"Perhaps it is only in childhood that books have any deep influence on our lives...in childhood all books are books of divination, telling us about the future, and like the fortune-teller who sees a long journey in the cards or death by water, they influence the future. I suppose that is why books excited us so much. What do we ever get nowadays from reading to equal the excitement and the revelation of those first fourteen years."
~Graham Green, from "The Lost Childhood and Other Essays
Last Tuesday, like every Tuesday morning my cousin Terry (Mr. Harte) volunteered in my classroom with his friend Gino (Mr. Reilly). I love having them come in as much as the children do. Although they perform many tasks for me from binding books to working on skills with small groups of children, it is the "reading aloud" that the children find most facinating and enjoyable. These are pictures I took this past week while the children were mesmerized by the tales these men brought to the classroom.
"Few children learn to love books by themslves. Someone has to lure them into the wonderful world of the written word; someone has to show them the way."
~Orville Prescott, from "A Father Reads to His Children"
"Children who are not spoken to by live and responsive adults will not learn to speak properly. Children who are not answered will stop asking questions. They will become incurious. And children who are not told stories and who are not read to will have few resons for wanting to learn to read."
~Gail E. Haley, 1971 Caldecott Medel Acceptance speech
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Comments: 58
I reminds me of ye old school days.
Nice.
Shah
definitely the best part of teh day in school
I have read to small children cuddled in bed in their nighties.
And there were a few Sunday school readings.
I always felt (hoped) I was giving these bairnes something.
I can tell you that my most pleasureable and unexpected experience was the first a child read to me. My first grade nephew was showing off his newly acquired reading skills. Then I was further astounded when his 3 year old sister ran up to us and started rattling off the alphabet. Clearly, there was a little sibling competish. Just as clearly, these little angles assumed they were giving me just as precious a gift in this first 'reading' as I had given them in all those years of babysitting.
And they were.
Keep on going on ;-o
I'm sure you were excited when your first grade nephew took his first steps in reading...I would be glowing.
Deb...since I teach in a small town, many of my parents today had me as either their kindergarten or first grade teacher and as a result when they signed their children up last spring requested me. I guess I'm an old shoe to them ~ they know what they are getting! An ole hippie!
Some people think that once children start reading on their own, you no longer have to read to them. But I disagree. At our house, I read to my kids, even when they were in 4th and 5th grade.
I so honor WHAT you do; and I am very impressed with HOW you're getting it acomplished. You are one very valuable educator. Blessings on you for being yourself, and doing what you do so very well.
Wilka
cheers,gayle
The highlight of my week is when I do my coomunity duty and look after childen onTuesday afternooons from 2:30 to 5:30. We read, draw and talk...about anything. Sometimes we playact.
It is totally rewarding and I feel rejuvenated after every session. In fact, afterwards I mull over their questions and wonder about HOW MUCH they see.
Glad you once more are back in Santa Barbara and writing on Gather once more.
If you ever give up teaching, you could become a child photographer. Your captures are breathtaking.
and before i knew it, he was reading the words of
"danny and the dinosaur" to me... how great that was...
Blessings for all you do for the children...
Thanks for commenting on the "pickle" part. I thought someone might say something about guys and directions....oh well.