"My papa is dead!" she kept whispering to herself. "My papa is dead!"
As I read these lines from "A Little Princess," my six-year-old daughter Mary and I wept and wept. In sharing the emotions of the story's heroine, Sara Crewe, my daughter and I grew closer. Reading aloud to my children for enjoyment has created bonds that will never be broken. By sharing common adventures through stories we come together as a family. I believe that children will share their thoughts and feelings more naturally if they are accustomed to reading aloud with their parents.
As parents we do all we can to provide our children with food, shelter, and clothing. We must also make sure to provide them with nourishment for the soul and the mind. Good books do just that: they give our children the tools necessary to create a positive world view.
Reading good books can influence their ability to reason and create ideas. We are what we eat. If we provide our children with great literature to feast upon, then they will be well equipped to make wise choices as they grow into adults.
Remember, young children can understand the spoken word at a higher level than they can read silently to themselves. So read books that are just above your child's own reading level to encourage questions and discussion. Be patient and take time to stop and answer questions. Occasionally pull out the dictionary to check the meaning of a new word. This will improve your child's vocabulary as well as their ability to reason and ask probing questions. Just make sure not to read so far above their heads that you lose them completely.
We influence children by what we say and do. If we talk about books and make the effort to make time for reading, then we tell them that books are important. Children will notice when they see you turn off the television and curl up on the couch with a good book!
Maureen Wittmann lives with her husband, Robert, and seven children in Lansing, Michigan. Mrs. Wittmann is a contributing author and co-editor of "A Catholic Homeschool Treasury: Nurturing Children's Love for Learning."