Homeschool Helper - January 2009 - (Page 3)

FEATURE ARTICLE CONT. a sentence or word or you will be promptly corrected, because the child has the book memorized! Early on, teach your children to respect books. Teach them that books are their friends and need to be treated and handled carefully. Very young children can be taught to handle books properly. A favorite picture of mine is of my oldest daughter as a nine-month-old sprawled on the floor, propped up on her elbows carefully turning the pages of a “real paper” book of the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker. She is now working on her doctorate in English literature. Her love and respect for books and reading started very early. your child will enjoy. With my first two children I found that while my daughter enjoyed fiction books, my son was more interested in nonfiction informational books. Be aware of books that may scare your child. I remember one day pulling out a book Pick books with good, strong story lines. Don’t waste your or your child’s time on a poorly written book. about a cat to read to my middle daughter before her nap. She looked at the book and said, “No, Mommy, not that one!” I asked her why she didn’t want this book. She said, “It is sc-cary!” As I looked at the book again, I realized that while the story was about a nice little kitten, the illustrations—sketchy, dark pencil drawings—were scary looking to my child. We promptly picked another book. Be aware that some books have an agenda. Some books actually teach and encourage disobedience or unacceptable behaviors and ideas. I’ll never forget the shock I received as I opened a “free book” I had received along with one of my children’s book orders. The title was If You’re Angry and You Know It. The first page said, “If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet.”2 This book was encouraging children to express their anger—the complete opposite of what I was trying to teach my children. I was working with my kids to learn self-control. They certainly did not need to be encouraged to stomp their feet when they were angry! That book was added to my examples of books you do not want to read to your children as I speak on this topic at conferences. Selecting Books Here are some things to consider as you select books to read to your children. As your child’s age increases, the text of the stories you read can become longer and more involved. Pick books with good, strong story lines. Don’t waste your or your child’s time on a poorly written book. Understand there are a lot of books out there to choose from. Pick books that you like. Pick books on topics Enhancing the ReadAloud Experience Now let’s look at some things you can do to enhance your reading times. When reading aloud to children, be enthusiastic! Your enthusiasm can be contagious. We want our children to be excited about books and to learn to love to read. If you are not excited about what you are reading to them, they most certainly will not be excited about hearing it. (continued on p. 4) 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Homeschool Helper - January 2009

Homeschool Helper - January 2009

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