World Read Aloud Day - My Earliest Reading Memory

World Read Aloud Day is March 6, 2014, and I decided to participate in the World Read Aloud Blogging Challenge. I'm excited to celebrate the day with my students and colleagues! Learn more about the challenge and get resources for WRAD 14 here.

Week 1 - What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?

My parents read to my younger sister and I very often as children, especially my mom. I loved to read with her, and believe that being read aloud to each day helped shape me into the reader and person that I am today. I believe that books have power. They connect readers to others in very special ways and allow young children to learn important lessons through conversations with those that read to them. My family has pictures of myself in a big chair "reading" to my little sister - of me trying to be like mom.

One of the books my mom would read aloud to us was The Runaway Bunny, and it is the first book that I felt like I could read myself. I have very vivid memories of being so proud of myself because I could read it. My mom had read it so many times I knew it by heart and could read it on my own.

As we got older she still read to us, the books just changed. One I still remember reading with her and my sister was Black Beauty. I loved those quite times.

As a teacher I love reading and inspiring students to love reading through carefully selected read alouds. Picking books that your kids can connect with is critical, and making them entertaining is even more important!

I'm not 100% sure what World Read Aloud Day will look like in my school and classroom yet, but here are a few things I know ...
 - I'll read something new from one of our favorite authors
 - Book trailers will be involved
 - We'll involve other classrooms
 - I want students reading aloud to each other too
 - We'll create something digital to share about our day
 - We need to have poetry involved

So, thanks Mom for reading to me as a kid! We'll share WRAD with you!