Have you ever read a book to a child?

[Mary Garrison]

I've been a mother for 20 years and a preschool teacher for 10, so yes I love reading to children. My son was going through a phase where he absolutely hated reading but it was always homework. So I picked the book Hatchet and about an hour before bedtime we would go to his room and read. He would read a chapter then I would, those became some very cherished moments. My daughter was a very avid reader and about the time she started reading on her own she had no patience to be read to. We would often read the same book though so we could discuss it.

[Insightsintobooks729]

I read to my son at night. He loves books.

[BiljanaH]

Reading to my children is one of my favourite activities of the day. It is an ideal time for bonding, so they enjoy it too. I have two children, four and six years old, so every day at bedtime, we would pick one book each or sometimes one for both of them, read and then chat about it - what was funny, sad, good or bad, sweet and whatnot. The chat would usually turn into a conversation about events of the day too.

[SPasciuti]

I used to read to my brother, but I often got annoyed when he didn't pay attention. I really love reading to kids, though. The best is when they bring a book to me and ask me to read to them. Though, after the 50th reread of Curious George, I begin to get a little tired of reading the SAME book, lol. I've noticed that happens quite often when it comes to kids.

[AlainaElric]

Ever since I was a child, I was reading to other children. I currently read to my own children, ages 1 and 2 (about to be 3 and 2 in the next few months).

[uyky]

Never. But I would like to try it. Kids are honest so I could try all the voices and get an open feedback. And mostly I think it would be fun.

[Ladysy1]

Yes I enjoy reading to my young daughter.

[Maggie G]

I love reading to my kids! We spend hours and hours reading together. I can’t wait until they’re big enough for chapter books.

[Sanna Z]

I read with my younger siblings and, being an avid reader myself, was disappointed when they were not very interested in books. It took me some time to come to grips with the fact that not everyone enjoys reading and would like to do it in their free time (they both enjoy watching TV). Fortunately, they have now starting reading in their own time and seem to be interested.

[Mailis]

I've read to my kids when my throat hurts and I can barely speak, with a high fever, pneumonia and so on. I read to my older kid bedtime stories whilst pregnant with my second one, and had fun "evening sickness" bouts, so i basically read a bit, went and threw up, came back and continued reading. Because I think it is that special to have someone wanting to hear me read to them and enjoying it and starting to love books as well.

[flower21]

Yes, I think it is very important. I was a voracious reader as a child; I wish more kids today were.

[Camille Turner]

I read to kids all of the time! I can't think of any reason not to!

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

No. Though my parents used to read to me while I was a kid, I have not yet had the experience myself.I used to read for the class while at school. I tried reading to my mom once, but found that it would be better for both if we just read for ourselves separately!

[DATo]

True Story

When I was a senior in high school my niece was about 9 years old. She and I suffered from the same sense of isolation for though I had nine nephews and a niece there were no others young people in our extended family who were anywhere even close to my age (17 -18), and in her case, she was the only girl. Perhaps it was the recognition of this that drew us closer together. Though she was only nine I read passages of Hamlet to her which we happened to be covering in English Lit at the time and then I would "translate" it and explain what I had just read in plain, everyday English. I also read to her from Homer's Odyssey and drew her attention to Homer's descriptive metaphorical passages such as, "the wine dark sea", "the rosy-fingered dawn" and the "white-armed Nausicaa" as a reoccurring device which led to literary devices employed by authors in general, and eventually we got into the Greek gods and what they represented. Later we talked about the poetry of Keats and other poets both English and American and discussed the structure as well as the story of each poem covering such things as the meter, rhyme scheme, assimilation, metaphor etc.

As an adult my niece home schooled her four children through their primary school years and when they finally entered high school their scholastic aptitude tested far above the benchmarks required by the school system. She honored me by telling me that her teaching approach to all subjects was entirely based upon the way I interacted with her when she was a child and that she had used my explanatory technique to guide her. To say the least I was flabbergasted and practically moved to tears.

I believe if parents spent more time with their kids discussing the child's school subjects they could both get a lot out of it. I remember those discussions with my niece long ago with fondness. Her genuine wide-eyed interest in the things I read to her and which we later discussed remain with me today as some of my most cherished memories.

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[nikkyteewhy]

I love reading to children, the look of wonder in their eyes is priceless. They bombard me will a billion questions and I never get to finish the book. I enjoy every minute of it.