The importance of a significant other when it comes to children and reading.
February 14, 2016
The writer, Graham Greene said books are at their most powerful in childhood—when our minds are most open and innocent; when our imaginations are most alive. Nothing short of another living, loving human being can equal a book in its power to simultaneously move, influence, change, heal, excite, educate, and inspire. BUT initially books are not enough. In the beginning there must be a bonding agent, a parent, relative, teacher or librarian, someone who attaches book to reader.
No one is born wanting to read. Children become readers on the laps of their parents. The desire must be planted by someone outside the child, what psychologists call the ‘significant other.’ The love for reading comes to life inside a reading relationship with a significant other— this is how children become lifelong readers. Children might forget the details of the story but they will never forget the love and closeness they felt while being read to.
Although there are 10 times as many children’s books being published today than a decade ago, hundreds of children’s bookstores and library usage has librarians smiling, none of it will add up to much without that significant other.
Reading grows curiosity
February 8, 2016
Children come into the world breathing out question marks but only some retain the habits of exploring, learning, and discovering, as they grow older. Those who do so tend to be smarter, more creative, and more successful. So why are many of us allowing our curiosity to wane? A partial answer lies in how the […]
Once upon a mind
January 27, 2016
Who am I is a universal question. In response to that question Plato said the unexamined life is not worth living; he believed wonder is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Alice, (from Alice in Wonderland) like Plato, wanted to know Who am I, what am I, how should I live my life? “Who in […]
Traditional Toys are better for language development than gadgets.
December 31, 2015
A new Study http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2478386 builds on a growing body of research suggesting that electronic toys and e-books can make parents less likely to have the most meaningful kinds of verbal exchanges with their children. The findings raise questions about whether electronic playthings make it less likely that babies will engage in the verbal give-and-take with […]
Reading aloud and talking to children makes for a stronger brain.
December 18, 2015
Early childhood experiences have long lasting consequences for children’s long-term social, emotional and cognitive development. Early childhood experiences cast a lifelong shadow. Education does not begin at school. It certainly does not begin at kindergarten. It actually begins at birth. Brains develop biologically. Major brain stimulation occurs in the first months and first years of […]
