Raising Readers

I love books.  My kids love books.  I think my kids love books because my parents love books, and they taught me to love books.  So, I am teaching my children to love books.  It is my duty and I take it very seriously.

First they learn their ABC's and then they learn to write them.  In kindergarten they learn that these letters form words and that they can sound out these letters in a way so that they can actually read a word.  It is amazing.  I am amazed every day at the amount and level of books that Cameron can read.  Of course I believe this is a very important thing that he is learning. 

I also believe that if we had not read to him every day from the day he was an infant he would be further behind in this skill than he is today.  Cameron is interested in reading.  He is not just learning something because his teacher tells him he needs to, he is learning it because he wants to and books excite him.  And please do not misinterpret me here.  I am not saying that all children who are behind in reading are so because their parents do not read to them.  Nor am I saying that children who don't get read to by their parents will be behind in reading.  Every child is different.  I'm just saying that I think that we have helped to create not only a love for books in Cameron, but a passion for reading.

Olivia loves books too.  She loves to read the same ones over and over again and I don't mind.  Her favorite one right now is "Shoe-La-La".  It combines her two favorite things, shoes and books.  She can identify all her letters and a few words, but mostly right now she is memorizing.  It's all part of the learning process.  I am amazed at how many books she has memorized.  I will start a page and she will finish it.  Sometimes it only takes two reads before she knows the whole thing!

We read books every day.  In the morning, during snack, after lunch, after dinner, in bed, outside, in the car, at friends houses, at grandparents houses.  There is no place we frequent where we have not read a book.  The kids also observe me reading for pleasure whenever I have a moment of peace, or whenever they allow me a moment of peace.  There are books all over our house.  Seriously, there are books everywhere.  I decided to go around the house and take photos of the stacks, bookshelves and baskets full of books.  These are not rearranged or stacked just for these photos-- this is how I found all of these books.

One - The Library Stack - We have a special table just for library books so that we remember to take them back and do not lose any

Two - My Favorite Place - This is the stack next to my favorite chair.  Some of the books are always there, but some get replaced by new reads.

Three - The Living Room Bookshelf - The stack on top are my favorite parenting books that I always refer to and in the shelves below are things I have read that I have not been able to part with.

Four - The Bedroom Basket - We read about eight books before bed every night and they were getting left in little piles all over the bedroom.  A few months ago I got the brilliant idea to put a basket in the corner for the books that get left in my room.  I do have to weed it every week or so.

Five - The Playroom Bookshelf - One shelf in the playroom is packed so tightly with books it is no wonder there are stacks all over the house.

Six - Cameron's Room Basket - Next to his little blue reading chair is a basket of books.  I keep the "OLIVIA" series and Shel Silverstein books in here, plus some other classics from my childhood that I cherish.

Seven  - Cameron's Room Bookshelf - The "How Do Dinosaurs..." series resides here, plus some others that he loved when he was younger.  We pull them out every so often for trips down memory lane.

Eight - Next to My Bed - My current reads are kept here.  Right now I am reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" (re-reading) and "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" on my e-reader.  My e-reader is great for night reading when I don't want to turn on the light and disturb the kids.

There you go.  Not sure if you care ;) but there you go anyway.  Now I am off to bed to do some reading.  Nighty night my friends!