READING TO CHILDREN...

Storytime at the library is aimed at 3-5 year olds. As often happens we do get younger children attending, and sometimes we may get an older sibling or two. But this week I had three children much older than my usual pre-schoolers.

One girl about 7 with a younger sister and two boys, about 8 and 9. For a second this threw me. I aim my program at the children that attend- and a lot of this group are in the younger age group. Two and three year olds.

Can I tell you how much they all enjoyed the stories.



We read to small children all the time. Building a great rapport with the child, promoting a love of books and reading.

Yet so many people stop reading when the children are school age. There is the assumption that now they are learning to read, they don't need to be read to.

These children, especially the two older boys, LOVED being read to. In fact both of them, and their young four year old friend, came to sit by my side.

Our theme was elephants and the stand out book was an Elephant and Piggie...'I broke my trunk' by Mo Willems.  The boys thought this was hilarious...there were comments like 'oh no,' and 'what next' and 'so how did he break his trunk?'



There are so many programs encouraging parents to read to their children from an early age, with research showing all the great benefits. 

So many memes and facts like this....



Yet there are so many benefits from reading out loud to your older children as well.



I think in this tech-based world we are quick to give older children Ipads and phones, computers and gaming consoles. But that one-on-one (or even reading to several) time spent reading to a child can never be replaced.

One of my best memories is of my father reading to us four children from a large book of the original Grimm Fairy Tales. The old-fashioned, let's slice the foot to fit into the slipper, tales. My sister and I had favourite stories we would ask for, my brother's being so much younger would listen to the stories snug in their beds. Then my sister and I would run to our room and throw ourselves into our beds- trying to keep safe from whatever monster/ wolf/ witch we knew lurked waiting for us. 


I read to Babybear...Miss Two (who likes a story to end very very quickly) ...and Little Miss and I take turns reading chapters/ pages to each other.  Hopefully I'm helping to create a bond, but also foster a love of books and reading. Let's hope so. 



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