Reading aloud

I had the privilege of speaking to some parents and teachers at Wayne Reed Christian Child Care Center last night on the subject of reading aloud to your children.

We had a good time and I found them very receptive. These are mothers who work full-time jobs (many are single), have several children and who are always continually stressed by finances. I say mothers, because of course, the audience contained no men.

Jim Trelease has a lot to say about men who have no interest in this subject. He says one can go to any public library in a city and find lots of mothers and children, but very, very few fathers and children. As far as I am concerned, role modeling is what it is all about. When children perceive that throwing the ball in the backyard and watching sports eternally on TV are more important to Dads than reading books or going to the library or exchanging a literate conversation, then the likely return will be boys who don't like to read. In fact, if you were to check the rolls of most special education classrooms, boys would outnumber the girls 2-1.

I am thankful that my son reads to his children virtually every night and that his conversation with them is often seasoned with things about books and reading and learning and his lavish praise covers them as they are learning letters, sounds and words.

Dads of the world, unite--let's read.