How did you learn to drive a car? From suddenly picking up a manual, skimming it and then hopping in for a test drive? Maybe some of you did, in fact, do that.
That dent in the garage door is till there isn’t it?
photo: nlnnet
Study after study has simply reinforced what common sense tells us — we do what we see done.
Do as I say…
I recall my uncle once trying to teach me how to make the bowling ball hook when I threw it. You know, in that cool way that pro bowlers magically do. He told me how to place my fingertips just so to make it curve just like the pros. He told me just how to release it at the right time. I thought I had it — until I watched him do it. He didn’t do it at all like he was telling me to do it.
When I asked him why he didn’t do it the way he was telling me to do it, he laughed and said, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
I don’t bowl now. I’m not blaming it on him, of course. But I never did figure out how to make it hook like he did. Bowling just isn’t as much fun when the pins don’t fall down.
Because reading is such a gateway to personal and spiritual growth, our children face a significant challenge in life if they’re not avid readers. Sure, they can still grow through other means. But it’s kind of like trying to play golf at Pebble Beach without a driver. You can till get around the course, but it’ll take you quite a few more shots. And you’ve got no chance of winning.
And isn’t reading rather important for people of faith who depend on the written Word for life direction?
Here are 5 reasons you should read to your children on a regular basis:
- Children do as you do not as you say. We may not like it, but it’s true. Just telling them to read won’t mean anything unless they see and hear you do it.
- Children need to hear how to do it. Often children are afraid to fail — like all of us. They don’t pick up a book because they know they can’t do it perfectly. When they actually hear you reading — complete with imperfections — they realize that it’s OK to stumble at times.
- Children perceive priorities. If you take the time to read with them, you send a clear message that they are important to you. Note the synergy (Habit 6) at work here as you are both spending time as a family and educating them.
- Reading together opens doors. Some of the best discussions we’ve had as a family came as we talked about characters in a story we were reading. Stories give us hypothetical — and safe — ways to discuss the stuff of life.
- Reading is an interactive experience. Unlike television, reading forces interaction between parents and children. It prompts questions from your children, a habit you definitely want to encourage as they get older.
Not that it’s always easy. My next post will share a few tips and trick for HOW we do it. After failing miserably many times, we’ve actually figured out a method that has our children upset when we have to miss our scheduled time of reading.
What are some other reasons you can think of for reading to your children? Did your parents read with you? Leave a comment to share the growth.
I have fond memories of my mother reading to me as a child. She instilled my enthusiasm to read and I thank her for it. I am who I am because of her and the time she put into raising me.
Awesome memory! You recognize the investment of time on her part — exactly! Kids see that they’re important when we take the time to invest in them.
Thanks for the comment!
My Dad worked in the city and often didn’t get home until close to our bedtime. I treasured my time with him as he read wonderful stories to me while running his fingers under the words. I still remember the moment I realized that I could read. I was five years old and he was reading Prince Caspian from the Chronicles of Narnia to me. I was watching his finger running under the words and, all of a sudden, I recognized the words! It was an amazing moment for me, and I remember the joy in his eyes as he shared my excitement. Reading – and making up his own stories to tell us – was one of the ways my Dad made sure to give us individual attention. He continued to read to my sister and I until we were well into our early teens. Sometimes, unable to sleep, we would sneak down into his office well after bedtime and he would pull a biography off a shelf to share an interesting life with us. So much of what he valued and believed in was transferred to us through his love of the books he chose to read to us.
A decade ago I pulled out my Chronicles of Narnia books to read to my own son when he was five. I think I read the entire series with a lump in my throat as so many good memories flooded back to me as I read to the next generation. And I dearly hope – as my son is also an avid reader – that the tradition will continue.
Wonderful story, Jennifer! Our family will tackle the Narnia series next. Although it might be a while. I won’t say yet what we’re reading now, but we’ve finally made it to Lothlorien.
There’s something about story-telling that opens a connection between people in a powerful way.
You have indeed embarked on an epic journey:
“It is said that few
come out who once got in (Lothlorien); and of that few, none have escaped unscathed.’
’Say not unscathed, but if you say unchanged, then maybe you will speak the truth,’
And that is how I feel about reading to children. It is a powerful experience that can enrich and change their lives.