First, sit the small child in your lap.
Next, open a book.
Lastly, read aloud.
Repeat.
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I started reading to MLB as early as I could, and he was enchanted. He tried to eat or shred several books. And only threw up on one. They were all salvageable.
He quickly "decoded" & was self-taught reading by age three. When people asked for tips to help their kids, I'd shrug-- I just read to him, that's all.
I honestly didn't read to DLG as much as an infant. She was very active or very snuggly; within moments of sitting down with a book, she'd be ready to bail. With MLB in kindergarten with his shiny new diagnosis of ADHD & Autism, I just let things roll with her.
At Christmas, though, one book caught her attention: "Who Is Coming to Our House?" It's the arrival of Mary & Joseph and the birth of Jesus, as told by a little barn mouse who is readying the other animals. Maybe it was the sweet and soft realism of the animal illustrations. Maybe it was soft and discrete voices I used. Maybe it was just her time to settle down, now that she had this walking thing going so she could keep up with big brother. Whichever it was, she wanted her gift from her Godfather Rick read to her everyday. I have a lovely picture of my dad finally getting her to snuggle up for a story. After that, she was always bringing her Paw-Paw a book. (I bought, post season, a Hallmark ornament of a big polar bear reading to a little polar bear. Aww....)
She self-taught at age four, and became proficient at age five when she got glasses for her near-sightedness.
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I grew up having books read to me. I self-taught by kindergarten. My house was filled with shelves and shelves of my parent's books. I eagerly looked forward to ordering from my Scholastics flyer and reading my new books. I was a library mouse.
With books being even more affordable nowadays, especially used books, I thoroughly indulge in buying books. Mostly for the kids, but sometimes for me, the schools and as gifts.
My daughter received a boxed set of "Ivy + Bean" books for Christmas from my Mom. She's read most of them by now. My son received Book #12 in the "How to Train Your Dragon" series. He's previously read 1-7; we only own two used copies, and the rest have been checked out from the library. But I know how he loves to reread his favorite books....
UPS brought the HtTYD boxed set for him today. It's like a FOURTH Christmas for someone. Thank you, Amazon Prime!
There is a very happy Hairy-Hooligan deep in book 8.
