Reading Books

[spud912]

So I'm talking to the dck's this morning about books and it turns out that the majority of kids in my care are not reading to at home on a regular basis. I shouldn't be surprised since watching television is pretty much the norm now, but it got me thinking about how little kids in society are actually read to consistently. At the daycare, I read about 4 books daily, which I feel is nowhere near enough. With my own kids (ages 1, 5 and 6), we read about 20 minutes every night (obviously the 1 year old wanders and does her own thing). I even had them listen to James and the Giant Peach as young as 3 years old and finished the junior version of Moby Dick about 3 months ago. Some of my fondest memories of when I was a child was when my dad would read chapter books to us every night and I wanted to share that experience with my children.

So are you seeing the same thing? One of my dck's even said that he doesn't like reading books . All of them said they either go to sleep watching tv or watch it up until it's time to lay down.

[midaycare]

I don't see the same thing, thank goodness. Then again, my program is highly geared towards those who value reading and curriculum.

All of my kiddos here love reading, but I spend a good portion of the day reading and modeling how to read.

It could just be the kids you currently have?

I have warm fuzzy memories about reading at a young age, too

[Play Care]

My own kids were read to nightly. Now at 9 & 10 they spend a half and hour reading in bed at night (and often longer because I've caught them reading by flashlight:: )
I love to read and average about 100 books a year.

I'm lucky if I get a book or two in with my current group.
Mostly boys from homes with a "boys will be boys" mentality so running in the house, jumping off furniture, climbing on top of tables, cabinets are all FUNNY to them...
I manage to get books in when they are buckled in for snacks.
I don't do tv in my day care but have used the music stations if it goes with our theme -as soon as they see me turn on the tv they run to sit - and get upset when it's just music. I remind them that we never watch tv here but really. It's sad.

[AmyKidsCo]

My husband teaches 5th grade and many of his students don't have any books in their homes.

My daughter is doing a Practicum in a special-needs 3-4 yr room and the teacher doesn't read to the children regularly.

So I'm not surprised. Saddened, but not surprised.

[Thriftylady]

I think it is the norm now sadly. Parents just don't seem to make the time for it. I try to read lots here. I have an older group, so we are reading the boxcar children right now.

[Blackcat31]

So I'm talking to the dck's this morning about books and it turns out that the majority of kids in my care are not read to at home on a regular basis. I shouldn't be surprised since watching television is pretty much the norm now, but it got me thinking about how little kids in society are actually read to consistently. At the daycare, I read about 4 books daily, which I feel is nowhere near enough. With my own kids (ages 1, 5 and 6), we read about 20 minutes every night (obviously the 1 year old wanders and does her own thing). I even had them listen to James and the Giant Peach as young as 3 years old and finished the junior version of Moby Dick about 3 months ago. Some of my fondest memories of when I was a child was when my dad would read chapter books to us every night and I wanted to share that experience with my children.

So are you seeing the same thing? One of my dck's even said that he doesn't like reading books . All of them said they either go to sleep watching tv or watch it up until it's time to lay down.

My dad often read classics by the chapter (or two or three) when I was a child as well. Some of my best memories of time with my dad too! Black Beauty, Old Yeller, Tom Sawyer.

I read to my kids the same way. One of my DS's most treasured possessions is a first print edition of Lord of the Flies that he received as a gift for his 9th birthday. At 24 yrs old he is still an avid reader.

I read to my DCK's daily too and promote book time regularly.

I have many families in care that I know do not read to their kids. I have one family that just had a girl (3rd child) after 2 boys and soon after her birth her dad says to me, "I suppose now that we have a girl, we should get some books" I was like how are books a girl only thing? :confused:

So yes, I am seeing the same things you are and sadly my families are middle to upper class, well educated parents....some of whom are teachers themselves. :confused:

[Unregistered]

My favorite part of daycare is instilling a love of books in each child I have come into care. By the time they hit round 14 months I'm not surprised to have them following me around jabbing a book in my backside impatiently waiting for me to read more.

[CalCare]

Oh my god- the people who said now they should buy books because they have a girl!? What! I have never heard such a thing. Ridiculous! :dislike: Guess it's better than thinking that girls are too (whatever bs stereotype) to read!

[Unregistered]

I was an education and literature major. I LOVE to read, even as a child. I never liked being read to, though. My husband is a total nerd and LOVES books. I want to say, my son has always been very active. He actually has a job involving athletics, but anyway he's never been into reading. Some kids aren't and never will be. I think we should offer books, but some children have different strengthens. We read to both of children constantly and he never took to it. Don't assume the parents aren't reading.

[LittleTikes]

I was an education and literature major. I LOVE to read, even as a child. I never liked being read to, though. My husband is a total nerd and LOVES books. I want to say, my son has always been very active. He actually has a job involving athletics, but anyway he's never been into reading. Some kids aren't and never will be. I think we should offer books, but some children have different strengthens. We read to both of children constantly and he never took to it. Don't assume the parents aren't reading.

Same with my oldest dd. My youngest and I could spend hours in a bookstore. That would be a form of torture for her. She doesn't like to sit still. She grew up around books and is in high-ability classes at school, but reading for enjoyment is just not one of her hobbies.

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

At a daycare/preschool I used to worked at, I was the 3 year old preschool teacher and during free choice play, I always had a group of little ones in my lap and gathered all around me while I read book after book to them. The daycare provided us with a large supply of books, so I was never at a shortage and I rotated the books out regularly. The director started using that as a selling point to the parents who would be touring the daycare, talking about how reading stories is a big part of my class. The children loved books so much that when I'd rotate more books out, they couldn't wait to drag their parents over and show them all the "new" books and which ones were their favorite. Sadly the parents never seemed too interested in it and were just in a hurry to leave. I could tell most of the children weren't getting read to at home.

[Thriftylady]

Same with my oldest dd. My youngest and I could spend hours in a bookstore. That would be a form of torture for her. She doesn't like to sit still. She grew up around books and is in high-ability classes at school, but reading for enjoyment is just not one of her hobbies.

My daughter is like this. She HATES to read. She is an honor student, and in college classes that are paid for as part of her high school. She reads only when she HAS to. Don't know how she missed the reading gene, because I love to read.

[Play Care]

Oh my god- the people who said now they should buy books because they have a girl!? What! I have never heard such a thing. Ridiculous! :dislike: Guess it's better than thinking that girls are too (whatever bs stereotype) to read!

I do want to point out that I said it was more of the mentality of the current families I have than the sex of the children. I've had boys in the past who loved books, reading, etc. In my day care it's not that they are boys, it's the family dynamic.
On a side note one of my clients is also a neighbor and it's become the neighborhood joke how permissive they are with their kids - allowing the kids to smack random adults on the bottom (like a "good game" pat...) talking back, etc. telling neighbors it's because they are precocious, etc.
I've keep out of it because they are also clients but I have eyes and ears...
It was not my intent to offend or be sexist.

[DaveA]

It's really sad how many families never even consider books as an activity. I do agree the internet and smartphones/ tablets have exacerbated the situation. That being said my wife hates to read. I'm the exact opposite. My kids are us flipped- my daughter loves to read, while my son considers it a necessary annoyance.

[Thriftylady]

It's really sad how many families never even consider books as an activity. I do agree the internet and smartphones/ tablets have exacerbated the situation. That being said my wife hates to read. I'm the exact opposite. My kids are us flipped- my daughter loves to read, while my son considers it a necessary annoyance.

LOL at necessary annoyance, I think that sums up how my DD feels!