March is National Reading Month so why not have a list of parenting books to have by your side for guidance, support and inspiration. This month’s blogs will focus on books I have on my shelf.❤︎
Reading with your children is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Not only is it a way to bond and strengthen your connection, which is what we are all about at The Essentialist Family, but you are building important literacy skills in the process.
Countless studies show that reading aloud increases vocabulary, develops fluency, increases attention span, increases phonemic awareness, enriches conversations, allows for connections between other texts and real world experiences, fosters better listening skills, and creates meaningful experiences between parent and child.
I just finished reading, The Read-Aloud Family, by Sarah Mackenzie, who founded The Read Aloud Revival. It is a MUST read! As a teacher, reading aloud to my students was interwoven throughout our days with multiple picture books and passages of chapter books. When my children were born, books were everywhere from Day 1. Cuddling in the rocking chair, reading together was how we spent a good portion of our time together. Reading at bedtime was a ritual, just like so many other families.
However, as my children got to be in upper elementary and now middle school and high school, I have to admit that reading aloud has stopped. And it’s my fault! They have assigned readings from school and have a stack of personal reading selections they rarely get to after homework and activities, so how could I possibly add another book to the little time they have? Reading is suppose to be enjoyable and I didn’t want to make it a chore.
Yet, I did feel like I was denying them an important experience. The Read-Aloud Family inspired me to not waste another moment and start reading together! I knew I’d have a challenge enticing my tween and teens so I asked them to join me for dessert! Out came a pile of picture books, which are never too grownup! They can ignite imagination through illustrations, offer dialogue about various topics, and are usually short enough so that they can fit into any schedule. I chose three word-free books: Journey, Quest, and Return by Aaron Becker. My kids were enraptured in the pictures and each shared their interpretation of what was happening. It took about 20 minutes to read and we all enjoyed a brownie while we chatted. I explained that we were going to start Family Read Togethers again. My son thanked me, my oldest asked if they’d continue getting dessert during each Read Together, and my husband said this was his new favorite family activity. We figured out what days would realistically work for us to continue this (M,W) and also decided to start an audiobook for the car ride to school!
Sometimes we start to believe that our children are too old for certain things we use to do, like reading to them. My heart was beaming because I was shown that tweens and teens are still children who do like being with their parents. Spending quality time reading together was another way for us to connect…but with dessert, of course!
“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be called intelligent.” St. Anthony the Great, “On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: One Hundred and Seventy Texts,” Text 1, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 1)
the Essentialist Family 