Reading with a Child

Reading with your child is one of the most important things you can do with your child.

 The Reading Mother
Strickland Gillilan

 I had a Mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clinched in their yellow teeth,
“Blackbirds” stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read to me lays
Of Ancient and gallant and golden days,
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read to me tales
Of Gelert the hound in the hills of Wales
True to his trust til his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

 I had a Mother who read to me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings—
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys would be such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewelry and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be—
I had a Mother who read to me.

Money is not necessary to raise a secure and emotionally healthy child.

You can give your child the wealthiest childhood with very little money. Just get a library card, check books out, and read them with your child.

Hiding in a small space in the back of the closet in my bedroom because I was afraid of adults yelling and fighting in my home, I taught myself to read by using a flash light, a small tape recorder, and a set of about 12 books with tapes. Using the cassette tapes, I followed along with my finger and repeated the words until I started reading those books. I was 3 years old when I learned to read.

I loved reading because it allowed me to escape from my troubled home life. When I read books, I imagined I was the main character. I remember reading National Velvet, the story of a 14-year-old girl named Velvet Brown who rides her horse to victory in the Grand National Steeplechase. When I read that book at age six, I was Velvet Brown, not the hungry little girl whose shoes hurt her feet . Therefore, at age 6, I then made up my mind that I would be like Velvet Brown and be successful in life regardless of what obstacles I had to overcome.

Reading goes hand in hand with writing and now that I am an adult, I write to encourage others. I wrote a children’s book called Near A  River for children from birth to age eight to encourage them to read. Near A River also encourages children to learn from their parents, to become independent, and to enjoy nature.

Give your child wealth untold. Please read to and with your child. If you yourself do not have time to read with your child each day, make certain someone does. Even if you never read Near A River to or with your child, please make sure your child has the opportunity to learn to love reading.

Enable your child to soar like an eagle over the storms in his life. Enjoy reading with your child every day!

Let the encouraging words in these near a river posts help you

soar like an eagle above life’s storms.

You can take back your power…

I need your help to keep my promise…

Believe like Simba and you will reach your goals!

It is up to each one of us to make the world a better place.

If you enjoyed this post, remember that BJ writes children’s books.

Her encouraging children’s eagle

near a river common core reading book

is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Buy BJ’s near a river encouraging eagle reading book

for a child you care about today!