My favorite bedtime books for reading to the kids were anything by Dr. Seuss, the Little House on the Prairie series, and the Junie B. Jones stories. I had one child who devoured books, and one who barely managed to get through a magazine page, but both of them liked snuggling in at night with mom or dad and a good book.
A recent survey sponsored by Reading Is Fundamental and Macy’s showed that only one in three parents read bedtime stories with their children every night. Fifty percent of parents say their children spend more time with TV or video games than with books. Don’t miss out on the special bonding that takes place over a bedtime story. Here are some ways to get your children engaged in reading.
- Read to them. Reading stories with your child helps build a foundation for future achievement, according to Carol Rasco, CEO of Reading is Fundamental, a children’s literacy non-profit group. The more you read to your child, the more likely they are to develop a lifelong love of reading.
- Find books with your child’s name in them. Who doesn’t like to see their name in print? The iseeme line of children’s books lets you personalize stories so children can “see” themselves in a variety of situations.
- Visit your local library. Our local libraries offer a number of programs to engage your child, including story times, crafts based on favorite books, and reading programs for all ages.
- Tell your own stories. Pick one night per week for a “story night” at the dinner table. Have your child make up a story of their own and tell it to the rest of the family. Get their creative juices flowing by asking them to make the story as kooky and unusual as they can.
- Visit the WTTW Kids Readers Are Leaders 2013 Summer Tour. There are a few dates left to Join Miss Lori’s Campus for this free family event with sing-a-longs and storytelling designed to get your kids excited about reading.
LINCOLN PARK ZOO, 2200 N. Cannon Dr. in Chicago
Sunday, September 8 from 10:30-12:00 pm
CITIBANK, 1195 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville
Saturday, September 14 from 10:30-12:00 pm
TOWN SQUARE WHEATON, 271 Town Square in Wheaton271 Town Square
Thursday, September 19 from 10:30-12:00 pm
HARLEM & IRVING PLAZA (indoors), 4104 N. Harlem Ave in Chicago
Thursday, October 10 from 10:30-12:00 pm
Aug-15-2013