Saturday, February 22, 2014

Saturday Sayings: Lucky You!



Last Sunday I had an interesting conversation with my friend Jenn from church about her dear firstborn son who is probably around 6 months old.  At his recent doctor's appointment, the doctor asked Jenn if she were reading to Winston at least 30 minutes a day but preferably closer to an hour, broken up into short segments.  Jenn said the doctor was as serious about reading with Winston and the language he'd be exposed to as he was about his eating or sleeping.  

Of course, the whole conversation made me smile.  It's an early elementary teacher's dream to hear that doctors are that explicit about the importance of babies and books.  Sometimes I wonder if my little people have ever seen a book or heard one read when they show up at my door.  I want to say, "What have you been doing for the last 6 years of your life?"  I know what Winston will be doing.  He'll be immersed in books and their rich language.  When it's time for him to step through the doors of his first school, he'll be ready for life.  If only all doctors impressed upon parents this responsibility and if only all parents listened.  This might sound melodramatic, but I'm fairly certain it would revolutionize our world.  For sure it would mine.  

Since most likely only a chosen few are going to hear this message and embrace it with their young ones, it's all the more important that I hook 'em while they're young, even though by the time I get them they've missed some integral years of reading development.  It can be done though.  The way I approach books and reading had better be more than just jumping through hoops of letters and sounds.  I must send the message, "Look what you've been missing out on all your life.  A life with books is the luckiest life to live.  Lucky you.  Welcome to the club!"



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12 comments:

  1. How true this is Tammy! I love hearing that doctors are planting that seed that reading is important to the development of children. We just had a conversation in my room yesterday that my goal is for them to be life-long readers, not just reading in second grade. :-)

    Crystal

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    1. Crystal, that's a great conversation to be having with your kids.

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  2. Amen! I started reading to my kids before they were born. I'm happy to report that today I have three avid readers who love to talk books with me! I still read to them whenever they let me!
    Hugs,
    Jenny

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    1. Jenny, I love that you're the mom who has already read to your kids. What a gift.

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  3. I love your contrast from "jumping through the hoops" to "look what you've been missing!" I want my kiddos to be glad they aren't missing any more!!
    Good Thoughts! Sara

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    1. Sara, me too. They need to know how lucky they are to be readers.

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  4. I think especially with the technology of today it's memories many parents are missing out on these days. I vividly remember the trips to the public library and my mom reading us the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series, Beverly Cleary and even as we got older things like a Wrinkle in Time. It is a passion we do need to work to instill while they are young. If only there were more doctors like the one in your story!
    NotJustChild'sPlay

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    1. Miss Trayers, those are great memories. Too many kids are missing out on those.

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  5. What a wonderful doctor Winston has! I am impressed that he is stressing reading with parents as much as eating and sleeping. The time spent reading to your child are precious and makes all the difference for them.
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. Lori, I'm so very impressed with this doctor too. I hope more doctors are like him than I would have thought.

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  6. My kids' doctor always talks about reading and I have questioned her about when she talks about early math activities. Turns out she doesn't mention this but invited me in to a meeting of all the doctors in her practice and I went over some quick and easy early math ideas they could share with their patients. I hope it means less kids coming into kindergarten without any basic math skills.

    Tara
    The Math Maniac

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    1. Tara, that must have been so encouraging to be invited to share with her and some other doctors. Yea!

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