If you were to ask me to name one of my favorite things to do with my children, reading out loud to them would definitely be at the top of the list!  I have such a treasure trove of memories surrounding the books we’ve read together.  I, myself, am a lover of the printed page and wanted to instill in my children a love for good literature at an early age.  I didn’t grow up hearing about Winnie the Pooh or Charles Dickens when I was a child as reading together wasn’t something that was part of our home life.  As I raised my own children, I began searching out libraries and books and have found such wonderful stories to share with them.

We’ve pondered wrong life choices on an island with Robinson Crusoe, giggled at the silly antics of a beloved bear named  Winnie, cried at the death of a much loved father in Cheaper by the Dozen, and thrilled at the daring of a young lad in Treasure Island.  Books take you somewhere outside yourself and teach you a lesson that can stay with you for life.  A good book is a classic–one that endures and appeals to an adult as much as a child.

If reading out loud to your children has not been a part of your routine, why not start now in 2012?  Find a good block of time in your daily routine–for us that’s right after breakfast, before our chores in the morning.  It’s so fun to curl up in a blanket, with coffee or tea in hand and share an adventure with your children.  You can start with easy picture books while they are young and move into chapter books as they get older.  Need help getting started?

There are a few source books where you can find suggested titles for reading such as Honey for a Child’s Heart or The Read Aloud Handbook.  But probably my favorite resource guide for Classics for children is Hand That Rocks the Cradle, written by Nathaniel Bluedorn.  I also just began Monday book reviews over at Walking With Sarah on some of our favorites which you may find helpful–please be sure and stop by.

Also, don’t make the mistake of going to the library and just letting your child grab a handful of books.  In my opinion, there are a lot of books that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on so use some discernment.  It’s helpful if you find a few authors you like and peruse all their works to get started.

I haven’t even addressed the practical benefits of reading to your children, but a few I have seen in my own children are the development of better writing and listening skills as they hear good literature read.  They have also developed a love of reading as we have shared different stories together over the years.  I am also a firm believer in the maxim:  “Teach a child to read and you can teach him anything.”  I hope I’ve stirred up some excitement in your heart to share stories with your children.  I leave you with a portion of one of my favorite poems entitled “The Reading Mother,” by Strickland Gillilan.

“You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold–Richer than I you can never be–I had a Mother who read to me.”