"The More You Read, The More You Know......"

'the more you read the more you know, the more you know the smarter you grow, the smarter you grow the stronger your voice, when speaking your mind or making a choice'

I learned this in I was in 3rd grade. I remember when our librarian had said it to us and was giving prizes for those who could memorize it! Only few of us got it down pact, some didn't care if they knew it at all. What I thought was just a memory quote for a prize became something that would stick with me on up until adulthood & I would teach it to my children as well. 

In this blog post I am going to be talking the LOVE for reading and how important it is for us as parents to encourage our kids to read. When I was growing up I had an older sister who LOVED to read. As a kid her favorites were Romona Quimby books, lol! She also loved to share the funny parts with us and tell us about the endings. My younger sister and I enjoy hearing about the book, but we never wanted to read it for ourselves. Even though our oldest sister had a love for reading, she never made us or forced us to read. Thinking about it now, I sure wished she had of.
But because of her relationship with reading, she was very, very, very, very intelligent. She knew everything growing up. I remember times whenever we had anything we wanted to know about Nicky knew the answer. Not only did she know the answers but she could explain how she found the answers the too! She was a genius to my youngest sister and I & you couldn't have told us anything different. Reading was a huge and still is to this day, a huge part of her life.

Reading is very important. Not only is it a great way of learning, buy it also gives you a great way to use your imagination.
We will be instilling that into our children at our Lighthouse Tutoring Program this year. We will encourage, inspire, educate and teach them to read!! I talked with a guy the other day and who gave me stats on reading in America. He went on to tell me how jails and prisons are built. So with that I went on to get more educated about this. I read that in Texas they uses fourth grade reading scores to project the number of prison cells they’re going need 10 years later. WOW!!! Sad But true!
This disturbed me to the core and made my desire to read stronger & made my desire to spread the importance of reading stronger. During our Tutoring program this year we are really pushing reading. If you or anyone you know would love to donate children's books please let me know. You reach via email: lenay_w@yahoo.com or at the Lighthouse Foundation at (662) 206-0091.

We all know reading to our kids is a good thing—but are you familiar with the specific advantages your toddler or preschool-age child can receive by being exposed to the merits of reading? Below are some benefits that highlight the importance of reading to your child between the ages of two and five.

1. A stronger relationship with you. As your child grows older, he’ll be on the move—playing, running, and constantly exploring his environment. Snuggling up with a book lets the two of you slow down and recaptures that sweet, cuddly time you enjoyed when he was a baby. Instead of being seen as a chore or a task, reading will become a nurturing activity that will bring the two of you closer together.


2. Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to toddlers and preschoolers is a higher aptitude for learning in general. Numerous studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education. After all, if a student struggles to put together words and sentences, how can he be expected to grasp the math, science, and social concepts he’ll be presented with when he begins elementary school?


3. Basic speech skills. Throughout toddlerhood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, your child is reinforcing the basic sounds that form language. “Pretend reading”—when a toddler pages through a book with squeals and jabbers of delight—is a very important pre-literacy activity. As a preschooler, your child will likely begin sounding out words on his own.


4. The basics of how to read a book. Children aren’t born with an innate knowledge that text is read from left to right, or that the words on a page are separate from the images. Essential pre-reading skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.


5. Better communication skills. When you spend time reading to toddlers, they’ll be much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way. By witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as the contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.


6. Mastery of language. Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age.


7. More logical thinking skills. Another illustration of the importance of reading to children is their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment. As your toddler or preschooler begins to relate the scenarios in books to what’s happening in his own world, he’ll become more excited about the stories you share.


8. Acclamation to new experiences. As your child approaches a major developmental milestone or a potentially stressful experience, sharing a relevant story is a great way to help ease the transition. For instance, if your little one is nervous about starting preschool, reading a story dealing with this topic shows her that her anxiety is normal.


9. Enhanced concentration and discipline. Toddlers may initially squirm and become distracted during story time, but eventually they’ll learn to stay put for the duration of the book. Along with reading comprehension comes a stronger self-discipline, longer attention span, and better memory retention, all of which will serve your child well when she enters school.


10. The knowledge that reading is fun! Early reading for toddlers helps them view books as an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading are much more likely to choose books over video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they grow older.

Books have the power to benefit toddlers and preschoolers in a myriad of ways. As a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him with a foundation for academic excellence.