Reading books aloud to a child is one of the greatest gifts you can give. The kids in our lives, of course, need food and clothing and a safe place to sleep at night but once they are happy and healthy we want more for them.
We want them to be smart and articulate and thoughtful. We want them to be able to achieve their dreams and change the world. Lofty goals for our little ones and heavy pressure we put on ourselves.
I know I feel that pressure as a parent and educator every day.
There is no way to magically impart all the knowledge the world has to offer or everything our children need to know, but we can help them. We can help them learn to learn. We can help them access information. We can help them know how to find answers to their questions.
But does me curling up on a chair with my kid and a book at the end of a long exhausting day really make a difference with all of that? YES!
Reading and literacy are life changing to anyone.
Reading allows children to access an endless source of knowledge. The answers to their questions are suddenly at their fingertips.
Reading aloud to children can develop vocabulary, improve attention span and is a wonderful bonding experience, but it does so much more.
Reading aloud introduces them to the wonderful world of literature.
You are introducing them to characters, transporting them to new places, delighting them with silliness, or giving them a resource for learning about something they love. The pleasure, joy, and purpose of this experience is the key to unlocking their inner motivation to learn to read.
This is at the heart of why I created the A READ A DAY Challenge.
Reading should not be homework that we tack on to an already busy day. Reading should be something fun that we do together. A joyous break from the busyness and chaos of our lives. We need to re-frame how we think about reading and teaching our kids how to read.
So what exactly is the A Read A Day Challenge?
A challenge for you, that if there is one thing, just one thing, that you do every single of the 365 days of 2017 with your child let it be reading aloud.
Now there is a good chance you do this already. I know I’m not the only one who reads a book to my kids before I tuck them in bed. So to you, I challenge you to find one extra time of day to read a book to your child. At breakfast, in the car pool lane, while they sit in the tub, or just read 2 books instead of 1, whatever works for you.
This is one of those things where there’s really no such thing as too much.
Who is this for?
Anyone who spends time every day with a child or children. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, teachers, day care providers, grandparents….anyone.
What’s involved?
Every month I will be sending you a checklist of reading ideas around a broad theme. Book subjects, ideas for where or when to read, Authors you will love – inspiration for each day of the month. You will read one book every day of the month with your child/children.
This sounds like extra work, why bother?
Because it will be fun and easy!
What do you have to do?
- Subscribe below and you’ll get access to this month’s A Read A Day Challenge.
- Print the Challenge + Post it somewhere you will see every day.
- Read a book a day and check off that day’s box.
- Throughout the month share photos of what or where or how you’re reading on Instagram with the tag #aReadaDay – I will re-share my favorites and YOU will have access to lots of other readers and their awesome read aloud picks.
Note: This has changed since A Read a Day launched. You can read about the changes here if you’re curious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow the chart you send or can I just read what I want?
My overall goals are to encourage you to read aloud more and to introduce you to some authors, books, and ideas you might not have thought of. I encourage you to try new books and new ideas, but if you are reading at least one book to your child every day then you can cross off a box.
Do I have to do the ideas in order?
No. I will post a list of book ideas to go along with the suggestions for the upcoming week each Friday. You can absolutely pick your own titles, but these will give you some ideas. That being said, if you want to read a book by Shirley Hughes on Monday and it isn’t on the monthly checklist until next week – read Shirley Hughes. Check them off in any order you wish.
What if I don’t have an Instagram account?
Three options.
One, you can download Instagram for free and as evidenced by my 3 accounts, I am a fan.
Two, share you read aloud picks to the My Storytime Corner facebook page. I will also re-share my favorites here.
Three, just do it for fun. I think the sharing part is half the fun, but the reading part is obviously the most important.
More Questions?
Comment below or send me an email at : erin@mystorytimecorner.com and I’ll get back to you asap!
