Getting the Dad to Read

 

My husband is a reader. He reads tons of books and his books occupy one section of our home library for his books. However, he is not much of a read-aloud dad to the kids. That role, somehow has been left greatly to me, the mum.

However, those times when he does read-aloud to the kids, I could see how much the kids adore it. No doubt his style is different from mine (and me, being the expressive and drama queen sometimes find the style a tad monotonous), but the kids will still remain attached to him, listening to his every word. And better still, they would ask for another story to be read... And another... till bedtime which was supposed to be at 9pm ended up being at 10.30 or later.

Recently, a dad commented to me that he can't read to his child, and that he would bore his child with his reading. 

 But I beg to differ.It doesn't matter whether you are an expressive/dramatic reader, whether you stutter when you read, whether you read in a monotone... It doesn't matter to your child. What matters to your child is that you were there... Spending those few minutes, and putting aside all your other tasks and chores, to be with him, cuddle him close, answer his questions, and read to him.

So for my dearest husband who reads to our kids... Thanking you for reading to them!

And to other dads, who feel that you can't read... Don't worry, pick up a book, sit your child on your lap, and read to them. You'll get better at it, and very soon, reading to them would become a must-do activity for both dad and child.

Turtle, turtle, Watch Out by April Pulley Sayre

This was our bedtime story tonight.

When I first picked this book out, I wasn't expecting much from the kids, as the story is pretty long, and I thought hmmm... perhaps it'd be boring for them. But I went ahead to borrow it, as its content appealed to me as a parent.

Turtle's story "could be a short story - or no story at all - if not for helping hands." That's how the story begins, It tells o...f the many dangers that turtle faces in her life; and her life would have been short if not for all the help that she receives.

A great story for kids to learn about environmental conservation and the need to care for other creatures around us (in this case being the turtles).

What then became of my initial apprehension of it being too long a story... well my worry was completely unfounded. Even my 3 year old enjoyed it and hugged it to sleep; and my 8 year old who was dozing away (but with ears pricked up) woke up after the story to answer my questions.

Also, due to the repetition of the phrase "Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!", my 3 and 5 year old now have another 3 more words added to their reading repertoire ;-)

For older children, there's even a section at the back which tells of the different species of turtles, which got my 8 year old all excited and determined to check out the website the next morning.

Good night everyone. Sweet dreams :-)

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh

 

 

The MICE are back!

 

I thought the MICE only PAINT... So it was a pleasant surprise to find out that they COUNT too!

 

This was one of the books I read aloud to my kids for the World Read Aloud Day on 6 March 2013. 

 

As the title suggests this book introduces young children to the concept of counting from 1 to 10 as well as backwards from 10 to 1.

 

For young readers, it is a good book to teach them number words, as the numbers one to ten, are clearly displayed in the respective pages, for further reinforcement by the parent.

 

Ellen's characteristic and engaging style of writing also makes teaching children these numerical concepts so fun and appealing.  

 

And the possibilities for post-reading activities and games for this story are endless!!! You just need some creativity and that lil' bit of time (15 min is enough).

 

I found this book when googling for the well-known book by Ellen Stoll Walsh - MOUSE PAINT; and found that actually there are other "MICE" books by her -

• Mouse Count
• Mouse Shapes
• Balancing Act

 My next search in the library will be... Yes you guessed right - MOUSE SHAPES and BALANCING ACT.

 

 

 

 



Are you my Mother? by PD Eastman

 

Soooo cuuute... That's the first impression I got after reading this book. And indeed it was. 

 

Initially when my 3 year old chose the book from the library bookshelf, I thought... Hmmm.. Another book introducing lil' kids to animals and their young? So I was hesitant to read it. But I reminded myself that one of the ways to inculcate the love for reading in my child, is to allow her to choose her books (as long as they are decent, grammatically correct, and do not propagate any values that contradict me and my family's). So, we sat down on the green IKEA chair and started reading.

 

It was a pleasure to read.  Yes, there was the typical "Are you my Mother" line... But the difference with this book and other "Are you my Mother" books is the wit in the words used.  The illustrations also do justice to the book, in bringing out the nestling's determination in wanting to find his mum.

 

The best part comes at the end. And you would have to pick this book up, to know what it is. So what are you waiting for? ;-)

Why the Animals Came to Town by Michael Foreman

Another author and another book added to our family's list of much loved authors and books.

When we 1st found this book, my first impression was that it is a story about, well... yes as the title suggests... animals. Just an introduction to the different animals in the world, we thought.

But I've come to realise that Michael Foreman stories always withhold an important message. A message that i...s usually revealed in the middle or towards the end of the story. And for that reason, he has gained his place in our favourite author list.

From this story children come out learning -
1) Different kinds of animals
2) Conservation of our planet earth

I will not reveal more, lest it spoils your reading. It's never fun when someone tells you the ending now isn't it ;-)

Spot's Storybook by Eric Hill

 

Eric Hill's Spot series have been a favourite in my family for its simple yet amusing storyline. However, I would like to single out this particular book. Why?

First : I have been a big fan of books which have a compilation of stories in... them. Why? For one it is economical, as you can get many many stories in one book. This book has 14 stories, at an average of 10 pages per story. Two, it is easier to bring around especially when you are on holidays and you'd prefer not to lug around many storybooks to read during bedtime in the hotel room.

Second: The words are big and clear, very suitable for early readers. In fact I bought this book when my gal was 2. And she loved it. Now at the age of 8, when I read this book to the younger two, she would still remark at how she used to read this book when she was small, and exclaim to the younger ones how much she loved it.

This evening, I read this story to my soon to be 3-year-old for her bedtime. It was supposed to be 1 story, but I ended up reading 2 LOOOONG stories. So that's how much appeal this book has.

So go on, check it out ;-)See More

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Time to Paint the Town... Red, Yellow, Blue!

3 white mice came across three jars of paint, and they decide that perhaps life can be a wee bit colourful. 

A great book to introduce the concept of primary and secondary colours to your kids.  And the types of post-reading activities that can follow its reading is sooooo plentiful - Rainbow Lollipop, Rainbow Pinwheel, Colour exploration... Truly, it's really all up to your colourful imagination.

The words are simple, making it an easy read for early readers.  Typical of Ellen Stoll Walsh, the illustrations are clean, bright and appeals to our senses.

A must have in the library.