At the beginning of October I read a New York Times article entitled, “Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children“. The article discussed how classic picture books — both old and new ones — were lanquishing on the shelves of libraries and bookstores. The primary reason for this change in parental attitude toward these basics of children’s literature have been layed aside because parents feel the pressure to push their child ahead academically into the chapter book level. As the curriculum for kindergarten has become more strenuous and less childlike, the purpose of picture books has been discounted.

I forwarded this link to my facebook page and the commentators were mostly teachers and children’s ministers who confirmed that this fact, along with the downturn of the economy, with changing the literary experience of our children today. This article haunted me for days. Everytime I sat down to read with one of my children I thought about how much reading meant to our family. I re-lived some of the fun we’ve had laughing at a book like Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type or Owen.

Schools are now pushing a more difficult curriculum down to the PreK level. By the time a child is in Kindergarten they are expected to already be well on the path to reading and writing complete ideas. Ironically, all three of my children learned to read in a timely (if not early) manner. People have always asked if I did some special program or flashcards with them. While I may have used some supplemental items, it was only because my child was interested in doing so…not because of my agenda. All three of my children have a stubborn streak a mile wide. We have no idea where that came from in our family…OK, they get it from both sides, poor things. In any case, if I had forced them into a curriculum they would have bucked it like a wild mustang. That’s just their personalities.

What I have done is provide books of all kinds around them. That’s why it makes me want to cry when I think of a child missing a beautiful story like Mama, Do You Love Me? which includes history and cultural information about the Inuit Tribes within it’s simple theme. Some of the best advice I got from my mother — a fourth grade teacher for 39 years — was to allow each child to have their favorite comfort books and then intersperse new books among those each day. Later on it translates like this:

EASY LEVEL – I often cuddle William (age 9) and Grace (age 6) in my lap to enjoy either a classic fairytale or an old (Easy Reading Picture Book) favorite like Diary of a Worm. We laugh and giggle about the funny illustrations and joke about how ironic some of the humor is within the text. It’s a really relaxed read of something that allows us to notice details we never pointed out before or things they were too young to understand a few years ago.

COMFORT (MIDDLE) LEVEL – William loves the whole Wimpy Kid series. He can sit and read it for hours and roll in laughter over each silly joke within. That’s his comfort book. (And I have to admit that neither my girls, nor I would pick these books as our comfort books.) It’s an easy read for him and he can understand all the context and meaning without a struggle.

ADVANCED – On other days, Dave is on a quest to read Harry Potter with William and enjoy the dramatic inflections and colorful writing that William might not capture in his own mind alone. Grace often sneaks in to listen, too. This would be an example of a book that is a stretch for William. By reading it to him he is able to relax and enjoy the meaning more fully as he follows along. His vocabulary and skills are increased as he sits beside his father in this way. William could probably read this to himself, but would get wrapped up in the mechanics of the language instead of the beauty of the story.

So, if you take a child and push them toward chapter books only, you miss a lot of the context clues and critical thinking skills that can be found within Picture Books and other forms of reading. It takes a balance of each of these to make your child a well rounded reader.

No matter what technology brings to our next generation, being a strong reader will always be the cornerstone of learning. Why not build that foundation as solidly as possible instead of rushing ahead to be at the highest level? As the mother of three readers, I can assure you that by offering this variety of interaction will make reading a joy instead of a chore for your child…and you, too.