Please read to your kids

As a stressed busy working mum with a non-sleeping baby, I would sit cuddling him and reading my work aloud in a "mummy to toddler" voice. Content did not matter until he got to about two, when we started on nursery rhymes and poetry. I bought story and times tables tapes to play on the journey to/ from child minder with matching books to maximise reading time.
Now, I volunteer at school reading to a whole new generation

Gogo84

I used to read Winnie the Pooh to my 2 every night and had to do all the characters in different voices. My eyes started drooping before theirs. They both enjoy reading still in their
late 50s. I was deprived of books as a child. The few which I had were read over and over. When I asked my mother why we didn't have many books she was astonished that I wanted more. Never went to the library until I started work and joined Boot's library. Remember them?

My mother took us to Boots library regularly when we were very small, it was upstairs in narrow corridors above the shop and all the books had a particular smell. I loved it. At secondary school, the County library was on my route between school and home and later I took my little brother there (he was 2). DH and I took our kids and he and I still go to the library now.

I have always encouraged into mine,children and grandchildren, the love of books- i taught my own children to read before they began school, but was amazed to find that when my middle son started his teacher started him allover again with it as they had changed from A B C's to phonics, and had him sounding out the words to read even though he could read properly already.(it didnt stop him loving books though& still does) All of them loved me reading to them, and still try to keep it up (child willing) to their own younger kids.The older grandchildren still like reading,but mostly sport /car books for the boys, but the girls still love different genre's, and one granddaughter in particular loves the same kinds as i do, plus history books.

My own youngest,22 and in uni, loves nothing more than a trip to waterstones.

GoGo84- i remember that too, me dropping off to sleep while i was still reading to my children.They used to nudge me and wake me for the end of the story.

FranP, this did make me laugh. I'm sure that your work reports were good for extending your baby's vocabulary!

Nannan2

I have always encouraged into mine,children and grandchildren, the love of books- i taught my own children to read before they began school, but was amazed to find that when my middle son started his teacher started him allover again with it as they had changed from A B C's to phonics, and had him sounding out the words to read even though he could read properly already.(it didnt stop him loving books though& still does) All of them loved me reading to them, and still try to keep it up (child willing) to their own younger kids.The older grandchildren still like reading,but mostly sport /car books for the boys, but the girls still love different genre's, and one granddaughter in particular loves the same kinds as i do, plus history books.

I suspect your son started school in the 1970s, when there was a belief amog some teachers that no child should be allowed to shine and that any child ahead of the others was the victim of pushy parents. I had friends with children in schools like that

We were fortunate, DS had a reception teacher near retirement. Each day of his first week at school he came home saying he was a different animal, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit etc.

On the Friday his teacher came up to me and said had DS told me that he was now in the top group and there were two of them, him and little girl, whom we knew, where they had had to go to the class above to get reading books that matched their reading level.

Dylis

I loved to read when I was young. I would sit on the landing reading while my Mum and Dad were watching TV downstairs. As soon as I heard them preparing to come up to bed I would rush into my room and pretend to be asleep.
I find it so sad that many children have no real interest in books and reading.
I was once in an airport shop and heard a Mum say to her little girl "don't waste your holiday money on a book." So sad.

Our only grandchild is 11 He loves books as does his mother, my lovely step-daughter.

Our presents for both DGC and our DC always included a book.

JaneJudge

I always read to mine but they don't read now they are adults which I find really sad.

When I did family support work, the children used to love to be read to - silly voices and singing in abundance

Oh yes, doing the silly voices is very important!

However, I was forever being berated by our children for doing the wrong voices, Daddy did the best voices!

DGS and I would bond when he visited because I would read one particular book to him at bedtime and I would include funny voices and actions.

It was a pop-up book and called something like 'The Haunted House. The illustrations and pop-ups were imaginative, including a monster in the loo.

He is 15 now and I was reading that to him whenever he visited until he was well into secondary school.

keepingquiet, here's a strategy, if you wish. Find out which are the favourite Characters. Buy comics from your supermarket staring those ones. Often there are games as well. Have a go.

Some children prefer non fiction. Does your small person love trains, dinosaurs, horses?
Again, try the comic way in, or library books, on their current 'obsession.
If you look at popular adult magazines, most of the content is non fiction.

Apologies for the typo, starring

Maremia

keepingquiet, here's a strategy, if you wish. Find out which are the favourite Characters. Buy comics from your supermarket staring those ones. Often there are games as well. Have a go.

Yes, she is very into Frozen just now and I know the comics you mean but she just wants to play with the toys- she isn't interested in reading anything.

Agreed, never stop.

larana

every night from the day they are born until kindergarten. I promise you they'll be literate. do it even at the end of a long day and you're tired as hell and it's not fun and you hate it. just DO IT

Yes. Educationists strongly advise this. It's the cosy sociable thing with the parent that initially attracts them to books.

keepingquiet, you probably know loads about Frozen. Would she be willing to let you make up stories with her about her Frozen toys?
And next time, you bring a mock up of the story you both produced?
Look, here is our story. Is that what we said?

keepingquiet

Maremia

keepingquiet, here's a strategy, if you wish. Find out which are the favourite Characters. Buy comics from your supermarket staring those ones. Often there are games as well. Have a go.

Yes, she is very into Frozen just now and I know the comics you mean but she just wants to play with the toys- she isn't interested in reading anything.

Well, I think that letting them use their imagination when playing is good. No good forcing her to sit and listen to stories if she wants to make up her own stories about 'her people'.

I remember one DGD loved doing puzzles and playing with her people (Fisher Price). She would talk to them and they would 'answer' and she would get quite indignant if interrupted.

I wish they would ditch primary school homework and just suggest parents read to their children for half an hour every night. Much more worthwhile.
This of course presupposed the parents themselves are fluent readers which sadly is not always the case.

Maremia

keepingquiet, you probably know loads about Frozen. Would she be willing to let you make up stories with her about her Frozen toys?
And next time, you bring a mock up of the story you both produced?
Look, here is our story. Is that what we said?

Yes, we do this. I'm not too concerned about her lack of interest in reading, really. We see her for such a short time it isn't worth battling about. There are no concerns at school so that's comforting.
Thanks for your tips though!

Luckygirl3

I wish they would ditch primary school homework and just suggest parents read to their children for half an hour every night. Much more worthwhile.
This of course presupposed the parents themselves are fluent readers which sadly is not always the case.

Mine just got tables and spellings once a week, which we practised in the car while driving to school.

ViceVersa

fancythat

I would add, make sure it is suitable material, and age appropriate.

Horror stuff should not be allowed near children.
Even what masquerades as School horror books.

As long as they are reading, it's fine by me. Mine used to love stuff like the Goosebumps books. I was reading proper horror books when I was still at primary school.

I used to read "grown up " books because we weren't a family, or extended family, of readers.
My maternal gran had 2 books - the bible & John Bunyan's 'Pilgrims progress'. The grandchildren weren't allowed to read the ancient, huge bible so at age 8-9 I used to curl up with Pilgrims Progress. It mayn't have been a horror book per se, but there were plenty of pretty horrific descriptions of Pilgrim's trials (think Dante, medieval judgement day stained glass).
Don't think any of the adults had read it & it is a religious book, so they were just gently amused.

larana

every night from the day they are born until kindergarten. I promise you they'll be literate. do it even at the end of a long day and you're tired as hell and it's not fun and you hate it. just DO IT

Ìt's a bit late as DD turned 30 the day you posted this

This is Gransnet not Mumsnet

Nannan2
^I have always encouraged into mine,children and grandchildren, the love of books- i taught my own children to read before they began school, but was amazed to find that when my middle son started his teacher started him allover again with it as they had changed from A B C's to phonics, and had him sounding out the words to read even though he could read properly already.(it didn’t stop him loving books though& still does)

Had the same issue with DD1 who could read books before she started school, but I came up against the attitude mentioned by M0nica.

I didn’t like to interfere, but another mother had no such reticence. She demanded that her child was given readers/books appropriate to her ability.
My DD benefited from that too. They went to get books from the juniors together and the two girls are still friends today, albeit long distance.

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