I've had a love of reading for most of my life. With my Dad being an elementary school teacher and my Mom also working in the school system in various positions, one of which was as a librarian's assistant, I was always exposed to literature of some kind. I was taught the importance of being able to read from an early age. It wasn't until I was a bit older that I fully understood what it was to have a love of reading. I knew there had to be some truth to the idea since my Mom always seemed to have a book in her hand whenever she had a few precious moments to herself and would often laugh out loud when reading a particularly funny book.
I fell in love with reading when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I was hanging out in Dad's 5th grade classroom after school, probably waiting for a teacher's meeting to end, when I happened to pick up Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. I was hooked.
When you have a child it's natural to want to share your loves and passions with them. I knew that Bubs may not be as enthused about reading as I am but, if anything, I wanted him to understand its importance and many benefits. So while other people were running out and buying cute outfits or super cuddly toys....I was buying books. Big books, little books, old books, new books - I bought them all! The Bubs had a small library before he'd ever set eyes on the world.
Now at the age of 5 the Bubs loves to read. I think he has almost every Thomas the Tank Engine book ever published and is now working his way through Max and Ruby publications. I recently purchased CLICK, CLACK, MOO Cows That Type and Giggle, Giggle Quack written by Doreen Cronin. We've read them both at bedtime for two nights running and have found them to be laugh-out-loud funny! Click, Clack, Moo is also a 2001 Caldecott Honor Book for it's illustrations.
As an unexpected benefit of introducing the Bubs to reading, he's begun to "write" his own stories. He talks about the many and varied escapades of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends while I, Ammah or Poppi type them on the computer. (Ammah and Poppi translation - Grandma and Grandpa) I gotta tell you, the kid has a good sense of story and loves lots of drama and action scenes! I hope he dedicates his first book to me!
So what passion are you passing along? Or have you discovered a new passion because of a new phase in your life? (Doesn't have to be kid related, y'all!)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Pass it along...
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4 comments:
Like you, I have a love for reading, and am trying to pass on my love of reading to others through a blog I've started...included in the list are some children's books including some I remember giving to you as Christmas gifts when you were just a wee young'n. ;)
Some of my best memories with my boys are of reading to them. We read some wonderful books. Sadly they don't have the reading passion now as young adults. I'm hoping as they get older it will come to them.
I also have a passion for reading. When we began homeschooling, one of my biggest goals was to give them space to discover a love of reading for themselves, to give them wonderful books and time and comfortable spaces to enjoy them. It worked. I love it.
I also grew up with music of all kinds. I played handbells at church, I took piano lessons, I sang in choirs and ensembles. I'm not a "talent," it's just a part of my life. My husband was raised the same way, and so we both felt it was important to pass that along.
I am grateful for people who have helped us along with that goal - like the music director at church who also happens to be their piano teacher, for starters. She loves them to death and has become a tremendous influence in their lives. Music can be heard in our car, at church, on the piano, and coming from the kids' mouths as they go about their chores. LOVELY!
I loved Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. IN fact, I still have my copy and it is sitting in my bedroom. I thought about passing it on to one of my nieces to read when they are a little older. Jonathan isn't yet into books, but I read them to him anyhow because, like you, I believe they are very important!
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