To better understand me, as Mom, understand that I like to do my homework first before starting a project. Luckily, I was surrounded by great people who knew a lot about literacy and young children. I was so concerned about how I was going to help my kids learn to read and what great software or video program was out there to help them get a head start before entering school. This was all before my first born came into the world. The advice was this: read to your children every day and go experience the world with them.
Here is my first born, just seven days old. I’m overwhelmed with our new addition and the idea that this experience is really real! My baby and I sat down in a comfy recliner and I started to read “A Giraffe and a Half”, by Shel Silverstein.
Shel Silverstein is one of our most favorite authors that both my husband and I have enjoyed, especially as children. It was great! It was a big surprise that this little tiny baby actually listened through the whole book! At other times he fell asleep, which was another blessing at that time.
The reasoning behind reading with rhyme, in my opinion and from what I have read:
- It teaches your child to hear the pattern when you read out loud.
- Finding patterns is one of the many strategies toward understanding mathematics
- Reading this particular book by Shel Silverstein shows the child about adding more to what you began with. In the middle of the story, things are taken away, or subtracted from the giraffe. Ultimately, you begin with a giraffe and then ended with just the giraffe.
- Realistically, for a baby, this is a great start!
copyright 2012 learning math with mom
