"The More That You Read, the More Things You Will Know . . ."

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today is, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" Since I love books and reading, this is a quote with which I can most certainly agree! It is not only important, it is vital for us to read and learn so we will know the things we need to know, so today I want to share some links to sites where you will find information which will help you know what you need to know so you can share it with the children you love . . . 

• Reading helps to develop empathy - You can never fully understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. But having empathy means you can feel what it might feel like to be in their situation. Or maybe you’ve experienced something similar and really do know what that particular event feels like. When we are deeply involved in a story, even if we don’t agree with many of the characters’ thoughts, actions, or words, we are called to consider their perspective. Believe it or not, this type of practice actually does transfer to real life situations. And frequently, connecting to a character’s differing beliefs can help you do just that in real life.

• Reading improves critical thinking skills - When children spend a lot of time reading, they strengthen their ability to think about something from another point of view and to problem solve for someone outside of themselves. Finding solutions to a character’s problem helps children to think through other issues around them with similar discernment.

• Reading builds vocabulary authentically and enhances conversation skills - The more time kids spend reading grade-level text, the more likely they are to authentically learn new words. This is true for both books that children read independently and those that are read aloud to them. In fact, reading aloud with children allows for exposure to sophisticated language and content that might be above their independent reading level, but not above their interest level. Not only is it a great way to bring in new vocabulary, it also keeps younger children interested in reading when they are still working towards being able to access higher level text. Additionally, engaging children in dialogic reading, or authentic conversation about the book as we read helps them to understand how to talk about reading and gives them language to be able to try out these types of conversations on their own. You will find an article with more benefits from reading at this link.

• Spending time in Nature helps us in so many ways, so please spend some time in nature! You will find an excellent article which shares information about this at the following link.

Reading to children and helping them learn to read is one of the best things we will ever do for the children we love.