Are you ready?
Let’s talk about READING for your K – 3rd Grade peeps! Woot!
I have written about my simple, hassle-free method of teaching reading to my kids, so if you’re working on that in your home, check out my article here!
(Want good suggestions on where to start for titles of great books to consider for your kids? Click the link in the sidebar to get a lovely, printable list of 21 of my favorite books for reading aloud with your kids!)
There are 4 things that come with a love of reading:
1. A lifetime-long love of learning
2. Self-teaching in a wide variety of subjects
3. Creating a heart after things that are noble, true, and godly
4. You make a lasting, meaningful impact on your child’s life
1. LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING:
I passionately believe that helping your child learn to love reading is helping your child learn to love learning.
Once a child discovers how magical the printed word can be, creating new worlds in their imagination, or leading them into truths and ideas that blow their minds with wonder and awe, they will develop a lasting sense of the pleasure and adventure in reading.
And a child that loves learning only needs to be gently nudged in the direction of their studies, since they will eagerly move forward in their own motivated energy, rather than be dragged along by parents, miserably resisting all the way.
Did you catch that?
It means: Your job of “teaching” your child just became a lot easier, because you become more like a “learning coach”, while your child is the one who charges forward, excited to pursue knowledge. It means your child becomes their own teacher. Which is an incredible life skill.
2. SELF-TEACHING IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS
If your child loves reading, they will effectively absorb a large amount of information ACROSS MULTIPLE SUBJECTS (such as history, geography, language, philosophy, science, social studies, language arts, civics, and classic literature) without you needing to do more than direct what they read by choosing good books and provide help in processing and understanding it through conversation/discussion!
Getting to discuss varying aspects of the Pacific Theater during WWII, comparing and contrasting the size of the Persian Empire with Alexander the Great’s conquered territory, hearing my younger child correctly describe whether a specific muscle movement is voluntary or involuntary, being told the average speed of lahars (when I didn’t know what a lahar was before)…
Um, hello stimulating and fun home school day!
3. CREATING A HEART AFTER THINGS THAT ARE NOBLE, TRUE, AND GODLY
Books provide ideas and information on any subject imaginable. Good, wholesome books help form moral values of courage, heroism, truth, honesty, persistence, self-control, careful thought, and many other virtues.
It takes intention and thought to stimulate your child’s inner appetite for these nobler things – it will not usually happen by chance. You as a parent are deeply crucial in this aspect by what you encourage and allow your child to absorb during these developmental years – whether through books, social media/online, television and film, or through peers.
To help create in your child an understanding of the beauty in things that are beautiful, true, and godly is to help them see the beauty of God. It helps create a desire in them to encourage and add to this beauty – His beauty – in the world.
The parent who achieves this has done good work in preparing the fertile, rich soil for the seeds God will plant in their child’s life.
4. YOU MAKE A LASTING, MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD’S LIFE
The hours may seem to drag some days, but ask any older parent: Time is precious and it flies.
These days spent at home with your littles are valuable opportunities to pour into their hearts and lives. Your children love you and cherish time with you above anyone else.
You, as a parent, are the most impactful person in their lives in these young years. Don’t waste your impact. Don’t later wish you had lived differently during this season of life. Know that your daily input is foundational and critical for your child. Spending time reading with your child is an enormous gift with incredible benefit for the rest of their lives.
Reading out loud (even just ten minutes each day!) from great, inspiring stories or fascinating historical or scientific books is only going to increase your connection with your child, stimulate their curiosity about the world, and deepen their intellect.
What book will you start reading with your kids? When do you plan to set that 10-minute commitment to read with them that works best for you? Don’t forget to click the link in the sidebar to get a lovely free printable list of 21 of my favorite read-aloud books!
I am excited for you to see your children’s eyes and imagination light up as you pursue this reading adventure!
– Maria
Next up: How to Make Space for Reading Time in Your Home