Reading Dads

Love this article about the influence that fathers can have on their children's reading experiences.

I have great memories of reading with both of my parents. I think the fact that they loved to read and read with me definitely influenced my own desire to read, and subsequent love of reading.

There's a fun story we like to tell in my family about my dad's reading habits. He would often get so caught up in a book that he would lose all track of time or whatever was going on around him. (Do you know the feeling?) One night he went shopping at K-Mart and bought a new book. Apparently he was so interested in this book that he started reading it in the parking lot, and kept reading until about 3 in the morning! We love to tease him about that, but then I've also had experiences where I forgo sleep because I can't put a book down- I'm just usually in my bedroom. That's the kind of reading love I'd like to foster in my students and children someday. Granted, I don't want them reading in parking lots, but I'd love for them to experience the joy of being caught up in the world of words. Thanks to both of my parents for helping me to find that love!

Happy (late) Father's Day to all the wonderful father figures out there. Although we tend to focus a lot on mothers, never forget that you play an equally significant role in the lives of your children!