READ everything and anything so that your children learn to equate reading as a fundamental for life

Reading in front of and aloud to children are among the best methods this parent/teacher knows for building good reading habits children. Security for facing that great big scary world out there, and the making of wonderful memories for you and your children can come the time you spend reading to your children.

I am convinced that reading matter itself is not nearly so important as the time spent together, reading and talking. For a child being cuddled on Mom or Dad's lap, with a heap of books nearby, sitting in a rocking chair on lounging together on the floor, or wherever else you might choose is a marvelous time for parent and child. Reading should not stop there. You Mom and Dad model the importance of reading and the written word as you examine what is written on the back of the cereal box sitting on the breakfast table or, the ingredients on a package at the super market. Road signs as you travel and the words on doors as you enter and leave all have importance for our lives, you indicate that to your child as you stop, point them out and verbalize them to your preschooler. READ everything and anything so that your little folks assimilate reading as a essential for life because Mom and Dad make it so. Youngsters learn that printed words are significant to our lives when PARENTS model that words are important to our lives.

Listening to the flow of language when parents read aloud books, newspapers and other printed matter helps young children begin to grasp how our language works. Reading to your children opens a huge and wonderful world filled with facts, satisfaction and bliss.

Many of the life issues parents find hard to discuss with children can be met through books: I had a great series I used when teaching Kindergarten, the art work was not awfully good, the books were not produced by one of the 'major houses' however, I found them invaluable. Children can be easily threatened or intimidated, books are non-threatening and life issues are often more easily faced when it is THE BOOK and not teacher or parent offering the narrative.

One book in the series dealt with 'secrets' both good and bad, how to say no to adults who might have harmful plans, what to do when approached by a stranger, and one dealt with the death of a beloved grandparent. Each day I read again one of the books; we practiced shouting for help, yelling no, and discovered the fact that all secrets are not bad... good secrets are the ones everyone knows in a day or two. Good secrets are the ones when Daddy tells you not to tell Mama he has gotten her a pretty ring for her birthday, or Grandma tells you not to tell Grandpa you are going to bake him a special cake. Bad secrets are the kind that make you feel bad and one or both person(s) involved does not want the secret told ever.

I had read the book dealing with death several times when my own father died after a long illness. The children in my class cuddled close the first time I picked that book to read after Daddy's death. One little boy said in a voice filled with sympathy, 'You are going to have a hard time reading that one today.' I did, but the children all patted my arm or my foot and learned a little more about empathy and the realities of life as I read the book.

The time to help prepare your little ones for facing life situations is BEFORE the necessity is upon you. Books can help you ready your children for the life waiting for them.