The Gift of Books

By C.J. Schomberg, Parent Educator, Parents as Teachers

What gifts are you giving your child when you nurture a love for books – time snuggling with you; lessons on life; how to feed the soul through beauty, knowledge, and adventure to far off places; or just how to cook yummy recipes. Studies prove that children read to regularly in the preschool years score much higher in elementary school than peers who did not experience regular reading. Why not give your child this advantage?

There are many ways that parents and caregivers can encourage a love for reading in children. By expanding children’s literacy experiences in book-related activities, parents can make books come alive for children, increase their learning, provide new life experiences, and ensure quality parent-child time.

For example, if you read the book, Pete’s A Pizza, by William Steig, you could do any of the following:

• Act out the story.
• Shop for pizza ingredients.
• Make and eat pizza together.
• Then, read Hi, Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter (one good book leads to another).

Another example would be to take a ride on a city bus to the library, then do the following:

• Check out The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky and also see if they have the song on tape.
• After riding home, make a Kleenex box bus.
• Set up chairs like a bus for pretend play.
• At mealtime serve celery with peanut butter plus sliced carrot wheels.
• Follow up with any book on transportation, such as Goodnight Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox.

When you provide activities to extend the book experience, you are encouraging your child to use all of their senses in learning, which significantly increases the amount of knowledge your child takes in and retains in memory.

When you give your child the gift of books, a gift will be returned to you. Your child’s love and attachment to you will be strengthened and you will be rewarded with a happy, successful child. Books can open many doors to children and parents alike – they can change your present and your future.