As children, Dad made certain we visited the public library regularly.  We had to read at least one book weekly during school or three books weekly during the summer. Each summer we all joined the reading club.  The librarian would ask us about the books we read, what we learned, what we enjoyed.  We would receive an award after having read a specific number of books by summer's end.

Every so often, Dad would ask us to find a particular book in the children's section. He would have us read it and relate the story or information described within it.

Our father also had a game called "On Stage." Each one of us would have to sing, read or recite a poem or short story or dance.  The winner was awarded a prize.  Our audience was our parents, grandmother and grand uncle Jack. We had lots of fun at it!!

Sunday afternoons were dedicated to music appreciation.  We learned about the different instruments and how to recognize them. We heard classical music, opera, the Philharmonic, Broadway tunes, musicals and European music.

As we grew, the game became instead reading aloud something from classical literature.  Shakespeare's Sonnets were my favorite. However, my brothers enjoyed other types.  They would read from Shakespeare's plays or The Call of the Wild or Sea Fever by John Masefield or from Dad's Prose & Poetry book.  A funny story out of it was The Wager of Gerald O'Rourke.

As we prepared for high school, Dad had us search for different books and references in the adult section of the library.  I do remember him sending me for the "blue book of doctors." It was a medical reference that described a particular physician's training and standing in his or her field of practice.  Now that information is available on healthgrades.com or rateyourdoctor.com.

Amazingly, we had learned so much under our parents' guidance. Parents are their children's first teachers. Mom and Dad had worked diligently at this task for their children!