Recently I experienced the joy of being able to read to my grandchildren many times over while on vacation with them. I think I read the book about a dog named Biscuit at least forty times! What joy to be a part of their enthusiasm for reading. It flashed me right back to reading every night to my son and even being read to myself by my parents. I can even recall the excitement I felt as an elementary student when I brought the book Fun With Dick and Jane home to proudly show my mom. You can most likely flash back to some of your favorites as well. Reading is one of many ways that we can open up new worlds to our grandchildren and give our children some time to pursue other things. Also, this can help to set the path for success. Many studies have shown that being an avid reader gives youngsters a real advantage when it comes to learning overall.
Now that summer vacation is coming check out your local library. You can help your grandchildren select some of their favorite books and borrow them. Another thought is to create a contest to see how many books you can read together by the end of the summer. For advanced grades there will often be a recommended reading list sent home by teachers. You can also help with this which once again reduces some of the pressure on your own children as their parents. Some libraries ask for volunteer readers so that you can help other children learn the joy of reading. Remember to recapture the joy of reading for yourself. Sometimes we can look forward to lighter reading with fun novels at the pool or beach. Enjoy the summer and read on!
