Reading is a Gift

As a parent, we begin teaching our children from the day they are born. Now that my personal children are now adults, I realize teaching them to love reading was one of the greatest gifts I could ever have given them. 

  When my daughters were too young to read, I sat them in my lap and read countless books. The library was one of their favorite places to go. I would allow them each to check out the maximum number of books from the children’s section and I would read every one to them aloud. 

  Often, after I would read a book, one or the other of my daughters would want to read a story back. Even though she was too young to read the words, I would let her. At times she would amaze me how accurate she could be at retelling a story she had only heard once. At other times, she would be creative and make up a completely different story by using her imagination. It didn’t matter either way, what did matter was that sitting there, with a book in her hand, had her thinking.

  Once they started elementary school and they had reading homework, they began reading to me. They had long list of books to choose from in elementary school. Not only did they not run out of great reading material, but I continued to take them to the library and allow them to choose their own books as well. I wanted them to realize there were schoolbooks and home books. Some reading materials you may have to work with for school. However, there would always be books you could enjoy just for the pleasure of it.

  Middle and High School came and went, as did College and Grad School. My daughters are now adults living their own lives. They still go to the library, often. And their number one gift request for birthdays or holidays are gift cards to bookstores. The gift of reading is ageless.