Share a Story, Shape a Future Literacy Blog Tour: The Gift of Reading

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Today is day 2 of the Share a Story, Shape a Future Literacy Blog Tour and we are celebrating “the gift of reading!”  The gift of reading means different things to different people.  Tomorrow is World Read Aloud Day and Lit World asks, “What would you miss most if you could not read or write?”  Wow! What a loaded question!  The ability to read is a gift in itself for many.  For others, it’s using literature to find the gift of healthy eating or to find tiny “gifts” in the artwork or the language of the literature.  Still others find public libraries a gift – and with current budget cuts, public libraries are at risk – and access to hundreds of books for free! Helping a child find that “just right” book is a gift to some, watching your child read is a gift to many parents, and then there is the literal gift of reading.  One of the best ways to motivate and encourage readers young and old, is through the gift of a book.

The Gift of Reading: Pairing Books with Toys/Games/Activities

Do you find that your children are invited to an inordinate amount of birthday parties throughout the year?  Do you find yourself racking your brain for gift ideas for one birthday party after another?  After racking my brain each year, trying to come up with a “special” gift for each child whose party my son went to, I decided that the best gifts we could give were books.  So, I began to pair books with educational toys/games/activities for gifts.  They were a hit!  Here are a few “gifts of reading” you may want to consider the next time you must purchase a gift for a child:

Bubble Gum Activity Kit paired with Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy

Rock & Crystal Excavation Kit paired with Jump into Science: Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek

LEGO Harry Potter Freeing Dobby paired with LEGO Harry Potter Building the Magical World by DK Publishing (releasing May 30, 2011) or with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: 10th Anniversary Edition by J.K. Rowling

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Game! with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Playful Chef Baking Set with Kids’ Fun and Healthy Cookbook

To learn more about the gift of reading, check out these fabulous posts:

The Gift of Reading: Finding the ‘Gifts’ in Any Book by Amy Mascott of  TeachMama

Large or small, every book offers its own ‘gifts’ for readers.   All it takes is a closer look to recognize and better appreciate the gifts presented in characters, language, illustrations, plot, or theme.

My Picture Book Recipe for Raising Healthy Eaters by Dawn Morris of Moms Inspire Learning

Picture books are essential ingredients in all kinds of recipes for reading and learning. Can they inspire a whole new plate of healthy eating in children and their families?

A Gift, a Promise, a Commitment by Trina O’Gorman of  Book Loving Boys

Trina writes a personal story of the promise she made to her son to help him find the “right books” for him.

Giving the Gift of Literacy to New Parents by Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson’s Book Page

Jen Robinson talks about how you can give new parents the meaningful and long-lasting gift of supporting their children’s literacy. She shares tips for selecting books, a few recommended titles, and even a tip for how new parents can help with the process.

Dads Share Their Story: The Gift of Reading in Three Parts by Chris Singer of  Book Dads

Over at Book Dads today, there are a whole lot of dads sharing some thoughts about the “gift” they received as a dad upon witnessing their child being engaged with books or in reading. I’ve been blessed already with so many gifts as a dad, but the only thing I’ve ever really wanted (besides a happy, healthy girl) is a little girl who likes books. The picture below was the first time I ever saw my daughter do this and I can’t think of a greater gift for her to give to her dad than this. Probably one of my favorite pictures ever as well.

A Library Card of My Own by Melissa Taylor of Imagination Soup

If you want your child to be a reader, get him or her a library card. It’s the best gift you can give. Make the library work for your family with these suggestions . . .

Check out the Share a Story, Shape a Future blog to unwrap the gift of literacy and to see the complete blog roll for the week!

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Tags: literacy blog tours, Share a Story Shape a Future, the gift of reading