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Re: Reading aloud
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From: Sheila Welch <sheilawelch_at_juno.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:23:58 -0500
Hello,
Many of my best memories are about reading aloud to children. I can't quite imagine raising a family without this special bonding experience. Our oldest, whom we adopted at seven months, became an attentive listener at about twelve months. By the time he was three, he had memorized many stories and would quietly recite them to himself as we waited in line at the grocery store or post office. At eighteen months, he loved MR. GUMPY'S OUTING, which we borrowed repeatedly from the local public library. Later on when he was four years old, he listened to Winnie-the-Pooh stories (the originals) and loved every Bill Peet book we could find. Special Peet favorites were THE WUMP WORLD and FAREWELL TO SHADY GLADE.
Good old Winnie was also a favorite for reading aloud when I was a camp counselor; my cabinful of girls even gave themselves the name "Woozles." And our two oldest kids and a granddaughter recall their delight in the humor of so many tales of this "Bear of Very Little Brain." Other books that were fantastic for reading aloud were many by Dr. Seuss. I remember lying on the bed with our six-month-old granddaughter, reading THE CAT IN THE HAT. When I'd reach the part where something goes "Bump," she would laugh as if she was being tickled. When that same child was a bit older, she'd point at our large cat and command him to "Be still!" as if he were a Wild Thing. Seuss's long books such as BARTHOLOMEW AND THE OOBLECK and THE KING'S STILTS were fun for both reader and listeners. Recently, while visiting our daughter, I read several chapters of RAMONA AND HER FATHER to another granddaughter who is in kindergarten. She's an avid Cleary fan and has heard RAMONA THE PEST read aloud at least four times. She's also he ard many of the American Girl books and has developed a sense of US history based on the lives of these fictional characters.
I think all of the books I've mentioned are as good today as they were when first published.
Another audience, the elderly, can benefit from hearing someone read aloud. My mother spent the last eight years of her life in a nursing home. She was losing her sight and had Alzheimer's but loved listening to poetry collections, picture books, and even a fantasy novel for children. I am sure many people in nursing homes would respond as my mother did. I wonder if some schools might consider setting up times for students to visit nursing homes and read aloud to the residents. This would be beneficial for both young and old. Maybe such programs already exist.
Thanks for all the wonderful posts on this topic. Sheila Kelly Welch
____________________________________________________________
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Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:23:58 -0500
Hello,
Many of my best memories are about reading aloud to children. I can't quite imagine raising a family without this special bonding experience. Our oldest, whom we adopted at seven months, became an attentive listener at about twelve months. By the time he was three, he had memorized many stories and would quietly recite them to himself as we waited in line at the grocery store or post office. At eighteen months, he loved MR. GUMPY'S OUTING, which we borrowed repeatedly from the local public library. Later on when he was four years old, he listened to Winnie-the-Pooh stories (the originals) and loved every Bill Peet book we could find. Special Peet favorites were THE WUMP WORLD and FAREWELL TO SHADY GLADE.
Good old Winnie was also a favorite for reading aloud when I was a camp counselor; my cabinful of girls even gave themselves the name "Woozles." And our two oldest kids and a granddaughter recall their delight in the humor of so many tales of this "Bear of Very Little Brain." Other books that were fantastic for reading aloud were many by Dr. Seuss. I remember lying on the bed with our six-month-old granddaughter, reading THE CAT IN THE HAT. When I'd reach the part where something goes "Bump," she would laugh as if she was being tickled. When that same child was a bit older, she'd point at our large cat and command him to "Be still!" as if he were a Wild Thing. Seuss's long books such as BARTHOLOMEW AND THE OOBLECK and THE KING'S STILTS were fun for both reader and listeners. Recently, while visiting our daughter, I read several chapters of RAMONA AND HER FATHER to another granddaughter who is in kindergarten. She's an avid Cleary fan and has heard RAMONA THE PEST read aloud at least four times. She's also he ard many of the American Girl books and has developed a sense of US history based on the lives of these fictional characters.
I think all of the books I've mentioned are as good today as they were when first published.
Another audience, the elderly, can benefit from hearing someone read aloud. My mother spent the last eight years of her life in a nursing home. She was losing her sight and had Alzheimer's but loved listening to poetry collections, picture books, and even a fantasy novel for children. I am sure many people in nursing homes would respond as my mother did. I wonder if some schools might consider setting up times for students to visit nursing homes and read aloud to the residents. This would be beneficial for both young and old. Maybe such programs already exist.
Thanks for all the wonderful posts on this topic. Sheila Kelly Welch
____________________________________________________________
Groupon.com Official Site 1 huge daily deal on the best stuff to do in your city. Try it today!
---Received on Thu 14 Apr 2011 12:23:58 PM CDT
