How I Got my 18 Month Old Interested in Books

Apparently reading requires a safety helmet. ;)

We established a reading routine. We read many books immediately after breakfast every morning. We also read books before her nap and before she goes to bed. This was something we did from day 1, she was teeny-tiny but we read to her anyway, pointing out pictures, ooooo-ing and awwwww-ing, interacting with the book. 

3 months old

The mentality, "She's too young for this!" never entered into our mind. Do not underestimate the power of reading to your child early. If you're enthusiastic about reading, your child will follow suit. (My little Bean is living proof!) I was surprised how early we saw results.

When she brings me a book I stop whatever I'm doing to read it to her, even if it's for the 100th time that day. Reading will always be a top priority in this home. (I think the stupid book Baby Feels has the record for "read most often" in this house.) Yes, there are many moments I have to do a mental attitude check because, quite frankly, I don't want to do it. But it's the one thing I make a priority even on a day full of things to do. There are moments, however, I lay the book aside and say, "Let me finish _____ and then I'll read with you."

There's a reading nook in her room. Before she received an overstuffed Minnie Mouse chair for Christmas, she LOVED having a blow up turtle as her little seat. Cute. Giving her a place to enjoy books was the best thing we could've done.

After our breakfast reading time I give her the books we read together while I read a book of my own. I love this because I can read my book of choice! It's so cute to be reading on the couch next to my daughter as she jibber-jabbers about the book in her hand. Sometimes I'll hear a word mixed into the jabber, like "cookie" in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or "out" in Itsy Bitsy Spider or "appy" (happy) in If You're Happy and You Know It. On the weekends Daddy joins us. Showing enthusiasm for reading in your own life will be contagious. Parents are the biggest influence even with things like this!

We attend the story hour every Wednesday at the Library. She's still learning to sit still and listen, but it's a change of scenery with other kids with someone else reading to her including play time and a craft. Afterwards I always pick out new books to take home while she plays.

I pick out books with specific words she already knows or with things she's showing interest. Right now she's obsessed with roosters, which she calls "do's" (cock-a-doodle-doo) so I find as many books as I can with roosters. She also enjoys farm animals and songs! She LOVES Iza Trapani's song books for classics like I'm a Little Teapot and Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I put interactive books on my phone and iPad. What's not to love about this? Playtales is a fun app and so is any FisherPrice book. This is perfect entertainment while traveling or while I am busy making dinner.

When I bring a little bag of things to do, the majority of the items in it are books. This bag of goodies is pulled out at restaurants, the vehicle, a friends house, &etc. It's always fun to pull out the bag and let her sort through it. Sometimes a friend will join her.

She's 6 months old in this picture with our friend Kirk.

We limit screen time to less than an hour a day. Sitting in front of the iPad (even with interactive books) or TV (even educational shows) limits creativity and imagination. We put together puzzles, play with blocks, read books, go to the park, (whatever) and she also has plenty of time to play and read independently. I'm always pleasantly surprised how often she picks reading during these times.

My 12 month old with a trail of books. 

My first job as a teacher was 7th and 8th grade reading and I also taught struggling high school readers as well. The struggling readers were usually the students who's parents ignored the importance of reading to their child from the start. They didn't have memories of reading with an adult. They didn't have parents who gave a lick about reading themselves or set aside a specific family reading time. Reading was never a priority in the home. If I were to make any suggestion that'd be it: make reading a priority. There are SO MANY ways to do that.

There are many sources I'd recommend for parents but this book is by far the best I've seen:

Check out her blog full of wonderful ideas for teachers and parents alike: http://planetesme.blogspot.com

The Hunger Games Trilogy [Book vs. Movie]

If you haven't read the books or watched the movie, this will be confusing....

I'm only going to talk about one piece that I disliked about the movie: how they incorporated the Mockingjay. If you read the book and the significance Suzanne Collins places on how Katniess received this pin as her token in the Hunger Games the movie will tick ya off. The movie makes it casual and virtually meaningless: Katniss trades for it in the Hobb and gives it to her sister, who (when saying good-bye) gives it back to Katniss. That's it. When you dive into the trilogy, which is focused around this idea of the Mockingjay, I'm surprised it was changed!

Let me explain: when Katniss volunteers in place of her sister for the Hunger Games her friend Madge gives her this pin of a Mockingjay when she tells her good-bye. The bird itself basically shows defiance against the Capitol! Here's why: the authorities created a bird called the Jabberjay to replicate conversations had between Panem residents and relay them back to officials. Once rebels realized how the Capitol heard their conversations they used the Jabberjays against them, giving false information. So the Capitol released the birds into the wild thinking they'd die off. However, they mated with the Mockingbird creating an entirely new species: the Mockingjay, who simply repeated beautiful melodies. Despite the Capitol abandoning them, they've survived against all odds! When Madge gives Katniss this pin of a Mockingjay she explains it was her aunts. You don't understand why this is such a big deal until the second book. You see, the aunt's name was Maysilee who was in the Hunger Games with Haymitch and did not survive. This family heirloom was extremely significant from many different perspectives: Greasy Sae, Haymitch, and most importantly, her mother. Maysilee and Katniss' mom were best friends. There were so many connections missed when the filmmakers left Madge out of the story. Just this one piece nearly ruins the movie for me.

If you haven't read the books I highly recommend you do, obviously I don't feel the same about the movies. (Haha, I rarely do when there's a book/movie combination!)

My Goodreads review:

The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After watching Catching Fire I decided to reread the books. Over the course of a this week I finished this trilogy feeling somber and dispirited. I give Suzanne Collins credit! She knows how to suck you in, forcing her readers to feel what the character feels. It's more than empathy or appreciation; I feel like my head's in a cloud and that the connection I felt to each character helped me understand the roller coaster of emotions they faced as each event unfolded.

She writes about more than a love story, more than political drama, more than death, war, and action. She quite literally gives voice to those affected by the aftermath of surviving warfare. Her book reminded me of Ishmael Beah's true story as a boy soldier, 'A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'. Not because Ishmael's story was about surviving the Hunger Games, but because Ishmael was forced to witness horrific events, perform horrific acts, and kill in horrific ways. It affected him in much the same way Suzanne describes Katniss' broken character. Now I want to go back and read Ishmael's book and compare Suzanne's studies on the effects of war and violence on those coming of age to his true story. I'm almost positive Suzanne is dead on.

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If you're interested in more information on Ishmael's book, visit his website: http://www.alongwaygone.com. 

"Fearlessly Feminine" by Jani Ortlund [Book Review]

Fearlessly Feminine by Jani Ortlund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"God made you a woman. He delights in your womanhood. Bask in the certainty that your femininity is beautiful to God. That which makes you different from the men in this world is a God-given gift, precious in His sight. Women have already proven that they can go wherever men go: space, politics, war, the boardroom. Use your femininity to go where men cannot go. Where is it that God is calling you to be fearlessly feminine?" (p.203) This question is one that Jani forces you to answer throughout her book.

She is forthright and the truths she writes are absolutely convicting. She tackles the issues we face in today's society and challenges women to take hold of the gift God has given us as women. Jani argues that femininity is "tested" in our day-to-day living and as a result we must make "a daily choice to trust God completely.

She encourages women to not "let the evil of our popular culture dirty our souls with its filth" or "to fritter our time away on materialistic pursuits and silly entertainments" or "to give our husbands and children and homes a back row seat while we strive to maintain a center stage image" and finally to never, ever forget that "heaven is real and our choices now have eternal consequences." All of those pieces are covered in her book (and more)! I am beyond thankful I read it and truly believe this book played a huge role in my growth as a follower of Christ, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a teacher.

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