It’s a shame that minutes reserved for reading aloud poems or any other kind of literature typically go down as a child’s age goes up. Along with the time your child spends constructively learning a craft or a sport, or practicing a tune or a two-step, make time for rhyme.
Remember to bring all kinds of print into children’s lives via board games, diaries, scripts for plays and puppet shows, grocery and to-do lists, song sheets, sports or hobby magazines, recipes, love notes, letter-writing, secret codes, nature journals, menus, and maps – all related to other constructive uses of time. Keep the books coming since experts recommend exposure to at least 100 per year – not likely if one confines book reading to school turf.
Ask
Act
For one week, notice time use. Then hold a family meeting to talk about any changes family members would like to make: fewer competitive activities, more creative ones, scheduled one-to-one times? Does daily reading rate a place in your schedule?
| CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME IN A WEEK | HOURS |
|---|---|
| SPORTS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND SKILL-BUILDING | |
| TIME SPENT OUTDOORS | |
| CREATIVE OR DRAMATIC PLAY, UNSTRUCTURED FREE TIME | |
| ORGANIZED GROUP ACTIVITIES (YMCA, GUIDES, ETC.) | |
| ENGAGEMENT IN HOBBIES, COLLECTIONS, OR GAMES | |
| READ-ALOUD TIME AND INDEPENDENT READING | |
| HOMEWORK OR CHORES |