Learning to love reading...

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

- Jacqueline Kennedy

I have written about children and reading before. I am sure that I will write about it again, because it is something that is so important, and that I am very passionate about. Reading is such a vital part of our lives. Yes, for every day important things- reading a recipe, reading and writing a note, sending an email... all of those. But it is also so important for opening minds, broadening world views, discovering possibilities, imagining, dreaming... and enlarging a child's world, as Jacqueline Kennedy put it so beautifully.

I spotted Enerel reading to herself the other day. It was so awesome to watch this little person "read" the pictures as she saw them. She can't read the words (just yet!) and her story that she read did not sound the same as the one the author wrote. But... what she is doing here is developing her love for books, developing her love for words and creating a story, developing her skills of making meaning from pictures. So much happening!

 I caught some of it on video... (watch it, it is great!) :-)

I later noticed that she happened to be sitting on a pile of books.

"What's this?" I asked her. "These are my favourite books. I'm going to read them when I finish this one!" :-) Wow! A confident, enthusiastic and competent reader- right here!

Reading is so important- so please let your children read! Whether in the classroom or at home- read to them, read WITH them, let them read to their teddies, or to a sibling or a friend, let them read to YOU, let them freely explore books and help foster a skill (and a joy!) for life! :-)