Growing Up

Just those two words! Think about how much time, effort, imagination, and power comes with them.

When we were growing up ourselves, we spent time thinking about all the “big” questions- what would we be when we grew up, what veggies wouldn’t we have to eat any more, maybe how late would we get to stay up at night…that kind of “big” question.

Fast forward. Now we’re grown up.

Now we think about our kiddos growing up. We think about a whole different kind of “big” question-what do I need to do to make sure my children feel safe and loved, are they healthy and happy…that kind of “big” question.

So with all these questions whirling around your mind, what’s a great way to help your kiddos as they are growing up?

Y’all know I’m going to say READ!!

Read every day!!

Why? Why is it so important?

Lots of reasons!

-It shows your children that they are a priority in your day. Think about it. You’re face to face, no distractions, just talking, listening, laughing, and pointing at pictures. What a wonderful way to spend  some time each day building bonds with your kiddos.

-It helps your children develop language skills to express themselves. Hearing all those new words and sentence structures! Learning how people express themselves and deal with their emotions provide kiddos with more and more opportunities to find the best ways to manage their own voices and feelings.
-It opens up the wide world of reading so that children can learn about anything they want to. Once children learn to read, they read to learn. All subjects and topics are opened up to them. Astronomy, baseball fundamentals, caterpillars, dolphins, exercise physiology, etc. The list continues forever. And you’ve made all that possible!

Those amazing moments spent reading now add up to a lifelong habit. Maybe one “big”question should be “what books will I get to read”?

Happy Reading!!

Lisa Davis, Early Literacy Coordinator

Resources

For outdoor reading fun, share a Story Walk at the Parks!
Story Walk at the Parks combines reading and physical activity in an outdoor learning environment. Just walk along the path, read the story with your child, and pick up a few tips on reading aloud. When reading is part of your daily routine, you are encouraging early literacy skills and building a strong learning foundation for your child.
Enjoy Story Walk at the Parks at the following: Onslow Pines Park, Deppe Park, Steed Park, Stump Sound Park, and Hubert By-Pass Park.  https://www.oneplaceonslow.org/for-parents-and-early-educators/free-books-literacy-programs/

For information about the First 2000 Days of your child’s life and the impacts of reading with children, https://buildthefoundation.org/issue/reading-with-children/.