What To Do with Grandchildren
Bond with your grandchildren by reading a book with them, and create memories that will last a lifetime!
Reading to children is the single most important activity leading to their success and love of reading and learning. It helps build their language skills. It also inspires curiosity, imagination, and cultural awareness.
You can spend relaxing time together by connecting with a story. Giving them your attention may help each of you learn more about one another.
Help nurture a love of reading by keeping books and reading material lying around your home. Keep copies of the newspaper and the Sunday comics close by. Leave books about fun facts on the coffee table to fascinate young minds. The Guinness Book of World Records is always interesting. And picture books about nature and animals are also intriguing for beginner readers.
Allow the child to choose a book or topic so you can learn about their interests. Be happy to re-read the same stories over and over to help build confidence and reading skills. Take time to discuss pictures, and don’t ask too many questions; allow them to interrupt. Let them take the lead in discussing interesting parts of the story. And make plenty of sound effects to encourage the child to be interested and participate.
Reading to children is the single most important activity leading to their success and love of reading and learning. It helps build their language skills. It also inspires curiosity, imagination, and cultural awareness.
You can spend relaxing time together by connecting with a story. Giving them your attention may help each of you learn more about one another.
Help nurture a love of reading by keeping books and reading material lying around your home. Keep copies of the newspaper and the Sunday comics close by. Leave books about fun facts on the coffee table to fascinate young minds. The Guinness Book of World Records is always interesting. And picture books about nature and animals are also intriguing for beginner readers.
Allow the child to choose a book or topic so you can learn about their interests. Be happy to re-read the same stories over and over to help build confidence and reading skills. Take time to discuss pictures, and don’t ask too many questions; allow them to interrupt. Let them take the lead in discussing interesting parts of the story. And make plenty of sound effects to encourage the child to be interested and participate.
Recommended book series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Recommended for ages 8–12) Written by Jeff Kinney. This series of books comprises a young man’s journals filled with notes and drawings. He is a wise-cracking middle school student going through his daily adventures. The books average about 217 pages and take a little over an hour to read. There are nine books in the series.
Harry Potter (Start at ages 7–9) Written by J.K. Rowling. The book series follows a young man discovering his magical powers with the help of his friends while attending school for witchcraft and wizardry. He faces off against a dark wizard while learning about his family history. Pages in the books range from 309 to 870. There are seven books in the series.
The Magic Tree House (Start at ages 6-8) Written by Mary Pose Osborne. The first series of books involves two children on many adventures with a magical tree house. They work to free one from a spell, solve ancient riddles, and become Master Librarians. The second series of books is called Merlin Missions and deals with Merlin the Magician and takes place in fantasy realms. The books average about 70 pages. There are 63 books in the series.
A book series is a great way to get kids to read more books. If they liked the first book in the series, they know they’ll enjoy the next book. Keep the series of books at your home to excite them and encourage their anticipation by making plans for their next visit. The next time your grandchildren visit, make plans to snuggle up with a book in a special corner of your home with a warm cup of hot chocolate or apple cider.
