If You Give a Pig a Party comes from the series of "If" books that Laura Numeroff has written. I chose this book to highlight today because you can get your very own (hardcover and all) at Kohl's right now for 5 buckaroos. These books would make excellent stocking stuffers for your little ones.
One of my favorite movies at this time of year is Christmas Vacation. I often like to quote the wise Cousin Eddy. "It's the gift that keeps on giving." Books don't require all that lovely packaging that you have to get through in order to get to the toy. Unwrap a book, and the gift is ready to go. And Cousin Eddy was right - it keeps on giving, and giving, and giving. Now, I know as adults, it can become drudgery to read a book for the (what seems like) millionth time. But it is a sacrifice of love that we do that for our children. It's what they need!
To be completely honest, as a reading teacher I feel like I'm fighting a war. The War for Reading. Way too many children spend hours in front of electronics. I recently read a study that showed that our brain's activities while watching TV are actually slower than when we are sleeping! So, when you're talking to a child (or adult), and they're not answering it's because they literally are in a comatose state. I've never done a study on it (maybe someday I will), but it wouldn't take a very long conversation with a student to figure out how much they've read or been read to in their lives.
Just like anything that's good for us in life (eating healthy, exercising, praying, reading the Bible), we must make reading a priority in our lives. It must be intentionally done. It doesn't magically happen.
If you give a kid a book, they will ask you to read it with them. If you read it with them, they will become readers. Happy Reading!
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