27Jan
What’s What Wednesday: Reading to “BIG” children
Is it still important to read to our bigger children? Reading with children at any age continues to be the best way to promote literacy skills, new perspectives and parent-child quality time. Reading aloud and discussing the content of the text, will open the door to your children’s world. The child may present their ideas, feelings and insights about different issues the book may convey.
Today, Sunshine State Counseling Center presents a list of five insightful and educational chapter books you can read with your “BIG” child:
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan: Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico and go to work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farmworkers.
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith:Growing up in the dirty, crime-ridden tenements of Brooklyn in the early 1900s, Francie Nolan has to be tough to survive. Determined to become a writer, Francie fights her way out of the slums with the resilience of the “Tree of Heaven,” a special tree that can grow and thrive even in the most inhospitable environments.
- Pippi Long Stocking by Astrid Lindgren: Pippi is a unique and lovable character, inspiring generations of children. Pippi is an irrepressible, irreverent, and irrefutably delightful girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in her wacky house, Villa Villekulla. She causes trouble but never stops being the most generous child there is!
- Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier: Beatrice dreams with going to school. But she is part of a small African village where only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away — a goat! Mugisa (which means “luck”) the goat, gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa’s help, it looks as if Beatrice’s dream may come true after all.
- Eerie Elementary series by Jack Chabert, illustrated by Sam Ricks:What would you do if your elementary school tried to eat you? Sam Graves is the new hall monitor and can’t help feeling like the school is out to get him. With the help of his two friends and a mysterious custodian, Sam must get the school under control before it devours every last student.
Please visit www.sscc.center for more information on the importance of reading with our children.