Parent Perspective: Pam

by tawnyember | Jul 29, 2021 | Parent Perspective

I grew up seeing my parents read. My father loved mysteries and my mom was a voracious reader. However, I do not have any memories of my parents reading to me, and only a few memories of my older sister reading beginner books to me after she started school but before I had.

I do have a vivid memory of being a third grader and sitting curled up on one end of our couch reading a chapter book while my mom was curled up on the other end reading a novel. I remember feeling very grown up and feeling a close connection to my mother. Still, I wanted to do things differently when I was a mom.

Sadly, I wasn’t very successful at reading my favorite kid lit books aloud to my girls. There were a variety of obstacles with my first three and it was only with my youngest that we succeeded in reading many books together. But there was one area where I was successful, and that was reading board books to my babies and toddlers. We had a large collection of them and we read and reread them for years. To this day some of my girls can recite Barnyard Dance or Each Peach Pear Plum at the drop of a hat!

In the past few years I have had the opportunity to provide childcare for several babies and toddlers and have also become a grandmother. I never tire of watching these little ones learn to turn the pages and get engrossed in the pictures and try to repeat the words as we read. If we want kids to love reading, it’s never too early to start reading to them!

Thanks, Pam

Pam is incredibly intelligent and widely read. I’ve even heard she has a photographic memory! Many of the board books Pam mentioned are now on our bookshelves with her family name inside. We treasure them just as she did. Pam met my sister Skye many years ago when they were both stationed in southern California. Then Pam and I wound up in the same congregation in Washington. The Earth is vast, and so are the connections we make with others. We are grateful Pam is part of our world.

tawnyember

Why You Should Read Multiple Versions of a Book with Your Child

by tawnyember | Jul 27, 2021 | Articles

In the last blog post, we looked at the benefits of reading one book repeatedly. Today, I want to discuss how reading multiple versions of the same story can also work to our child’s advantage. We recently tried this out by reading several different picture books called Stone Soup. For the most part, the plot and theme are similar in each rendition. But the setting, characters, and details vary.

At first, the kids asked why we were going to read so many books with the same title. But by the last one, they seemed very curious about how it would differ from the others. There are great lessons for children to learn by examining different versions of the same story.

Storytelling

One great aspect of this activity is that we can expose our children to different ways of storytelling and discuss which is more engaging or effective. We can talk with them about narrators (whether they are reliable or not) and point of view (first person, third person, or omniscient). Thinking about an issue from varying perspectives can provide a child with greater consideration for and understanding of what others are experiencing. This is an immeasurably valuable skill.

Artwork

Naturally, the pictures in each book are quite different from one another. You might ask your children which illustrations they like best and why. Try to figure out what medium was used to create the art and what effect it had on the story. An approach like this introduces them to art appreciation and also makes it harder for them to take the artist’s work for granted.

Multicultural

I also love that different countries and cultures are represented in these books. If we are looking to teach our children compassion and tolerance, this is a fabulous method for doing so. It is fascinating to me that there are so many stories out there that cross time zones and traditions. I think they hold such potential both to unify us and to help us learn to love our uniqueness. We just have to be willing to dive in and explore.

Compare/Contrast

This reading project is also a wonderful way to introduce your little ones to the idea of comparing and contrasting. Asking lots of questions about what the similarities and differences are in each interpretation of the story will require them to recall certain elements and analyze what they’ve read. Teaching them to evaluate what they read long before they reach higher education will certainly put them in a more favorable position as they mature in age.

Details

Reading multiple renditions of stories can provide opportunities to test our recall in a fun way. In each variation of Stone Soup, different vegetables were put into the soup. Our family enjoyed trying to remember which book added which veggies. What a great brain teaser! In addition, this could be a great tool for preparing our children to notice details and produce answers to tests.

Fairy tales are a safe bet for having many versions. Do you have a favorite children’s story? See how many interpretations you can find! Here are a couple titles you might like to examine and enjoy with your children:

The Magic Porridge Pot

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Parent Perspective: Richard

by tawnyember | Jul 22, 2021 | Parent Perspective

My alma mater is Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Since graduating in 2006, I have enjoyed receiving copies of their high-quality publications. The article below was originally printed in 1984, when the author became BYU Magazine’s longtime book reviewer. I first read it when it was republished in 2011, but the words have stuck with me ever since, particularly his list of “Five Blessings of Reading.” I am so pleased to have the opportunity to share this excerpt with you and hope you will continue on to read the article in its entirety!

No Good Stopping Place

By Richard H. Cracroft

I was certain it was forbidden. And so, of course, I did it—and got away with it, I thought. Night after delicious night, beginning at about age 13, I would say my prayers, prop my antiallergenic pillows high, turn on the bedlamp, and settle in for my nightly read—in such pasty jewels as Tom Swift, Nancy Drew, and, gem of gems, Red Randall at Pearl Harbor. At or near 10 o’clock, my be-nightgowned mother would enter my room; bestow a be-Mentholatumed, be-curlered, and be–cold creamed kiss upon my brow; and turn out my light. As soon as the door closed, I would pull my four-battery Boy Scout flashlight from beneath the mattress and settle in for the most delicious (because forbidden) minutes of my day—reading until the end of the chapter or the episode or the mystery, or until the stack of peanut butter–laden saltine crackers in my bedstand drawer had finally disappeared, leaving their miserable crumbs across the expanse of my bed.

This pleasant routine grew less exciting, however, when I realized, at about age 14, that no batteries could last that long—that Mom had been replenishing them, thus subsidizing my sin. I soon brazenly began leaving the bedlamp on until Dad, elbowed by Mom, would speak as one having authority—that is, loudly—and, after half-past 12 or so, would yell, “Dick, turn out the light—now!” Resigned to the inevitability of sleep, I would grudgingly mumble, “As soon as I reach a stopping place,” and comply.

Since those halcyon days, and especially since becoming a parent myself, I have often pondered the subtle and less-than-subtle ways in which my parents encouraged reading and a love for the arts in our home. I admired them for their conscious and unconscious encouragement, and I wished to go and do likewise. Somewhere, in their very English homes or in high school, they had learned to place a premium on the value of literature. Somewhere, they had learned that literature—and its fair handmaidens, art and music—provides various but satisfying pathways to the discovery of oneself; that study of the best literature (the belles lettres) and the best of music and art allows access to significant human experience and thus can dramatically increase one’s awareness . . .

The rest of the article can be found at the Y Magazine website. Richard goes on to explain how his parents provided a rich foundation for reading in their home, describes his lifelong reading habits, and relates a story that gave him hope regarding his children. I challenge you to print off his “Five Blessings of Reading” (listed at the end of the article) to keep handy when you need extra motivation to read with your children. I so appreciate Richard’s robust thoughts and how they have stayed with me all these years. For in words we find power; in reading we find knowledge.

Repetition in Reading

by tawnyember | Jul 20, 2021 | Articles

Each week I take about ten minutes to place book holds on our library’s website. I try to get a wide variety of topics and reading levels to keep each of our five kids happy in their reading. I typically find something for myself, as well. Recently I requested a book that intrigued me. It was called Five in a Row: Inspired learning through great books. I didn’t know exactly what it was about, but it involved reading and children, so I figured I’d better check it out. I’m incredibly glad I did!

Five in a Row is a curriculum for teachers and homeschoolers, created by Jane Claire Lambert. It suggests that children could glean much more from a picture book by reading it at least once each day, five days in a row. Wait! Before you tune out because that sounds too repetitive and boring, please think about your own reading habits. Do you have a favorite book you return to again and again? Maybe an old classic, the Bible, or a romance novel? Do you find some new detail each time you read it? Does it seem to hit you differently every time you pick it up? Our kids could be experiencing this joy of discovery, too, if we gave them the chance. “By selecting excellent children’s literature and reading it together each day, children have the opportunity to ‘catch a new theme, savor the beauty, the subtle humor or a special meaning that eluded them at first’” (8).

When we read a story just once, we really only scratch the surface of the plot. But there are hidden treasures to be found! At each reading, you and your child should take a deeper look at another aspect of the story. Be sure to take a turn focusing on the artwork and literary techniques (such as symbolism, onomatopoeia, rhyming words, personification, etc.). Provided in the Five in a Row curriculum are suggestions of picture books to read with your child, followed by accompanying lesson plans and activity ideas to teach your child math, science, and social studies as you read together. Isn’t it wonderful to have resources like this to help us in our pursuit to teach our children?

It is clear that delving deeper into the elements of a story can increase our understanding and enjoyment of the book. But there is another advantage to repetition in reading. “Each day as you read, your child will hear the sentence structure, syntax, mood and style of a story written by a great children’s author. This repetitive reading of a story for five days can make a huge difference in your child’s ability to read and write (at the proper time)“ (26). So keep this tool handy in your pocket!

Remember those days in high school and college when you had to study before a test? You knew that reading through the material one time was not enough to help you pass. You took the time to review, to let the information sink in. For the most part, the more time you devoted to studying, the better your score became. I don’t think any of us are handing out tests to our little kids to check their comprehension. However, repetition is a simple way to assist them in their acquisition of knowledge. And don’t you just love seeing something click in your child’s head for the first time?

“Sometimes . . . an adult has the privilege of seeing this discovery take place. The children’s faces come suddenly alive; their eyes shine. They may be anticipating an amusing conclusion or a heroic triumph. There is a sudden chuckle or breath is exhaled like a sigh. The book has moved them, perhaps even to laughter or tears; in any case there is a deep inner satisfaction and they will turn to books again with anticipation” (8).

I encourage you to put Five in a Row into practice by getting a copy at the library and following the curriculum. Or, if you prefer, try it on your own and relish the daily treasure hunt with your child. You can find out more by visiting their website, fiveinarow.com.

Lambert, Jane Claire. Five in a Row. Inspired Learning through Great Books. Five in a Row Publishing, 2020.

Parent Perspective: Jeana

by tawnyember | Jul 15, 2021 | Parent Perspective

The joy I find in reading is how it connects us to one another. Bonds are created either through chemistry with the characters on the pages or the closeness of snuggling up with someone you love to find out what will happen next.

When I was a little girl, my father would read to me every night from the same set of storybooks. My favorites included The Donkeyskins, The Three Dogs, and The Ogre’s Three Golden Hairs. The books were large, very old, and extremely tattered, but that didn’t matter. I loved hearing my dad read them to me, because he brought the stories to life through his animated voice and actions, and my imagination would race as I examined the beautifully detailed illustrations.

These books were so dear to my childhood that when I started a family of my own, my father gifted me a few of the books, which are no longer in print. Over the years, my husband and I have found other books of this long lost series to add to our collection. My children, especially my daughter, adore these books, and feel a special connection to their grandfather as I read in the same animated way.

In November 2020, my father passed away, but through these beautiful stories there is a part of him that will never leave us.

Thanks, Jeana

Jeana is a wonderful friend we met through church. She possesses an incredible singing voice, a stunning smile, and a heart of gold. We have been the recipients of her caring service many times. She homeschools her two children and has shared her talents for music in various impressive productions. Jeana, thank you for sharing these touching thoughts on reading with your family!