I'm REALLY excited about this. It's a little dorky, but I promise….it's gonna be a lot of fun! Did you know that April is National Book Month? I decided it was the PERFECT time to launch our latest project…….#AReadingFamily!
One of my big goals around here is to make family time fun and easy. I get it. After a long day, it's HARD to muster up the energy to create fun activities for the family. But one of our MUST complete activities each day? Is to read together.
The Reality:
[bctt tweet=”Want to raise READERS? The best thing you can do? Read your kids a story, each and every day. #AReadingFamily” via=”no”]
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 53 percent of children ages three to five are read to daily by a family member. Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to aloud everyday than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty. And as a teacher and literacy specialist…..I know it's preachy, but I have to say THIS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. Children who are read to every day between ages 0-5? Are significantly more successful academically. They develop concepts of prints more easily (know that print moves from left to right and top to bottom), they recognize letters more easily, and learn to read at a much faster pace. Plus, they learn to LOVE books.
The #AReadingFamily Challenge
So here is where we all come in as parents. I'm asking YOU to commit to reading aloud to your kiddos each and every day. Yup, one book a day. I promise, it won't take long. And we have some pretty fun motivators.
Enter, our #AReadingFamily printable reading log. This adorable coloring sheet is the perfect way to keep track of your read alouds. There are 30 books on the shelf, one for each day in April. Color a book for each night you read a book aloud to your kiddos. It's a fun way to keep track!
Each and every Friday, we'll be having a #AReadingFamily party over on Facebook. Yup, each Friday (around 7 pm our time) Lydia and I will be going live to share our favorite books from the week…..and we'll be giving away a set of kids' book EACH and every week to motivate y'all to keep reading as a family! Yup, all you have to do is join us and you'll be entered to win!
Facebook Live Dates
Kickoff Party: March 31st at 7 pm Pacific Time
Week 1: April 7 at 7 pm Pacific Time
Week 2: April 14 at 7 pm Pacific Time
Week 3: April 21 at 7 pm Pacific Time
Week 4: April 28 at 7 pm Pacific Time
For more of our posts about reading and literacy check out:
Early Literacy Tips: How to Teach Your Toddler to Love Reading
9 Books That Will Teach Your Children To Give Back
17 Ways to Practice Sight Words at Home (that don’t involve flash cards)
Hope you enjoy using our printable reading log!!
I love this! It’s so important to make reading a habit as early as possible!
Awesome. I always am happy to read my to my toddler and show a love of books to her! It’s the best knowing that she’ll wake up from a nap or in the morning and immediately grab a book 🙂 Can’t wait for these live giveaways!
Reading together is SOOO important. I still read to my son almost every night!
I love reading. It is so important that we teach our children to do the same. Thank you for sharing this great article