Most of us parents know that reading to and with our children is important. Reading is one of my three year old daughter's favorite things to do together. It's the only time she will sit (still and quiet) with me for any length of time. When she and I read together, I experience what the research experts say are the benefits of reading with our littles:
All of these benefits to early reading have me beyond convinced that continuing to carve out time with my kids for reading together is essential to their development and healthy for our relationship.
But I do have one struggle: figuring out what to read.
We have thoroughly exhausted our small home library of children's books, so we try to make regular trips to the local library to find fresh titles. But the moment I walk in to the children's section of Worthington Park Library, I get a little overwhelmed with all the options. I usually just end up grabbing whatever books are featured on the shelves (are those even supposed to be taken?!). I can't say I recommend this method, though, both from a library ethics standpoint and the fact that I've gotten home and realized that some of my "choices" were not enjoyable to read.
This might sound selfish, but there are just some children's books I don't enjoy reading. Have you ever come across one of those? It might be the storyline, the whiny tone of the protagonist, the obnoxious sound effects required in reading it allowed, or some other quirky element of a book that just makes it unpleasant to read. I know that reading to my daughter is not all about me, but I also know that she will probably ask me to read the same title seven more times in one sitting...so I want to read things that I enjoy too.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina - This classic tale follows a peddler and his attempts to outwit a band of mischievous monkeys. It has repetition, patterns, and colors.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - A boy named Harold decides to draw up an adventure for himself one night before bedtime, taking only a large purple crayon with him. Clever story, quality illustrations, and great imagination.
Little Mouse, Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood - Another classic title, this story recounts a little mouse's efforts to protect his prized strawberry from a hungry bear.
Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberly - This classic is a cheerful adaptation of the folk song about soldiers who build a cannon and Drummer Hoff, who fires it off. It's a little bit of a long read, but kids love the big "BOOM!" at the end.
Make sure to connect with your local library to enroll in a Summer Reading Program (yes! even preschoolers!):