As a small kid, my third home was the library (first being my own, second being my grandmother's). I remember the small chairs, the little table with the built in cubby in the center that held some children's books. I remember the bean bag chairs, the stuffed animals from classic stories lining the book shelves. I remember the dirty yellow carpeted floor (oh how interior design has changed - thank goodness!). I remember the smell; musty, wood, paper, and occasionally oranges. But that smell
. That smell. The one that permeates from the pages of old authors into every library.
And this just came to me: my love for books, just like my love for Jesus was present and rooted in me at the earliest age. Funny how glimpses of your adulthood can be seen in certain childhood moments.
Every parent wants their child to be a reader. But, being a reader myself I feel like its crucial. To be able to sit down and have the rest of the world fade away while you dive in and swallow up a good book? Its a great feeling; relaxing, distracting, stress-relieving. Important. Imagination expanding.
So, I've been really working with Leah on her Alphabet and writing. We've started weekly Library visits where she spends about a half hour on the computer, and maybe 15-30 minutes playing with the trains. Obviously those things are distracting. Things
my library never had when I was a child. But while she does this, I walk around and pick out books. Sometimes we cuddle up together in a chair and read a short story.
One that we just borrowed that she is really enjoying is My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet. She told me she had a dream about it last night. Its a small chapter book. I love old classics.
Another of her favorites is No, David! by David Shannon. She thinks this book is so funny and loves the faces he makes.
***
About a month ago, Leah didn't completely know her ABC's. She forgot half of them and mixed up the other half. I came up with an idea to do some fun things that involved letters to help her. I made giant cut-outs of letters and let her stick foam letters on and stickers of words that started with that letter. We also started making an Alphabet-print book where I use her hand or foot to create a picture of something starting with a certain letter.
I also went to the dollar store and bought her some foam letters for the bath tub and an ABC Garanimals game. I picked her up a couple work books from Wal-Mart too. So, yes I spent some money but since I started all this, she knows her ABC's, and can pick out certain letters when asked. She's interested in writing too. And this says spending the little bit of money was worth it. She's learning, and loves it.
I hope she grows up to love words.
