“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” – Anna Quindlen
I recently read this quote while flipping through an old Reader’s Digest while my seven-year-old son howled through his haircut. He may not love to have his hair cut, but I have made a point to share a love of books with him. In Books Children Love, Susan Shaeffer MacAuley puts it this way, “Restless bodies become still and concentrated-thinking is encouraged. Reading out loud together fosters warm ties in human relationships.” Books help children in many ways:
Children who love books improve their vocabulary. It takes mental muscle to figure out a word’s meaning by its context in a story. Reading is an active process. In book reading, children use their imaginations to picture other people and places rather than having them appear on a screen. Children who love books can learn to be great communicators. The desire to tell a great story comes from reading great stories. To tell a good story, you must capture people’s attention. Then you must be able to communicate well to keep their attention and get your point across. If you can communicate well, it will serve you well in all areas of your life, including professional and personal relationships. From Aesop’s fables to the parables of Jesus, stories teach concepts.
Children who love books become life-long learners. Throughout our lives, we must learn things by reading. From recipes to instruction manuals to types of trees in Michigan, reading will always be a needed skill.
Children who love books can develop strong morals. The love of books instills not only knowledge, but also character. They read of those who made wrong choices and right ones. They read of faraway lands, fictional characters, and the battles between good and evil. By making vicarious choices, children identify with certain characters.
Children who love books benefit from books their parents choose. Not every book is a great one. Selective parents can chose character-building biographies, non-fiction and fiction that help their kids with important life decisions.
I want my children to be children who love books. As Tibbon puts it, I would say to them, “Make books your companions; let your bookshelves be your gardens; bask in their beauty, gather their fruit, pluck their roses, take their spices and myrrh.”
Other articles by Tracey Westphal
The Criticizer-How to handle someone who criticizes your parenting
Tell Me Again Why is Self-Esteem So Important
How Not to Dread Crafts with the Children
Sources:
Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson
SearchQuotes.com