Good Read

My friend Katie bought me The Read-Aloud Handbook in preparation for baby and it has been a most engaging book. The basic premise of the book is one I am already aligned with: Read aloud to your children on a daily basis from the day they are born. I am so grateful though for such a thoughtful gift because without some of the back story, the research, and the evidence in favor of such a practice as daily read-alouds, it would be easy to dismiss it as just one more good, but impractical idea. The author, Jim Trelease, presents fact as well as anecdotal story from his personal experience as a father, as well as 20 years of positive affirmation from the thousands of parents and teachers around the world who practice what he preaches.
The idea is especially palatable to me because he isn't trying to push a program or sell a product. Any parent or teacher of any socioeconomic standard can make this a reality! The author recommends just 3 Bs: books (thank you public library!), a book basket in the home so that books can be very accessible, and a book lamp in the child's room. To aid in the read-aloud process, the last 115 pages of his book is his "Treasury of Read-Alouds", an impressive collection of more than 1,000 recommended books for all ages and genres that are especially well-suited to reading aloud. If you have the desire, and a library card, you can't go wrong!

Mr. Trelease stresses the fact throughout the book that the goal of reading aloud to your children from infancy is NOT to produce super-babies, or 2-year old readers. In fact, he encourages that that not be the goal at all. It could be a possible result, but the main crux of the daily reading is simply to create parent-child bonding, and a love-affair with books. No more, no less. It is that simple message that resonates with me because it aligns very well with the church's counsel for daily family scripture study and consistent gospel instruction in the home.

As a personal aside, when I went to visit my family over Christmas, my youngest sister, who is a teenager, requested that I read-aloud to her from a picture book during my visit. She has been a voracious reader since she was an infant and had the marked advantage of six older siblings and parents who were willing to indulge her in regular read-aloud sessions. When I think of her and her interest even now, as a teenager, to be read to, I am inspired and encouraged to start early and do it for my children.