Picking books for bedtime

My girls are absolutely obsessed with reading and I'm to blame. A few friends realized how many books my children owned as we dropped off five boxes to donate to the church's book drive and it didn't put a dent into their home library.  My husband often get's on my case about the amount of books we own, but I stand by my belief that if children are surrounded by books and are read to nightly, they will develop a natural passion for not only reading but for learning. 

Tips for Choosing Bedtime Books~

Read Daily
Every night we have a routine of reading before bed.  Being an educator I always stressed reading 30 minutes a day and research proves the theory.  When I became pregnant I already had a small stash of books that somehow has accumulated over the years to our home library.  If you have not accumulated such a selection, swing by the library and grab a handful.

Try Variety
I am slightly obsessive with organizing certain things and books happen to be one of those things. We have holidays, science, history, girls, early readers, characters that look like me, etc.  Choose different genres and types of books.  Use your imagination and become the author/storyteller, no book is necessary.  You may even start reading a book and then put it down and change the ending. 

Teach the Concept of Time
If you don't have a lot of time, pick short books.  If you have a while, then let them pick a longer or thicker book.  Every night I have the girls pick three and follow the length of the book rule.  You may switch it up and say it's a one book night or a four books a night, depending on time. Before my oldest learned to read, I was the only one the would read the tall stacks of books.  As she became a little more confident as a reader, I would have her read one from the stacks.  She has since become such an avid reader that sometimes she will read the stack completely by herself. 

Talk About It
This will not only enhance the bond you are creating between yourselves, but also your child's comprehension.  Ask thier opinion.  Give yours. Ask questions.  Let them ask you questions.  How would they rate the book?  Do they know anyone like the character?   What would they do if in the same circumstances?

How do you and your child choose bedtime books?