Parenting and Simple Blessings

Reading to a child is a rare gift. It is rare because only about 25 of every 100 children in the US are read to by a parent or another caring adult. It is a gift because in the moments you spend with your child sharing a book, she will learn the music of language, its rhythms and tones; the concept that written letters correspond to sounds of the language; how books are constructed; and how to enjoy language. Shared reading empowers children with a powerful tool for life and learning: words. A famous piece of child development research by Betty Hart and Todd Risely found that the more words a child heard in early childhood, the more words she used later on in school.

Shared reading helps children sharpen their attentional skills. They learn to imagine what comes next, and this is fundamental skill for strengthening judgment and abstract reasoning.

Sharing books with their adults connects even the youngest children to the greater world and our shared culture. Books expose children to moral and ethical reasoning. Think about the Dr. Seuss book The Cat in the Hat... should the children who met the this fantastic feline tell their mother what happened that very strange day?

Love of learning starts with the experience of sharing a book siting next to a parent, snuggled up close, and sharing more than a book -- sharing time, love, connection.