Reading to Sir Squirms-a-Lot

You know, it's funny- people can scoff at what I feed my child, people can give incredulous looks when I scold my child... all that doesn't bother me. But if people question whether or not I read to my child enough, I feel like a terrible mother. That isn't even in the basic most fundamental needs of the child but THAT is what affects me. If I don't read to him enough, I must be ruining him forever.

Well, this all has an easy fix doesn't it... read to him more. HA! Here is what reading time in my house looks like:

1. An excited Zach comes up to mommy, hands her a book and sits in her lap.
2. Mommy, heart singing, excitedly acknowledges Zach's zeal for reading and opens the book ready to pour her soul into the telling of this tale.
3. Two pages in, Zach wants to turn the pages on his own, much faster than mommy can tell said tale.
4. Five pages in, Zach starts going backward in the book. Mommy tried to explain to the child why this doesn't make sense. Child thinks mommy is silly and laughs in her face.
5. Seven pages in, Zach gets up and leaves before the happily ever after. 
6. Soon he comes with a new book... what is a mommy to do!?! Does she just read the new book or insist on some follow-through with the previous neglected tale. 
7. She concedes and starts the new book only to start the entire process again. Mommy rarely gets to find out what happens to the very hungry caterpillar in the end or if the baby bird finds his mother.

So, reading evidently helps with language development in multiple ways... phonetics, vocabulary, letters, etc. It's important. We know that, but what part of it is important? What should we stress and what should we let slide? Why is reading any different from just making sure I talk to my child a lot... because I am a GOOD talker.

Reading to the youngster is important to develop an understanding of marks on a page equaling words. We also know, as the very mature adults we all are, that reading, like ALL of our English teachers always told us, really does help with vocabulary and writing skills so we want to foster a passion for it at a young age. Associating reading with cuddle time with daddy, fun colors and pictures, and getting to listen to the voices of people they love, gets babies on the right track.

Ok so there is the why.... now, HOW!

• give the child multiple books to choose from and allow them to choose (also fosters independence so that, in my book, is a two-for-the-price-of-one)
• read expressively with different voices and sounds and encourage hand movements
• point out different things in the illustrations
• ask the child questions about the story ("How do you think that made the caterpillar feel?"... because we evidently aren't going to finish this book so why don't we just make it up... while we are on the subject, how do you think mommy feels when she doesn't get to finish the book?)

This is all good stuff but pointless if they won't even sit long enough for you to do it! Ok, well here is the thing, they don't have to. Read a bit to them... when they want to leave, let them. You might keep reading aloud to them. Or you can just set down the book in case they want to come back to it. Watch when they leave for signs of them just wanting to stand while reading... some weirdos prefer that (kidding! I'm sure that weirdo will be Zach tomorrow now that I said that). Kidshealth.org says that some kids might enjoy reading time better if they are allowed to color or manipulate something with their hands while you are reading to them. I think this takes away some of the fundamental reasons for reading to them but if this is how it happens, it's still better that it's happening. 

Let's just keep it happening. All you really need to try to infuse is 10 minutes a day... if you get more, great but 10 minutes is plenty to get the routine going and eventually they will probably start increasing that themselves. One can only hope... and encourage.