Welcome to our blog all about books for young children!
This blog was inspired by our son's passion and innate talent for reading.
One of our favorite family outings is a visit to any one of our local bookstores. So many books, I've thought! With time, I've become choosy, and so has my son. He's built himself quite the library. We hope to help our readers through the overwhelming options or guide them toward that not-so-famous gem hidden amongst the endless bookshelves. We also think a good children's book has lots to say to a parent as well. So our books have a story for us too, besides the one printed on the pages.
Where does the blog name come from?
A very common and lovely scene in our home, is one of my son laying in his teepee with piles of books around him. This is his hideaway spot where his imagination can wonder into the places of stories.
Why do we love books so much?
We are all told to read to our children. But how much? and starting when? To this we say- all the time and from the first day they come home from the hospital! There is nothing a book can't teach a little one trying to make sense of a confusing new world (check out the subject section to see). Books are not just a great way to stir up their curious language, they also teach focus and appreciation for visual detail from a very early age. Books are also a wonderful way to start a conversation with a munchkin just learning to organize and share thoughts with others.
But aside these reasons, books have a special meaning to us. Books were one of the first ways through which we bonded with our son. He loved to be read to before he was even a year old. He could sit for a very long time in our lap as long as we were reading a book. Otherwise, he was was a go go go toddler! His attention span and interest in reading were truly unique, as we would soon find out... Books helped us discover one of his first gifts. What gifts will books help you discover in your child?
"Did he just read that?!"
Around the time he was to turn 2, our son began recognizing small words. Common words in the world of a toddler- cow, cat, dog, stop... We thought it was pretty neat, but surely other kids did this. We continued to read everyday. He could now follow very long stories. We would ask questions and he would point to the illustrations or answer in the way a 2 year old could- with his chubby tiny hand and pronunciation only a parent could understand. Seemed that in no time, he could sightread scores of words and wanted to try to read new words as well. Around the time he was to turn 3 he was reading small sentences he had never seen before. He was putting together all the little pieces of words he was familiar with to figure out complex long new words. Our little guy was a quick pattern thinker! It was as if he was born to read. So much so that he often had to ask us the meaning of his fast growing vocabulary. Literary speaking, he was running before he could walk. He would give his new vocabulary a try too in our conversations, oftentimes with some hilarious misuses. On his first day of pre-school, a week after turning 4, our son read a book the teacher was to read to class. "Good memory he has! I'm sure he has this at home" she thought. But then she tried another book, and another book, until she just handed him the day's newspaper. At pick up, she could hardly get the words out in time- "he can read! did you know he can read...anything!". Yes, we knew, and we had been so proud all summer.
At the time I am writing this, our son will be entering Kindergarten in a few weeks. He now reads at a 3rd grade level across the board- pronunciation, comprehension, and fluency. He reads for fun and to get information on new and things he already loves alike. He is a tiny dinosaur expert and nature enthusiast. Aside from his talent for reading, books have helped him discover he is a natural for science related subjects. He has recently begun reading to himself, which we find adorably mature for his size. There is no limit to what he can learn about now. Reading makes him confident and independent. He knows it is his gift. When he surprises us with some knowledge, we ask him where in the world he would hear such a thing and his answer usually is- "I read it in a book".
