of reference sources to find additional books to be read aloud: 

What about personalized books?

                Personalized books are educationally sound because the writers and publishers understand the stages of childhood. When reading about a five-year-old boy, we see that he may be a little scared in an unfamiliar situation such as the three pigs moving to another house, but he finds that with his own friends and with the pigs’ support, being happy while going through a change can be fun. Personalization also reinforces a positive self-image and helps to build self-esteem. Young children live in worlds of their own making much of the time and that is a good thing. My five-year-old grandson has a large group of imaginary friends to whom he speaks quite openly and regularly. In fact, we get a few questioning looks in the supermarket when he stops and holds the door for them or asks them what kind of cereal they want!

These personalized children's books, which make the child part of, a spiritual or cultural story, are also very affirming for children. Too often, we only ask that children sit still and listen when they attend church school or Bible class. Sitting still is very difficult for a young child and the publishers and writers of the good personalized books recognize these facts. By adding a child’s friends to the character lists, these books make young children feel parts of a larger whole and also that they are people with a purpose. Personalized books such as the ones found at Expressly Books (www.expresslybooks.com) and More4Kids Personalized Gifts (www.more4kids.com) contribute generously to a child’s intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development.

In conclusion

            Finally, as you can see, there are multitudes of books for infants and babies up to 12 months old, as well as guides to help you, the child’s parents or caregivers, choose books that will best suit your own child’s needs. Of course, this is just the beginning of a great reading adventure for your family which I hope will last for many, many years to come. Soon we will talk about reading aloud to toddlers and young school children.

References consulted for this article:

ü     Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read by Bernice Culliman

ü     The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

ü     The National Network for Childcare 

ü     More4Kids (www.more4kids.com) and Expressly Books (www.expresslybooks.com) Publishing Companies