In case you don't know this about me, I will tell you that I love to read. It's been a passion of mine since I was just a baby. I memorized the words from board books and made up words for picture books long before I even knew the alphabet. So, when I saw that there is a book that claims to give you ways to encourage your child to love reading from birth, I snapped it up. However, I was a little disappointed in the content, and actually didn't finish the whole book. I feel that you should know this up front before you read my review.
First, Jason Boog is not a pediatrician, educator, therapist, or behaviorist. He is a father and a blogger who has worked in the publishing industry. What I found while reading this book, is that he simply tells you what he did with his daughter, Olive, that worked for them. Yes, it worked for his one child. All children are different and respond differently to stimuli. And, although some people argue this fact, boys and girls are different! My son, who is a year old, does love to be read to, but he also loves to eat his books. He'd much rather have me set him in the floor and let him rip the pages out than read it. I can't imagine holding him on my lap to read more than one book at a time, and not a very long one at that. This doesn't mean that I don't read to him, it just means that I have to do it in our own way. I'm definitely not saying that Mr. Boog's ideas aren't good, and I have tried several of them (although some of them are still well beyond my son's understanding right now).
When you are a parent there is always someone telling you how to do things...or not do things. Your pediatrician tells you when to give this food or that food and what not to give your kids. Your parents and in-laws tell you how they did it when you and your spouse were kids. Your friends with children (especially those with older children) tell you what they did or do with their own children. So the last thing that you need is someone else telling you that what you're doing is wrong or needs to be improved. I feel like that was what Mr. Boog did in this book. I think I'll just keep on going at this thing in my own way. After all, my parents didn't make teaching me to love books a full-time job and I turned out to be quite the bibliophile.
If you're looking for some tips to help your child love reading better, you might find them in the first chapter or so of this book (after you make it through the lengthy Foreword). But if you're looking for some great secret to force them to love reading, it's pretty simple. Read to them. Engage them in stories. That, to me, is what this book basically boiled down to.
Happy Reading with your Family!
Lyndsie
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
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