Three nights a week I have my six year old grandson Miles for a sleepover. At bedtime, be it 8 or 9 o’clock, depending on whether or not it’s a school night, I never just tuck him in and leave him alone to fall asleep. I climb in bed, and with him snuggled up in my arms, we read one of his favorite books for the umpteenth time. Then we turn out the lights. “Papa, it’s tummy time!” he says, as he climbs onto my belly. And in a state of supreme contentment, he falls asleep with his head on my chest.
But Miles gets more than just learning how to read at times like this. He gets a big dose of love and validation that supports these moments of learning. This is crucial. For him, reading is a nurturing act surrounded, embedded in warmth, closeness and all things good. This is a great motivator.
I think of all the children who are never read to by anyone at home. Worse, the TV is constantly blaring. Those kids only get to read when in school and then it’s a chore they have to work at.
The good feelings Miles has around learning is surely one reason why he does so well in school and is so interested in everything to do with language. In the car, he loves to play word games. He has even taken to playing crossword puzzles.
One day, we were together and I had a lot of phlegm that I was coughing up. “Papa, what’s in your throat?” he asked. “Phlegm,” I said. “Hey, there’s one of those funny word that are not spelled at all like it sounds. Miles, what do you think is the first letter of ffff-phlegm? He paused a moment, and said, “P H, like phone.” I fell over.
Get a book in your child’s hands from the earliest age. Snuggle up and read. This act of love will serve them for a lifetime.