I was wandering around the children’s section of the library last week. I must have looked confused because the librarian walked over to me and asked if she could help me. I was trying to find some books for Tyler. I love having a gifted child but they don’t come with instructions and I am finding it harder and harder to figure out just what it is I am supposed to do with the kid. Take books for instance. He’s reading above his level and finding books that he likes is hard. I usually end up getting books that are too babyish or too above his level. The ones that offer a hint of the supposed level are great but there are many, many more that you have to simply figure the level out for yourself.
Several months ago, we progressed to chapter books for our bedtime story, along with usually a lighthearted or funny book, if I can find one. We usually take turns reading the chapter books– he’ll read a page and I’ll read a page. Or sometimes I do all the reading. As a standard we read two chapters a night. That could mean anywhere from 10-20 pages. Since we read so much I run out of books quick and find myself having to continuously replenish our stash. Which was why I was wandering around the library in a daze in the first place.
Putting aside my foolish pride, I poured out my dilemma to the librarian. After all, I reasoned, that’s why she’s there anyway— to help. And help she did. She offered many suggestions on appropriate books for Tyler and pointed me in the direction of where I could find additional books for him. The point I am trying to make is that we should not overlook the many sources of help as we try to parent our kids.
If you read my blogs regularly you know how I feel about kids and reading. But like me you might not be sure which books are appropriate for your child or just where to go to find out. That’s where your friendly librarian can help. She actually picked put half a dozen good chapter books for Tyler. Then she walked me to the reference section and showed me several books that offered age-appropriate book listings. Best of all, she encouraged me to go to the library’s website and use this neat little tool that they have. It’s a search engine where you can type in criteria and you will be presented with a list of books that meet your requirements. The database lists over 92,000 different books(not just kids books)!
Being a parent is hard sometimes but you don’t have to go it alone, help is always there , you just have to ask for it.
See also:
Tips To Help Your Child Become A Better Reader
Ten Ways To Motivate Your Child To Read