I recently ran across this website,
One More Story. My first reaction was, "Cool!" The kids can listen to or read a story themselves. Then I thought, "Not cool!" We already have so many electronic babysitters, why do we need one more?
Especially for the younger kids, hearing their parents or siblings voices is huge. "Research consistently shows the importance parents play in their child's education, particularly in the early years. Parental involvement in reading, can raise children's attainment and improve motivation." This quote comes from a website called
Reading Matters. Check out the support
research page. Notice that nowhere in there does it mention
computer involvement, only
parent involvement.
Is this just one more sign of our times that we are too busy to even sit down, plop our kid on our lap, and read? And read the same story over and over and over? And then, "Just one more time, Mommy, please?"
Vicky and Jen, one of my favorite websites, recently had a podcast on
Reading Matters with expert Brenda Hieronymus. (She has some fabulous books to check out as well - see the About section at the bottom of the page for the links or on
Amazon.)
My repertoire of stories I know by heart includes books that my children want read repeatedly as well as ones from my own childhood. A number of my kids' favorites are ones that I love so much and read with such enthusiasm that they can't help but love them as well (and then I don't mind the "One more time's" so much...)
I have very fond memories as a child of sitting on my mom's lap, do you? I also have very fond memories of my younger sister sitting on my lap as I read
The Monster at the End of This Book over and over, while my mom who was always nearby, would yell out some of Grover's
explanations as she listened. We had such fun with that book. And now my kids do the same. I read it to them, but I also hear them reading it to each other.
How many of you take the time to read yourselves? If you enjoy it, you should. Lose yourself in a world that can only be created with the words on the page and your imagination. You're setting a fantastic example, too, setting up a lifetime of good reading habits and a pleasurable activity.
That's really what it's all about, y'know...
time. Take the time. You will feel better and your kids will benefit.
So don't let the computer replace you. And next time your kids ask, "Just one more time, mom, please?", instead of groaning and moaning, smile and reply, "Sure thing, I've got the time!"
