Monthly Archives: February 2014

Read Alouds Really Do Matter

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I’m blessed to be in Wyoming with Emma and Caden (our 12 and 8 year old) and 6 of my nieces and nephews.  My younger sister Kathi and her husband have out-of-town obligations this coming week.  I’m filling in during their absence after having learned their routines and the layout of Jackson last week.

Today I cooked 3 meals for myself and 8 children, got everyone to church on time, negotiated nap time for a 2 and 4 year old, planned our meals and purchased groceries for the week, supervised their family’s weekly cleaning day, got 2 loads of laundry done, bathed the youngest two and had all 8 tucked into bed on time.

Quite honestly, I’m pooped.  I was ready to sit down and put my feet up 3 hours ago.  I could have easily justified eliminating tonight’s bedtime stories with the youngest 2 but I powered through because Read Alouds Really Do Matter.

Read Alouds

My nieces have many of their books memorized and “read” several of the pages with me.  In fact, Grace (it won’t surprise you that she’s 2) corrected my meter for We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.  Apparently, my sister and I have a different rhythm for the book’s refrain.

Carli and Grace are clearly reaping the many benefits of being read to.  Reading aloud to children:

  • Exposes children to rich, sophisticated language, structure, and vocabulary
  • Increases a child’s attention span, listening skills, and working memory
  • Cultivates a child’s creativity and imagination
  • Fosters a love of reading and learning
  • Introduces children to people, places, things, and events around the world and throughout history
  • Nurtures the emotional bond between parents and children

I love that Kathi has several of the same board books for her children that I had when my children were little.  We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Rosen and Oxenbury) and Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown) brought back a flood of memories.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle), Blue Hat, Green Hat (Sandra Boynton), Sheep in a Jeep (Nancy Shaw), and Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Gerald and Piggie books were also some of our favorites.

Research indicates that the benefits of reading aloud to children continue into their pre-teen years (as a child’s reading level doesn’t catch up to his listening level until eighth grade).   My own children are no longer toddlers and our read alouds have certainly changed, but reading aloud is still a part of our daily routine.  Not only have we read (or listened to) several books aloud for pleasure this year (Charlotte’s Web, Matilda, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Peter Pan) but we’ve read increasingly for academic study reading no less than 8 books aloud (each) for the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and marine biology.

I suspect (as the week goes on and fatigue sets in) there will be evenings when I might not want to read a pile of books to my nieces.  No doubt about it – parenting well requires sacrificial love and diligence.  But keep your eye on the prize!  Ultimately, reading aloud is an investment with guaranteed dividends.  Your commitment to reading aloud with your children every day will pay off one-hundred fold in the long run.

What are your family’s favorite read alouds for pre-school and school aged children?  Join the conversation by replying at the top of this post.

Before you leave the site, follow my blog (top, right of this post).  It’s quick and easy 🙂

For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html.

Bacon Really Does Matter

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Bacon…  See, I typed the word and you read it, and now we both feel better.  I don’t really know why, but we do.  At the risk of sounding sappy this early in the blog, bacon brings back memories and it tastes amazing.  Dare I say it?  Bacon is a force to be reckoned with!  Let me list some of the things that have the “bacon” brand attached to them.  Bacon soap, bacon chapstick, bacon salt, bacon brownies, bacon wrapped hamburgers, bacon wrapped anything, and bacon cologne.  The last one was actually created by John Farginnay in 1920.

* Side note to the above paragraph – The bacon soap was a gift from great friends and the bacon chapstick was swag from a tech conference.  My wife would not let me use either one…

I feel like I’ve already made my case and I’m just getting started.  You see, dear reader, bacon Really Does Matter.

bacon

According to www.icanhasinternets.com (sounds credible) 70% of all bacon in the United States is eaten at breakfast.   But are there health benefits?  I’m glad you asked!  According to bacontoday.com – “Bacon is chock full of a very important nutrient called “choline,” which helps increase our intelligence and memory” and benefits fetal brain development.  “Bacon provides us with substantial amounts of the important, necessary vitamins and minerals.”  And “several university and medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular, moderate part of one’s diet naturally works to lower the body’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels.”  105 year-old Pearl Cantrell is living proof of the power of bacon.  She eats bacon every day and attributes her longevity to the beloved meat.  “I don’t feel as old as I am, that’s all I can say.”

But I digress…  The reason bacon really matters to me may surprise you…  Bacon means memories.  I remember waking to the smell of bacon growing up and thinking, “life is good.”  I remember the Super Bowl party where dear friends brought chocolate-covered bacon to the event.  I ate five pieces before I even realized what was happening.  And then there’s “Doc.”  We have a men’s group at my church and I would do anything for those guys.  We share bacon most Wednesdays and we “do life” together.  About a year ago, we lost a member of the “bacon brothers.”  “Doc” – Kevin Hertel – went home to be with the Lord and left an empty seat at our table.  His quick wit and servant heart was an example to us all.  Great memories!

Help me celebrate August 30th, 2014 this year.  It is International Bacon Day.  (Yes, it’s really a thing.)  It’s a social holiday and that makes sense to me.  Bacon may not solve the world’s problems, but it does make us feel happier.  And we all know we could use a whole lot of happiness these days.

What are your favorite bacon recipes?  Join the conversation by replying at the top of this post.

I must clarify.  My wife (for whom I’m guest blogging) prefers turkey bacon and would probably have chosen a different topic to blog about, but you get what you get when you invite me to guest blog.  Before you leave the site, you should follow my wife’s blog (top, right of this post).  It’s quick and easy and (with the possible exception of this post) relevant for parents and educators.

For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html.  You won’t want to miss it!