Reading-the more you read......

 

'Oh! The Places You'll Go!' is a Dr. Seuss book that I, and many of my friends, have given to children over and over again.  My mother even gave this to my son when he left home for a life ready for the making.  But leaving home, or even getting ready to embark on something new is not the focus of this blog.....

.....After my first summer camp was over and I felt so happy that I saw my dream come true with the help of family and many friends; I was ready to write and create for the blog.  I was ready to tell everyone what we had accomplished at camp, give ideas to parents about listening and language, provide some lessons for speech and reading, and overall just write.  So? What happened?  

I couldn't get one idea going for the blog.  My mind wasn't focused.  It was summer and I wanted to do anything but write.  I was ready to go do my therapy lessons with children and parents before I wanted to sit down and write.  I was ready to put lessons on paper for school before I wanted to sit down and write.  I even wanted to straighten up the house before I wanted to sit down and write. Yikes!!  

I promised myself I would read that stack of books and magazines from the past couple of months as well, and that is just what I did.  I read.  I read and read and then I read some more.  I can't tell you how good it felt to read and enjoy fun reading time.  I got ideas and lessons from others, reading their articles.  I spent a great deal of time just enjoying myself through books.  

And then it hit me, what is the one thing I tell my new clients.  Parents and children, tweens and teenagers, adults and other therapists.  READ!  

Everyone knows how important it is for a child to get started in the reading process.  Listening and enjoying, learning that print means something, and learning that letters are connected to sounds and combinations of sounds make words and so on and so forth.  Now how important is it to those who have difficulty with listening and speech and language?  Double that reading effort, no triple it.

We should read at every opportunity we have - read with someone, read with family, read for learning, read for entertainment, read for the love of it!  Today, in this growing age of more technology, more ipads, more tablets, more Nooks and Kindles - more printing, more digital printing, more accessibility, there is no reason not to teach the love of reading.  Yes we get busy, I just shared that I was playing catch-up on my reading list, but sharing a moment of reading can be done!  

I am a firm believer in technology, but not for the sake of sitting and entertaining oneself with games while mom and dad are busy.  There is a time and place for that.  I am so in favor of technology to share, find the time to be together.  E-books - I love them - once I've shared with the children, they can do it by themselves.  Once I've shared with an adult, they can access whenever they want on what technology they have.  And if perchance, I have a client that loves the feel of books like I do - well, that one is easy.  

The whole point of this particular blog - Read! I love to read.  Make the love of reading a part of your list of 'to-do's' with your family.  You can do so much from reading a book.  Ideas and activities can stem from reading.  Correct speech and language can stem from reading. My favorite part of all ..... Conversations, discussions and yes - going places can stem from reading.  

Share the love of reading before the school year takes over in all it's other forms.  Somewhere in your day - take 10 minutes to read, on your own or with family or friend, but share reading with all its intentions of enjoyment in every emotion you can think of and then.....

Talk about it!