DO: D.E.A.R. - Drop everything and READ!!

How gorgeous is this book? Having beautiful books with artful illustrations are great for children!
Fantasy books are fantastic for helping expand a child's innate creativity.

“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now  except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.”

Charles Jones There is one clutter that we allow in our home and that is having TOO MANY BOOKS. :) But, we really do have a reason behind the insanity. If we can instill in our children a love for books, they will continue to be learners their whole life long. It is amazing  how your life can be changed by reading a book. If it weren't for books, I don't know who I would be today, but I can tell you I would have much less wisdom! I have learned to cook, to be a better wife, I have learned historical lessons that still apply to us today. I have learned about love, parenting, finances, hobby farming, fashion, and God. There is no other way you can learn all these things...So, if we don't instill in our child a love of reading, we are handicapping them for the rest of their lives.  “Books open your mind, broaden your mind,  and strengthen you as nothing else can”  William Feather Here are some simple things we do to instill a LOVE for BOOKS and READING in our home: READING PICTURE BOOKS We simply began reading to our children, every night before bed, around 4 months of age. (I'm sure you can start when they are in the womb, if that's the case, I'm horribly behind! lol) Use fun, crazy, silly, and gorgeous books. It may be hard to get them to sit still at first, but it helped even my "little flighty girl" learn how to concentrate for longer and longer amounts of time. (p.s. when they are really small, you will try many books before they latch onto their special book...then, they will want that book for about six-months straight!! :)  This series is one of our favorites! too cute! Also, "You Stink" is a favorite for boys (it's about a garbage truck!) And we ADORE the Berenstain Bears - great stories and great morals! READING CHAPTER BOOKS I feel passionate about children reading the classics (not just the pop culture stuff), so we first read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". This was our first book without pictures. Israel was 7 and Bella only 4 when we began. I don't know why I didn't start earlier! Randomly, throughout our day, we will stop and read a chapter. When I would stop at the end of the chapter, they would beg and beg for more! (isn't that a mother's dream??)  It is the perfect book to begin with because there are a few little drawings throughout the book and it is such a fun read...with lots of suspense throughout. After we read it, we rented the movie. They watched it over and over (which was surprising, because I thought the Johnny Depp version was a little "dark".) “A house without books is like a room without windows.  No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with books,  if he has the means to buy them.”  Horace Mann LOVE THE LIBRARY We go to the library weekly and rent all sorts of fun things. We love the play aways  (they are like iPods with children's books loaded onto them). We rent books and movies, CD's, learning games for the computer, and outdoor adventure backpacks (we currently have a bird watching backpack - they think it is super cool. We are planning a trip to Lincoln Marsh to try to see a greater variety of birds). We have several of the most fabulous pop-up books (from Half-Price Books)...absolutely amazing! And the kids love them! AUDIO BOOKS My favorite new way of getting some GREAT literature in them is, AUDIO BOOKS in the CAR! I can't believe how many books we have "read" through. It keeps them occupied (instead of watching mindless TV - they are using their imaginations!!)  This spring, we have listened to: Charlotte's Web Stuart Little House in the Big Woods (Little House on the Prairie series book 1) Farmer Boy (Little House on the Prairie series book 2) Trumpet of the Swan Mary Poppins A short story about Abe Lincoln The Magic Tree House Series (books 1-4) Adventures in Odyssey (the target age is a little older than my kids at this point - but great stories) The Boxcar Children The Little House on the Prairie (series book 3) That's a TON of great reading, just as we are driving around doing our errands!! Love it! All of these books were wonderful (and as a bonus, I get to re-hear some of my old favorites!) Book first, movie second: Mary Poppins is what we are hooked on now. The kids heard the audio book first, then we watched the movie. I encourage book first, movie second always...otherwise, they aren't using their brains to imagine what the scenes look like in the book. And, it also gets good conversation going about "what was different between the book and the movie?". How did you imagine it differently, i.e. did the characters look the same, etc? CAUTION: I'm sure I could have books downloaded on the iPodLauren Myracle. Just a caution, there are many books categorized for children, that have inappropriate language, sexual content, violence, etc. You just want to be aware. There is plenty of GREAT GREAT FANTASTIC literature out there for your kids! It will open their minds and make them more well-rounded, interesting and better people. This is a great gift you can give your kids! I hope this gives you a jumping off point for getting some great literature into your children.  Enjoy a great summer of reading! Kristen Play aways Blog