Baby Loves Books » Tips

Making Books a Part of Your Child’s Life

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:28:47 +0000

I’ve said it a zillion times and don’t mind repeating…reading to my daughter(and any other child in the vicinity) is among the most enjoyable parenting experiences I know of! Besides talking about it here, I write about it elsewhere too. My latest article on the topic appears on Everythingmom.com – http://www.everythingmom.com/activities/tips-to-make-books-a-part-of-your-childs-life.html.
Please check it out and share your thoughts!

Make Reading to Kids a Part of Your Waiting Routine

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:57:26 +0000

Reading opportunities are everywhere. Have you found them?

It was Thursday afternoon. After dropping M off at her swimming lesson, I settled into a comfy chair in the lobby with about 30 minutes to kill. I had brought along a magazine to keep me company. As I sat there thumbing through my magazine, other mothers joined me, after dropping their children off at their lessons. To my right, a few feet away, sat a mom with a little girl, whose elder sister or brother was probably taking swimming lessons.

As you might expect, many of the moms pulled out their mobile phones and began texting or making calls. This mom pulled out a couple of books from her tote. My ears perked up.

Throughout the 30 minutes or so of waiting, the mom and child enjoyed their one-on-one reading/bonding time, with no interruptions or distractions. I didn’t exactly hear what they read or said to each other(I caught a few words from Thumbelina though!), but I noticed that the little girl was attentive and curious for the entire 30 minutes. Just as they finished reading, it was time to pick up our kids from the pool.

This wasn’t the first time I had seen a mom and child read while waiting in that lobby. On a few earlier occasions, a mother and her daughter, who was just beginning to learn to read, spent the 30 minutes reading to each other alternately. The girl sounded out letters and words and put together sentences as her mother watched, listened and guided her patiently. I don’t know why, but I find it very refreshing to watch mothers and kids read together.

Watching these moms and their kids turn waiting time into reading opportunities confirmed what I’ve believed all along -
* Reading opportunities are everywhere. We just have to make the effort to spot them and use them to read. Waiting time can’t get any more productive or enjoyable than exploring books(or songs or word games) together. And it may be the only time you won’t have interruptions or other distractions affecting your reading experience.
* By turning waiting time into reading time, you’re giving your kids the skills to survive the longest lines. Ever seen how some people never crib when their flight is delayed or the line doesn’t move? They’re probably the ones who brought along a book or two. It’s not that the delay doesn’t affect them as much as it affects others. But, if there’s nothin they can do about it, then they’d rather read than rant during the wait. I am pretty sure that if those moms hadn’t brought along books to read with their kids, those 30 minutes of waiting would have turned out very differently for everyone. By choosing to read with your child, you avoid tantrums, whiny, unreasonable demands, sibling squabbles and other unpleasant experiences that make waiting time seem even longer.

Reading While Waiting May Be Your Best Bet

I’m sure you’ll agree – not too many of us have the luxury of too much free time. So, allocating the recommended 20-30 minutes to read to kids may not always be possible. But, whether your child is 6 months or 6 years old, you can’t stress the importance of a regular, consistent reading routine enough. It’s like taking out the trash or doing the laundry – unless you have a daily and weekly routine, things will probably get out of hand and before you know it you’ll have nothing to wear and an overflowing trashcan. And unless you set aside a time to read to kids everyday, it’s probably not going to happen. The ‘reading at bedtime’ ritual is a good idea provided you have the time and energy at the end of a long day to curl up with your kid and a book. Which is not the case with many of us.

But, guess what? Regardless of our lifestyle, location and nature of work, there’s something we all do almost everyday? Be it at the supermarket, the airport, the doctor’s office, train station, bus stop or when we have to pick an older sibling up from karate or soccer. Everyday we all spend precious time waiting. So why not plan better for those chunks of time you spend waiting at different places?

Whether it’s 5 minutes or 50, having a book on hand makes all the difference between killing time and making the most of it with your child.

Handy Tips to Fit Reading to Kids into Your Routine
- Always have a stash of books in the car. Encourage kids to thumb through them as you drive or take turns reading to each other. Rotate and restock the books periodically.
- Consider mobile storybook apps. These come in handy when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or post office.
- Carry a board book or two in your bag – especially useful when feeding or soothing a fussy baby. Familiar books and items tend to calm babies when they’re disturbed by an unfamiliar environment or faces.
- Use Audio Storybooks in the car during long drives, instead of the DVD player.

(Reading to Kids Tip # 5) Reading to Your Curious Child – Handling Questions

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:02:03 +0000

Are Interruptions Diluting Your Reading Experience

Questions are good. It means your child is interested, curious, paying attention and motivated to read. But sometimes they distract from the reading experience. If I were to answer all of M’s questions while reading a book, I’d probably not have finished even half a picture book in 2 years. ( “Whose dog is this? Why is he here? Why is he so big? What’s this baby doing? Why aren’t you reading?” Uh. I was in the middle of answering your first question, when you asked me the other four?)

Questions start conversations and having conversations about the book you’re reading with your child is fantastic. Necessary even. But when and how you tackle questions determines how enjoyable and fruitful your reading experience turns out to be. Too many interruptions tend to spoil the flow of a story or book. At the same time, if you proceed in a monotone from cover to cover, you can’t blame Junior for wiggling away between pages 1 and 2.

When you’re reading to a child or a group of kids, curiosity and questions are inevitable and essential to the learning process. But, are there techniques help you handle them in a manner that’s least distracting and most effective?

I’ll share some methods that I use with M, which work sometimes. Maybe they’ll work for you too. Try these steps separately or in combination – whatever you and your child find enjoyable. Nothing works perfectly all the time, of course. We’re talking about parenting here! If you have ideas on handling reading interruptions and questions – please do share them.

Tips for handling Reading Interruptions:
To Answer or Ignore – That is the Question!

Establish rules and offer a gentle reminder before you begin. “Remember how we said that we’d hold off questions till we finish reading the book/ or this section? That way it’ll be more interesting and we can figure out the answers together at the end.”
When you sense a question coming, beat your kid to it. Ask her a question. About something on the page. Or why do you think…or what do you think…Anything to encourage her to think instead of expecting you to answer.
Tackle minor Qs as they come at ya’. Yeah the teeny ones are easy to get over with so you can get on with the book.
Encourage them to think about the answer, or wait till you finish reading…keep the curiosity alive. “That’s a great question. Maybe we’ll find out on the next page.”
Take on bigger, more complex questions in the second reading. “Why don’t we finish the book and then see if we can figure it out?”
Never scold your child for interrupting with a question. It immediately sends them the wrong signal and reading turns from an enjoyable, bonding experience to another of those ’do as Mommy says’ activities. If 1,2 and 3 fail, then do your best to answer your child’s questions. It’s ok if that delays your reading of the book or you’re unable to finish it even. As long as your child paid attention, was interested enough to ask questions and listen to your answer-congratulate yourself on a highly productive reading session and a wonderful bonding time.

It’s your turn – How do you handle interruptions and questions while reading with kids?

Also check out:
Reading to Your Baby Series – Tip 1, Tip 2, Tip 3, Tip 4

Turning Readers into Writers – Parenting Lessons From a Book Launch

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:50:10 +0000

About Celebrating Our Children’s Accomplishments

I read about this 8-year old’s first Book Launch and just had to share it. Just another endearing example to show that parents and other grown-ups in a child’s life have a HUGE role to play when it comes to shaping the child’s attitudes, beliefs and personality. I believe that nurture has the power to trump nature in dire circumstances. But in most cases, nurture complements the gifts nature has endowed on a child.

Kiruba’s daughter Krithya is probably a regular 8-year old – bright, loveable, talented, funny, curious and full of life. But unlike most of her peers, Krithya just launched her first book – The Untold Story of the Rabbit and Tortoise.

Now, there’s nothing unusual about an 8-year old writing a story. (Not to take away from Krithya’s talents and efforts – I’m sure she’s an amazing young lady.) But, considering how fertile children’s imaginations are and how they constantly feed their curiosity, it’s hardly a surprise that kids have the ability to weave fascinating and entertaining tales that could give best-selling authors a run for their money. But what’s remarkable about this story is how the little girl’s parents go out of their way to encourage her and give wings to her dreams.

Kiruba is considered one of India’s top bloggers. He plays a key role in organizing blogging and social media events, entrepreneur’s meet-ups and bringing people and aid together for disaster relief measures. So organizing a book launch was probably a piece of cake. But the fact that he takes his 8-year old’s book this seriously is what makes the difference. The takeaway from this story is how special and important he and his wife have made their daughter feel on the occasion of the ‘launch’ of her first book.

There are a couple of important lessons in this story for all parents -

Don’t disregard imagination.
We all probably discard hundreds of worksheets, school assignments, pencil drawings and coloring books at the end of every year when we clean out our kids’ rooms in preparation for the next school year. I bet there is at least one piece in there that deserves to live and to take on a form that can be shared with the world – a story, a drawing, a doodle, a verse, a joke…if we only paid a little more attention to our kids’ creations.

Make a big deal out of kids’ efforts.
Krithya’s parents didn’t have to get the story published. They could have just let it languish in some old corner of their house and shown it to interested family members. They could have stuck it on their refrigerator for guests and relatives to see. But they chose to do more. They gave her story a form and shape for the world to enjoy, in the process encouraging their daughter(and her little sister) to value imagination and ideas. By publishing her book and by making a big deal out of her book launch, they showed her how important her thoughts, words and actions were. A bunch of grown-ups showing up to celebrate an 8-year old’s first book is a terrific way to validate her achievement, to boost her confidence in her abilities and to encourage her to put her sincerest efforts into all her work.

In this day of self-publishing, getting your child’s book published requires almost no effort. But not many of us decide to go through even the simple steps involved. Just getting the book self-published in itself would be a big deal for a child. But, this story has shown us that it’s lot more fun and not too difficult to take it just a step further. Why not hold an event to celebrate your child’s wonderful creation? And invite your child’s classmates, friends and role models( no harm in trying even if they’re celebrities!) to the event and having a party in honor of your child’s imagination and efforts. The principle can be applied to pretty much any form of art or expression. Regardless of your child’s interests, finding a way to applaud the efforts of your budding artist, musician, writer, inventor, geologist, astronomer, teacher or whatever it is your child is interested in, and to let him share it with the world is a fantastic way to sustain his passion. I imagine it also serves as tremendous motivation to him and his friends.

Many Congratulations to Krithya and to kids everywhere – thank you for keeping imagination, curiosity, humor and playfulness alive in our world. And to Kiruba – thanks for reminding us how our little( and not so little) gestures help kids stay that way.

I hope to get my hands on a copy for my daughter soon!

Personalized Kids’ Books Pack More Reading Punch

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:51:39 +0000

Enrich Your Child’s Reading Experience with Personalized Storybooks

If you think books about adventures, dinosaurs and princesses make great gifts for kids, then wait till you give a child a book about something(or someone) way cooler …. him!

When I spoke to Maia Haag of I See Me Inc a while ago about personalized books for kids, she brought up an interesting point. When discussing how much kids love books about themselves and characters or people in their lives, she suggested that personalized books help build self esteem in children. Although other children’s books do that as well, when a book’s plot specifically revolves around your child and his life, the adventures or challenges he faces and the people who influence him, it is a very powerful way to impact your child’s thoughts.

I am a big fan of giving personalized kids’ books as gifts. Whenever there’s an occasion to buy gifts for little nieces, nephews or friends’ kids, I grab the opportunity to hunt for and buy personalized books. I enjoy picking out just the perfect theme, setting or story that suits the little person I’m buying the book for and the whole process of furnishing little details like their names, ages, favorite colors or pets’ names or whatever it is the personalized book creator needs from me in order to create the unique gifts which are sure to be cherished for years.

Besides adding that very personal, special touch there are several other benefits of personalized children’s books -

They’re way more fun – because a personalized book is not about a charming prince fighting a fire-breathing dragon. It’s about the child who will read it. And if there’s something that brings more delight to a child while reading than reading a book about him, I’d like to know what it is.
Easy to Understand - Kids find it easy to relate to the incidents and characters in the book. They’re able to make connections, remember the story better and even grasp its message(if there is one) effortlessly and almost…subconsciously…because, they’re right in the middle of it all.
Reading Motivation - A healthy ego and curiosity can work wonders when you’re trying to get your child to achieve just about anything. I’ve noticed that even babies and kids reluctant to being read to or reading or their own, all of a sudden, start paying attention when you make up a story about them and their friends. Imagine having a book on hand that actually encourages the reluctant reader to pick it up and try to read. Or maybe even just flip through the pages. Reading experts may say you’ve won half the battle if you’ve perked up a child’s interest in reading.
Builds Self Esteem( and other qualities) – If you’ve ever tried to use books as tools to tackle tot troubles, you know how helpful it can be to have a book handy about the situation you’re facing. Be it temper tantrums or sibling rivalry, a thoughtfully penned book is your best friend in getting the message across to your child without him even realizing what you’re doing. And a personalized book dealing with a specific situation or phase that your child is experiencing at the moment can work wonders. One of my little nieces used to be very shy around people, and could not bring herself to perform in front of audiences even though she enjoyed ballet immensely. She loved being a ballerina and twirling around, but would only allow the closest of family to watch her. I bought her a custom storybook about a little ballerina and her friends preparing for a recital as a birthday gift that year. Her mom told me that my niece asked her to read it to her over and over again. She took the book everywhere she went. She showed it off proudly to her ballet instructor. Using the book as an aid, her mom was able to gently nudge her out of her shell and encourage her to open up and share her talents with larger audiences. Her beautiful recital that year is the talk of the family. So, be it confidence, patience, politeness, honesty, being organized, friendliness or any other quality you want your child to imbibe, a creatively crafted and well-produced personalized storybook is sure to be a great inspiration.
One of a Kind - You can be pretty sure your gift won’t be the one that will get returned to the department store because four other people got the child the same gift for his birthday.
Keepsakes, Memory Keepers, Heirloom – This is my favorite reason for getting kids personalized books as gifts. They stay in the family forever. Tattered, torn maybe, with some pages destroyed beyond recognition, but they’ll be around all right. Not too many people have the heart to discard them. They’re the kind of gifts people talk about at family gatherings and pass on to their children or grandchildren. “Remember that book about the ballerina Aunt Lily gave me when I was 6?” And a personalized book serves as a great item to put in a time capsule or memory box for kids to open many years later. And since there’s bound to be only one of its kind in the whole world, a personalized book’s sentimental value only multiplies with time. Call me self-indulgent or egoistic…but hey, I want my little nieces and nephews to remember my gift forever. I want to be the aunt who got them the book they still have 20 years later.

How and where to find personalized children’s books

1.Online – I’m sure there are plenty of options out there that a simple internet search for personalized storybooks will spit out. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve purchased from Custom Story Books and I See Me Inc on many occasions. Both offer unique ways to customize your gift. Custom Story Books have a large number of product options to choose from including personalized photo books, personalized photo coloring books, personalized DVDs, name trains and wooden toys. One of the unique aspects of their personalized photo books is that they digitally convert your child’s photo ( which you upload while personalizing), into a painting that blends well with the book’s characters and settings. So, it’s really as if your child is a part of the story. I See Me offers a fresh perspective to personalized books – the child’s! Their popular product The World According to (Child) book uses the child’s own imagination, illustrations and answers to various questions to create the final product. In this and a few other products, I See Me engages the child in the book’s creation process, which could be a great family project as well as a way to put your child’s imagination and time to productive use in producing something that he is sure to read, enjoy and be proud of for a long time. I particularly like their My Very Own Name book and floor puzzle, which I think make great gifts for young children learning to spell or read their names. The book, of course, makes a lovely newborn gift as well. Both places offer excellent customer service, timely delivery and the personalization process is fairly easy and enjoyable.

2. Picture or Photo Books – Every drug store or discount store that offers photo printing, also offers several custom photo gifts such as mugs, picture books, clocks, calendars and the like. To some people, these gifts may seem lame or far too common. After all, haven’t we all received a photo calendar or desk clock at some point? But I find that creating picture books, especially using captions or a storyline that a child can relate to makes them inexpensive and memorable gifts. Babies love looking at pictures of people, especially people they know. So, next time, maybe skip the photo calendar or clock for the grown-ups. But, go for the picture books with photos of grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins for the baby.

3. Make your own personalized books at home! It doesn’t get any more personal. It doesn’t have to be super-professional. Or it could be, if you like. Just think up your own stories about your kids and other familiar characters. If imagination lets you down, add a new twist to old stories by changing the names and settings. Use family pictures, clipart images, pencil sketches, hand-made drawings, pages from your child’s coloring book or old photographs to illustrate your book. Depending on your skill level and available time, you can make the books as professional-looking as you want. Involve your child in the process if he is old enough. Ask him to suggest character and place names, and how a story might turn out. Include their doodles in the book. You could either use self-publishing services such as Lulu to publish your book. Or choose a simpler, hand-made, home-made version.

So there! If there’s a birthday coming up or even if there’s no occasion, but you just feel like indulging a little guy or girl you know, a personalized storybook is sure to win little hearts. And find you a place there even when they’re not so little any more.

Children’s Books – Why Buy When You Can Rent?

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:38:34 +0000

Reading to Kids Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

Let me ask you this. Does a trip to the book store end up lightening your pocket book a little more than you expected it to?
And do you have a hard time picking the best books to read with your kids or keeping up with age-appropriate titles?

The Dilemma Surrounding Children’s Books – To Buy, Borrow or Forgo?

The fact is, you walk into a bookstore with the best of intentions ( namely, to grab a cuppa joe and browse books for free, mostly!) But, somehow, somewhere between the caffeine, the music, the lights and the aisles of glossy, printed material, you decide you just have to have some of those shiny, new books adorning your book shelf at home. Today.

And if you are a parent of young kids, many of those shiny books are likely to have snuck up into your shopping cart from the children’s section.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for buying books for kids. Children’s books make the best gifts for any occasion. Yet, these books aren’t cheap. And you don’t always know which books your child will enjoy. If you end up buying a handful of children’s books everytime you visit the bookstore, the cost adds up. Although I’m guilty of giving in to temptation on several occasions when it comes to buying new books for my daughter, I must admit that there have been times when I’ve refrained, thanks to the price tag. I say to myself that I’ll find a copy at our library or a used one online. And sometimes I do.
But, I’ve often wondered if it wouldn’t be nice to have some kind of a circulation service or online library where we could borrow books instead of buying them and where the cost of books wouldn’t be a factor in enjoying the most beautiful children’s books with our little readers as and when we wanted to.

Grow Up With Books may have the answer

Sanitized, good as new books. Delivered to your door step every month. No late fees.

Reading to kids made easier

Rent. Read. Return. Repeat!
Grow Up With Books is a company that provides an ‘online children’s book rental experience.’ Not only can parents afford to bring home as many children’s books and picture books as they want, but they can also enjoy several added benefits of the GUWB membership for a nominal cost..like finding the best, age-appropriate books for kids or learning ways to enrich their reading experience with the Read TWO concept. To tell you more about the idea, the company and the experience, I asked Lara Ivey a few questions. Lara is a Reading Consultant with GUWB and was kind enough to answer my questions, along with Phil Daukys, the brain behind Grow Up With Books.

If you’re looking for a way to surround your kids with books all the time, without having to resist temptation in bookstore aisles or writing off all your savings, and if you’d like to learn about ways to engage your children with reading-related activities and ideas, you’ve got to read what Lara has to say.

Reading Consultant at GUWB

When I visit your site, the first words I see are ” Online Children’s Book Rental Experience” But, I’ve noticed you say it’s more than that. How would you describe GUWB?
At first glance, you’d think we were a company that rents books Netflix style. Which we are–that is true. However, we like to call it an “experience.” We offer quality literature, connection ideas, the Read TWO Experience, a reading consulting team to help with reading related questions, and even a sanitizing process so that you know your books are clean.

*The books that are offered have been specifically chosen so that GUWB can act as sort of a “filter” for parents having a hard time choosing books.
*One of my favorite things we do that adds to the “experience” is our Connection Cards. Inside most of our books (as long as there is a place to put it) you will find a sticker that gives additional ideas for you and your child to connect with a book. The connection ideas include movement, art, music, math, science, social studies, technology, cooking, writing, and general ones that don’t necessarily fit into a category. For me, the “connections” bring the books to life and is an added benefit to a GUWB membership.
*Our Reading Consulting Team (RCT) is available to offer guidance with reading related questions. We won’t diagnose reading problems, but we can suggest books, reading strategies, and activities to make reading an enjoyable experience. We are available close to 24/7, so that is a definite bonus to GUWB members.
*The Read TWO Experience…

Which is…?
At GUWB, we believe strongly in the importance of reading being a family experience. That’s where the “Read TWO Experience” comes into play and GUWB comes to the rescue. Many times, parents will ask, “I don’t know what to read with my child.” Or they may say, “I don’t know what my child should be reading on her own and what I should read aloud to her!” When we review each book, we will mark the general age group that the book is appropriate for as well as HOW to read it. Would this book be read To, With, or on their Own (T, W, O= Read TWO). One book might be for 2 different age groups, but would be used differently within each group. A 3-4 year old would have it read TO them, but a 5-8 year old you might read it WITH or let them read it on their OWN. The Read TWO Experience really helps to understand how to best use each book.

What age groups do you target and how do you select the books?
Ages birth-12. Book selection is key! We pride ourselves on choosing high-quality books and offering connections with them. When selecting picture books, some things we look for are rich vocabulary, believable characters that may be multi-dimensional, “voice,” engaging illustrations, child-friendly, humor, age-appropriate, and possible future “classic.” With novels, we look for some of the same things…rich vocabulary and phrases, complex storyline, “back story” to the main one, believable characters, “voice,” humor, age-appropriate, etc. With our concept books we’re looking for them to be clear, developmentally appropriate, interactive, and have engaging text and pictures. Not each and every book will have all of those, but that’s our guide.

Do you offer recommendations or reviews to help parents/kids in the book selection process?
Reviews are given for each book we offer. Our RCT personally reads each and every title, taking notes along the way and creating connection ideas. We also include a “Just a Heads Up” section on books that may be of concern to parents. Our categories for that are…General, Mild Violence, Mature Language, Mature Content, and Springboard Topics. The goal of offering the “Just a Heads Up” section is to make parents aware of what their children are reading. Too often we let our kids read books that we know nothing about. The “Just a Heads Up” section is located at the end of any book review that we felt deserved it. Knowing that a book includes “Mature Content” would let you know that it needs a mature reader. It also may guide a parent to read the book with their child rather than have the child read on his/her own.

How much does it cost to rent books on GUWB?
Plans range from $13 per month for Very Light Readers to $ 40 per month for Heavy Readers depending on how many books you wish to receive and read each month. The number varies from 3 to 15. You can change your plan at any time…choose a plan with more or less books depending on your need. You can always email us with questions if one arises.

Who came up with this idea and how did it all start?
(Answered by Phil Daukys) After listening to my son tell me that “Mommy read that book last night… Daddy, you read that book last week,” my wife and I decided that we needed an alternative and wanted to find a way to help others in the same boat. Understanding that the library was a great place to get books, but it still did not alleviate that problem of what books we should be reading. In addition, all people are not close to a library… Grow Up With Books was created.

How does this compare to visiting the library with your child? You have advantages like participating in story time, being able to select books physically, and enjoying an atmosphere of books and reading. Can GUWB replace that?
(Answered by Phil Dauksys) We love libraries and fortunately we’re close to them, but not all parents are. We have no intention of competing with libraries. What we offer, that most libraries do not, is recommended rich literature by age group, taking the guessing game out of the equation for parents in trying to pick the ‘right’ books for their children. We have sanitized books, connection cards in each book that allows both the parents and children to take a book to the next level, making it come alive. GUWB subscribers have the ability to ask our Reading Consulting Team any question regarding their children’s reading development.

Are you able to source the latest or relatively new titles?
That’s one of my jobs–keeping up with what is coming and what is newly out there. Some of our latest ones are the Newbery and Caldecott winners. However, we are always looking for new ideas and welcome suggestions. Being on Twitter and Facebook connects me with authors, publishers, and educators who also are quite knowledgeable in the book field.

Is this service available in all the states currently?
YES! We’ve even sent books to Hawaii.

What is your role with GUWB as a reading consultant?
I’m afraid to tell you because everyone will want my job! I have the privledge and pleasure of choosing books, reading them, reviewing, writing connection pieces, blogging, twittering, Facebook, etc. I get to connect with people and bring books along with me! It is my dream job and I love spreading the joy of books!

Children’s books are going digital in a huge way these days as that seems to be an attractive way to get kids to read….you have iPhone apps, digital story readers etc…what do you think of this trend? Do you feel it’s all right as long as kids are reading somehow…or do you think that it’s important for kids to experience reading actual books?
My first thought is if a child is reading, we have accomplished the first and very important goal(digital or not). If we are building better readers by reading with, to, or having children reading on their own, we have accomplished a bigger goal. There is no question that the digital movement is upon us, providing convenience. However, no matter what technology comes around, NOTHING will replace the connection made when you are holding your child in your lap and turning actual pages of a loved book. Prominent author Emile Buchwald puts it quite nicely, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” We couldn’t agree more.

How long has GUWB been around and how would you say the response has been? Are parents enthusiastic about your service?
(Answered by Phil Daukys)The concept has been in place for 10 months, the actually website has been operational since 10/09. The overall response has been enthusiastic. We have people that love the idea and wish they would have come up with it themselves. When you combine reading, children, and a mechanism to provide a service that is designed to save parents time and money, you’ve succeeded.

I find the Read TWO experience interesting – I guess I do a little bit of all three when I read to/with my daughter. Is there any incident or memorable ‘reading’ moment you’d like to share related to reading with your kids or in your experience as a teacher?
One of the most important things that I NEVER was willing to forgo during the day was the time I read aloud to my class. Some of my favorites were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte’s Web, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, All About Sam, Wayside School is Falling Down, Frindle, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Then there are the lesser-known titles like People in Pineapple Place, The Real Thief, and The Fairy Rebel. Just recently I had a former student (now a student-teacher) tell me that People in Pineapple Place was the best book she ever heard read aloud. Now I have to find a copy of it and get it for her so that she can carry on the tradition. You never know what impact your “reading choices” will have on others!

How does this work logistically? ( According to your site, kids can keep the books for as long as they want, there are no late fees, the books are sanitized every time, how does all this work?)
Phil Daukys: An absolutely seamless process. Parents sign up, add books to their queue (hopefully with the help of their children), and we automatically ship books to you, free. When you are done reading the books, you simply place them in the return envelope mailed with original shipment, and place them in your mail. If, by chance, your child falls in love with the book, you can opt to buy the book straight from us! There are no late fees, no shipping fees, and no concerns with germs with our sanitization process. Through the sanitization process upon return of books we disinfect each book with an environmentally safe, EPA approved product that kills 99.9% of the bacteria, including H1N1.

If someone reading this is interested in renting children’s books or checking your service out – what action do they have to take and how long on an average would the whole process take?
Phil Daukys:Interested parents can simply log on to the site, chose a plan, add books to their queue and then wait for their Grow Up With Books shipment. Online time is minimal, but we encourage subscribers to browse our books, ask questions of our Reading Consulting Team, and even check out our prices. We also sell books and are often, if not always, cheaper than Amazon and other online retailers. Shipping in general takes about 3-5 days to receive your books. We have created an expedited process when books are returned allowing us to have knowledge that your shipment is on its way back. Then we immediately ship out your next round of books, taking precious days out of the process.

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The primary goal of Grow Up With Books is to encourage reading and the love of books among children and to make books accessible to them wherever they are. The online book rental service is just a part of their bigger plan to promote reading and reading-related activities among children, including underprivileged kids. It is with this goal in sight that Grow Up With Books has partnered with various charities and organizations to donate books and promote early literacy both within and outside the United States. To learn more about GUWB’s philanthropic endeavours or if you’re interested in checking out the online children’s book rental experience for yourself, visit http://growupwithbooks.com/. And let me know what you thought!

Reasons to Read to Your Child in Your Mother Tongue

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:13:33 +0000

Have you ever read to your child in a language you don’t usually read in?

It’s a parenting experience like none other. And you shouldn’t miss a chance to try it if you can.

Although my daughter is fluent in our mother tongue( Tamil), we haven’t really read many books written in Tamil with her. We’re teaching her to identify some of the alphabets and make the effort to ensure that she speaks in Tamil at home( and believe me, it’s tough, once kids start going to daycare or preschool on a regular basis and are exposed to more and more of English everyday). However, we haven’t been able to lay our hands on too many good children’s books written in Tamil. I’ve come across a few that weren’t very well produced. And the ones that I’m looking for don’t seem to be available anywhere.

However, a few days ago, I came across Pratham Books, a non-profit trust in India that offers beautiful picture books for kids in Indian languages. The best part is that some of these books are available online on Scribd, so I didn’t have to wait. I just started reading it to my daughter right away.

And boy, was it a delight to watch her!

Tamil is one of those languages that doesn’t sound exactly the same when you speak as when you write it. No matter how casual or conversational you try to make the writing sound, written Tamil always seems to come across as a little formal and ‘purer’ than spoken Tamil. As a result, when I read to my daughter from the book, the range of expressions that crossed her face went from interested to puzzled to delighted to confused to one of comprehension and wonderment. How I wish I could have captured it on video! Had I plotted her reaction on a graph, the spikes would probably have made a porcupine retreat in defeat.

What’s beautiful though – is how she loved the novelty of the experience. She may not have understood all the words at first, but that perked her interest. She could figure out the plot from the visuals, and so tried to relate the story with the images. She was intrigued by the fact that we were reading in Tamil – a language she knew well – and yet, there was something about it that she didn’t fully understand.

We read it a couple of times and I explained to her what some of the words meant. Then she asked me to read it again and seemed to enjoy the experience even better.

In all, reading Nilaavum Thoppiyum (The Moon and the Cap) and its Hindi version, Chaand ka Tohfa ( The Moon’s Gift) was a delightful, eye opening experience for both of us.

It reminded me to put more effort into exposing my daughter to Indian language books so she could begin to appreciate the richness and diversity in these languages and also to encourage her to continue to learn and use our mother tongue. As for M, she seemed to be pretty fascinated by the fact that we were reading from different scripts and pronouncing strange new words. It was almost like a game – like I was reading some secret code or posing a riddle – and she couldn’t wait to figure out what I was saying.

In their book, To Learn with Love, authors William and Constance Starr describe Dr. Suzuki’s ‘mother tongue approach’ to teaching students music. His method was based on the simple observation that babies everywhere learn their mother tongue, almost effortlessly. He observed that since babies are constantly exposed to their mother tongue, they pick it up by merely being in the environment they’re in and by repeating what they hear several hundred or thousand times. He borrows this idea and applies it to teaching music. The Suzuki method involves exposing children to music from a young age, playing recordings and encouraging repetitions. And sure enough, kids who are trained in this way for years, do go on to achieve fine musical abilities in due course with exposure, training and consistent practice.

In today’s globalized world, where we are all about leveling the playing field and creating a universal language and breaking barriers, it’s not easy to hold on to one’s mother tongue. let alone ensure that our kids do. It’s more convenient and seems more practical to allow a language to fade away than make the effort to weave it into our complex world. “Language should unite, not divide.” “Language is just a means of communication, why make such a fuss?” are some of the arguments we hear in favor of allowing languages to disappear. But, children born in bilingual and multilingual families or those whose parents know more than one language are at a natural advantage over others who don’t share their background. Various studies show the correlation between being bilingual and acquiring proficiency in other fields. Learning foreign languages also seems to be the fashionable thing to do. So, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to throw this natural advantage away, merely because it takes a little more effort to reinforce one’s mother tongue on a regular basis?

Maybe it’s time we borrowed Suzuki’s mother tongue approach and began applying it to teaching kids their mother tongue. And if your mother tongue is an Indian language, then children’s books like those from Pratham Books are a great place to start.

Nurturing Compassion by Reading to Kids

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:31:46 +0000

My 3-year old demands to know what an earthquake is, why it happens and what will happen to all the babies trapped under the rubble in Haiti. We listen to the news as I drive her to daycare and back everyday and she puts two and two together. She watches us discuss the situation, the organizations that accept donations, the rescue efforts and developments and she wants to know more. Above all, she wants to know if she can help. And how.

On one hand, I feel incredibly proud. I’m moved by the compassion that this little thing shows for people she doesn’t know in a situation she probably doesn’t fully comprehend. I’m glad she wants to help.
On the other hand – I’m terrified. I’m not quite sure how much to tell her and how to nurture her compassion without allowing her wonderful, large, yet delicate heart to break.

Compassion – The Currency That Matters
To tell you the truth – this is exactly what we had hoped for – when my husband and I named our daughter, we chose a name that loosely translates to ‘ Universal Peace.’ It is the first word in our favorite song which is about creating a world of peace and friendship where war is shunned and compassion prevails. Call us dreamers, but, compassion is among the most important values that we hope our daughter upholds. And raising compassionate kids in an exceedingly competitive and materialistic world is proving to be quite a challenge for most parents.

So, it’s heartening to see her express concern and offer to alleviate the pain of children thousands of miles away. Yet, it’s a challenge. How do you talk to a 3 year-old child about death and suffering? And how can you avoid those subjects when she bombards you with questions? Do you just switch off all media and not expose her to any news that’s even remotely disturbing? Which is most news these days. Or do we make up stories about the darker side of life or simply change the subject to something more “child-friendly”?

It’s not easy. Parents don’t always know how to handle questions surrounding tragic situations and we all do the best we can. But the important thing to keep in mind is to give children the opportunity to express their compassion. I think that’s the most significant investment we can make in our children’s future.

If we can somehow identify and nurture that natural instinct in children to sympathize and help – we’ll likely be way better off as a civilization and will be well on our way to creating that elusive ‘better place on earth’ we keep hearing about.

Which is why it’s important to make compassion, tolerance and understanding a part of everyday life.

Compassion as a way of life.

Children mirror the world around them – which usually constitutes their parents. So, of course, it’s essential that they see these qualities in us and in our actions and the examples we set for them everyday. The manner in which we handle world news that doesn’t directly affect us, how we talk about these situations, whether we discuss how to help or donate or sign up to volunteer, whether we’re appreciative of our own lives and what we have – are all factors that shape our child’s thoughts and beliefs.

As I was writing this post, I connected with Lara Ivey who shares her thoughts on being more appreciative and encouraging kids to do the same in her beautiful post, Beyond Blessed. You’ll also find some resources and ideas on helping kids cope with and contribute to such situations.

The other important source of input for children is the printed world. Children’s books are far more powerful and leave a much deeper impact than they are usually given credit for. There’s a lot we can achieve by picking the right books and reading with our children on a regular basis. Reading to kids helps you do something interesting and almost impossible with any other method – teach without preaching. Whether it’s a story about being honest or about kindness, children’s books have a way of weaving the moral and message into the plot so kids don’t zone out when you deliver it. It is this unique characteristic of reading aloud that comes to our rescue in difficult situations such as these as well.

I believe that we can turn to children’s books not just to answer their difficult questions, but even to ask a few of our own and in the process, maybe even learn a little, with them.

How Reading to Your Baby or Child can Help Raise a Compassionate Generation

1. Pick books about other cultures, races, countries, history. Bring home a mix of children’s books on different themes and cultures. The classics, fairy tales and popular books are great. But, why not alternate them with books by authors from other countries or those translated from another language? Encourage your child to learn about children’s lives in other countries. Just becoming aware that there is so much diversity and disparity in the world is the first step towards raising a more compassionate and tolerant generation. The fact that there may not be flush toilets in houses in some countries or that children walk many miles to get to school and back may help put things in perspective, when our kids are extra-demanding or are disappointed with something. At the same time, learning about how wonderfully different those cultures are – their music, dance, literature, architecture, family structure – is both entertaining and educational for young children.

2. Read about those who didn’t live happily ever after. There’s never a good time to introduce children to the harsh realities that we try to protect them from. But, sooner or later, they’re going to learn about the not-so-happy endings of the world. Every once in a while, when you read with your kids, pick books about real people who faced extraordinarily difficult situations or tragic or disappointing events in history. These are not just stories with sad endings, but contain examples of courage, heroism, integrity, patriotism and other great qualities that you want to imbibe in your child. Age appropriateness is an important question, however, in many cases, you can use a book meant for an older reader with a younger child simply by explaining the events in your own words, showing them the pictures and asking them about what they think. Tone down or sugarcoat the details as you see appropriate – only you know how much bare truth your child is ready for.

3. Read the papers. You don’t always have to pick books to read with your kids. How about settling down with a bunch of papers or magazines and spending an afternoon talking about a certain event, situation or country? I’ve even seen some 2 year-olds respond to this kind of interaction – sometimes, they just appreciate the change from looking at illustrations and colorful pictures to real photos and visuals of places and people. They’re excited about reading from “grown-up books”. With older kids, it could turn into a very interesting afternoon project. Together, pick any topic like hurricanes, war or forest fire – anything that’s interesting to them or relevant to the current context – and read to them from different newspapers or feature articles. Not just the science and reasoning behind it but the human interest stories as well. Like the kid who never let go of his baby brother even when he almost drowned or the little girl who got lost while camping and managed to survive alone in the wild until rescue workers found her.

4. Do activities together. Find a country on the globe. Identify flags. Pretend you’re living in another country. A globe and/or a large wall world map is a must for every home with kids. (I’m ashamed to admit that I can’t name some of the countries and capitals that my little nieces and nephews can.) Learning about countries, their locations and history is important for children to understand the nature of our world and how we are constantly evolving as a civilization and how interdependent we all are. Get a good world atlas and read parts of it with your child often. Come up with fun crafts and activities together.

5. Discuss and read about ways you can help. It’s great that the Haiti earthquake has spurred relief efforts and donations from so many of us. In many families, children are stepping up – offering to part with their allowances or piggy bank savings. News stations are brimming with stories of young children raising thousands of dollars for Haiti relief. This is the silver lining to an otherwise horrific and overwhelming situation – we have the opportunity to encourage and witness our children’s compassion and generosity. Making volunteering and donating to charities a regular practice is a great way for a family to engage in an activity together, to bond and to evolve together. So, whenever possible, read to your child about volunteering, non-profit organizations that help various causes, about their efforts and how people can contribute. Read, discuss and act. Even a three year old can be encouraged to give away clothes or toys to a kid who needs them.

Children are naturally compassionate. Underneath their impish smiles and adorable faces, lies an ocean of empathy, love, tenderness and generosity just waiting to be uncovered and utilized. It’s up to us – parents and educators – to recognize, acknowledge and encourage them to express their humane side and to use their gifts for greater causes.

When you read to your baby, is the author in the picture?

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:45:53 +0000

Dashka Slater, Nancy Tafuri, Eric Carle, Jim Arnosky, Sheila White Samton, Bob Staake.

I don’t really know them. But I think if my 3 yr old daughter met them on the street, she’d most likely give them a hug. Or two. You see, they’re a part of her life now. She comes across their names every now and then. She knows what they do. She likes what they write. They’re the people she probably dreams about because they’re the ones who bring drama, emotion, adventure, fun, wonderment, imagination and a love of reading into her life.

They’re the authors of some of her favorite books.

When you read a book with your baby, do you pay attention to who wrote it?

I didn’t, at first. Initially, when M and I cuddled up with a book, I’d usually read out the title and then move on to the first page, ignoring the other elements on the cover. It wasn’t intentional, of course. I just didn’t know any better. It didn’t occur to me back then to point to the author and illustrator’s names on the cover. The act of reading aloud to my baby in itself was a new, joyous experience and I didn’t really think about it that much. It was amazing to me that someone in the world was (apparently)so enamored by my voice and read aloud skills that she actually calmed down, stopped fussing and listened to what I was reading. Wow. It wasn’t until later, when M started pointing to words and pictures in the jacket and began asking who those people were that I realized that maybe I didn’t deserve all the credit after all! I had been keeping her in the dark about the creators of the books she so loved.

It was then that I decided to start giving credit where it was due. With every book we pick up now, we first read the title, followed by the author’s and illustrator’s names and their bios, before beginning the story.

You won’t believe what a difference this has made to our reading experience.

I’ve noticed this in other kids too as I’m sure you have. Show your kid something once and well, you had better be ready to do it forever. Or at least a few hundred thousand times.
Now, every time we pick out a book, M wants to know who the author is. Who drew the pictures? Where do they live? What do they look like? She has begin to connect and relate. When we pick out a book by a familiar author, she can tell. Sometimes, she remembers the name. Or has some vague recollection of it at the very least. She makes connections between the author and other names we come across. We were reading a book the other day and came across a character whose name was Eric…and I tell you – I couldn’t proceed a word without first answering her questions about Eric Carle and whether this was the same person and why we were calling someone else by that name when clearly, he’s not the Eric we know.

These days, I couldn’t skip the author’s name even if I wanted to. She’ll know. She’ll pound me with questions. If we read something, anything, she wants to know who wrote it.

I think this is fantastic. Frustrating sometimes, but fantastic. It’s like she’s realized that books don’t just magically appear out of nowhere. People create them. This discovery, in my opinion, is crucial to a child.

Talking about the creators of a book is a great way to introduce your kids to the idea of writing. And art.

Equipped with the knowledge that a person somewhere wrote the words in the book and drew the beautiful pictures on the pages, kids begin to see a whole new dimension to the rectangular object in their hands.

Knowing that someone thought of the words and images to tell the story helps kids appreciate books. And enjoy a fuller reading experience. To me, it’s like when I read to M, she imagines the author(whose picture we would have looked at and whose name we would have memorized by then) telling her the story. Before we begin, she always wants to know, “Who’s the author?”. Maybe she just likes the word ‘ author’ …or maybe she’s got it mixed up with Arthur from the Arthur and DW series. Or maybe she really understands. Whatever it is that’s going on in that brain of hers..only she knows.

All I know is she’s added ‘Author’ to the list of things she wants to be when she’s a ‘big girl’. And I’m mighty pleased about that.

Do you talk about a book’s creators when you read with your children?

Raising a Generation of Readers 2

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:20:31 +0000

Reading to Kids Besides Your Own

(contd from Raising a Generation of Readers 1)

So, we’ve established that reading to kids is important. Not just our own kids, but to those who don’t have the benefit of being raised in an environment which comprises of books and reading.

There is no question – if we want our kids to inherit a better world, we had better begin equipping them with the tools today. And, among other things, improving literacy levels ought to be our number one priority.

So, besides reading to our kids everyday, exposing them to different kinds of books and knowledge and providing them opportunities to learn and expand their minds – what else needs to be done in order to raise the generation of readers that will make this possible? In other words, what specific actions can each of us – parents, educators, librarians and anybody interested in creating such a world – take?

Plenty. Regardless of the time on your hands, your skills, interests or motivation, there is always something you can do about spreading literacy around you, be it small or significant.

Whether we spare 30 minutes a day or 1 hour per week – the time we choose to spend in helping kids(besides our own) learn to read is probably among the best investments we make towards our children’s future.

1.Believe that it’s NEVER too late to start. Yes, it’s true that kids should be read to from an early age and that they benefit most when they are exposed to books and language at home since birth. And yes, most of the nerve connections in a child’s brain are formed by the time he turns 5 and his brain, up until that age acts like a sponge – under ideal conditions, he would have been read to countless times by that golden age. However, just because a child missed out on reading for the first few years doesn’t mean that he has to miss out for the rest of his life. If you know a child who hasn’t been read to since he was a baby or a family where kids are not exposed to reading – do your best to encourage them to start. Now. Reading, no matter how late you begin, improves things.

2.Volunteer your time and skills. Become a reading mentor. If you enjoy reading to your children and have seen them benefit from the process, why not share the experience with other children who may not have access to books or people who read to them? Several organizations provide you the opportunity to volunteer just an hour of your time every week to read to children from low income families or who are at a high risk for dropping out of school, taking to drugs or crime or simply choosing lives they don’t really deserve. It’s hard to imagine that 30-45 minutes of your time a week will make any difference to these kids, but you’d be surprised at how eagerly kids start looking forward to these sessions, how well they respond to your reading and how this seemingly insignificant gesture on your part could improve their chances of staying in school and opting for better lives. A list and description of various organizations and programs that you could volunteer with warrants a separate post – but just to mention some of them – Everybody Wins Power Lunch( spend 30 mins of your lunch hour a week reading to a child), Reach out and Read (among other things, volunteers read to children in waiting rooms, organize community book drives, build bookcases), Communities in Schools After School program( Help kids prepare for life by providing homework help and reading to them for about an hour every week) You could also do this on your own for kids in your community, if you don’t want to commit to a particular organization or program. But I find that doing it through an organization has many benefits – it is regulated, you have a common place to meet, a set time for reading, coordinators you can discuss issues with and books always readily available to read.

3. Donate children’s books – new and old. One of the most important factors affecting literacy is access to books. In low income neighborhoods in the United States, there is only one age appropriate book available for every 300 children. (Source: FirstBook) So, when it’s time to clear out the clutter in your child’s bedroom, the attic or in your garage, have a plan for salvaging and separating children’s books, categorizing them and boxing them so you can donate them to kids who could use them. There are several places you could donate used books that redistribute them to needy children. Alternatively, if you know kids or families that would benefit from those books, you could donate directly to them. But, unless there is someone in the family who can read the books to the children, this may not be of much use. So, even if you donate books,spending your time reading to those kids is still important. Of course, if you’d like to and can afford to donate new books – even better.

4. Encourage your kids to read to others. It’s no secret – kids are mirrors. If they watch you reading to other kids or know that you donate your time for the purpose, they’re bound to be inspired to do the same. If your kids are reading at or above grade level, encourage them to read to/with their classmates or peers who could use some reading help.

5. Read to your child’s class. If your child is in elementary school, your child’s teacher may be more than happy to have you volunteer in her class every week. Even if you can’t volunteer with an organization, try committing an hour or so a week to your child’s class. You could either offer to help a handful of kids with reading, or read to the class as a whole, depending on what the teacher prefers, the reading levels of children in the class and how much time you can commit each week.

6. Start a reading program at a library or community center – Your local library will most probably have story time sessions for babies and preschoolers. Check with the youth services librarian if you can start a program to help older kids to read or expand on an existing program. You could start a weekly reading session and invite older kids who have difficulty reading or who don’t have access to books or reading mentors to participate. You could even use the library to interact with kids individually, tutor them and help them with reading. Work with your librarian, parents and teachers in your area to come up with a program that will benefit kids with regards to reading.

7. Read about reading to kids. Write about reading to kids. Talk about reading to kids. No matter how much you know or do, you know there’s more that could be done. If you’re truly interested in and passionate about raising a generation of readers and thinkers, keep looking for ways to make reading accessible and pleasurable to children. Use any platform you have to your advantage – blog and tweet about why it’s important to read to children, write to an editor of a magazine or newspaper, talk to your friends, join ‘groups’ or become a ‘fan’ and use whatever medium and technique you’re comfortable with to share your interest in raising enthusiastic readers.

8. Hold reading events at home, the park or at the library. In an earlier post about why it’s never too late to start reading to your kids, I suggested a few fun ways to get older kids interested in reading. Use whatever works for you in your efforts to help kids with reading. Meet other parents and kids at the park, library or a picnic area and have a reading party. Reading to kids in an informal, outdoor environment may help them overcome inhibitions associated with school work or required reading, especially if they have difficulty with it.

9. Help kids start or join a book club. Guide them. Encourage participation from kids of all reading levels and not just those who read above their grade levels. Help kids select books that appeal to reluctant readers. Ask your librarian for book recommendations. Be open to stopping a book mid-way and switching to a new one if it doesn’t ignite interest in the group. Encourage interaction, provide directions for discussion, ask questions, suggest alternative answers – your goal is simply to get the kids excited about the idea of reading. For very young children, a book club could simply be a version of a story time where you encourage other parents to bring their children to a certain venue every week and read aloud to them from various books, tell them stories and even show parents by example, how to read with their kids. Or you could just help spread the word about story time sessions at the library or book store in your community. I’m always surprised by how many parents I talk to aren’t aware of or simply do not have the inclination to bring their kids to these free reading sessions.

10. Talk to friends and family about steps 1-9 and encourage them to adopt as many as they can or would like to.

By adopting these or any other measure, if each of us make just a little impact on a few children during the course of a lifetime, and manage to encourage friends and family to do the same, we might actually be closer to creating a better, more literate world for our kids. Laughable? Maybe. Anyone who has ever tried to do any good, wonders at some point, “Will this really make a difference? Is this enough? A drop in the ocean!”

I’m no exception – I often wonder if these 30 minute reading or tutoring sessions will really have any impact on kids. Will those 30 minutes spent with books make a difference to the other countless hours spent away from them?

I’m not always convinced, but I have to believe that it does make a difference.
Studies show that even with a late start, children who are read to and who have a positive mentor or role model in their lives, have a better chance of going on to complete school and enroll in college and lead better, healthier, more fulfilling lives than their counterparts who don’t have the experience. When we remember that the idea, to start out with, is to get kids enthusiastic about and interested in reading, learning and books, and not so much about grades or instant improvement in academic results – we may begin to view things in perspective. So, remember – if you start today and read to a child, albeit an older child, once a day or week, by the end of the year he would have been read to 365 times. Or at least 52 times.

Which is way better than 0. No matter how old the kid is.

My husband has this weird benchmark when it comes to measuring anything – he says, look at it terms of a calendar year – 365 days. And pretty much like the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding whose solution to every problem is Windex, my husband’s answer to almost any frustration or problem is – give it a year and see how it turns out.
Me: I don’t think I like this new city. I want to go back. Him: Give it a year and then we’ll see.
Me: I’m sure this new project won’t work out. Him: Give it a year and then we’ll see.
Me: I’ll never be able to potty train M. It’s just impossible. Him: Why don’t we keep trying and check back in a year.

And sure enough, when I look back a year later, I’ve almost always managed to accomplish what I believed to be impossible 365 days ago. And at time, it seems ridiculous that I was ready to give up even before I had begun.

So, I’m thinking – Maybe, if we all worked at it, our little efforts and baby steps at spreading literacy and raising readers will pay off after all.

What do you think we can do to raise a generation of readers?