There are so many benefits to reading with our young children. Of course, we have heard that reading stories makes them more likely to develop advanced vocabularies, show higher reading comprehension, and become avid readers as they grow. Who wouldn’t want that?
Lin Lim and I recently wrote a book titled Using Picture Books to Help Little Ones Learn About Themselves. While we acknowledge the proven academic benefits of reading, we focus most of our attention on the social and emotional benefits of connecting with young children through shared reading time. Lin and I both have several 2e teenagers at home, and we acknowledge that it has been and continues to be a challenging parenting journey. But our deep connection with our teens gives us strength when challenging times come.
In Using Picture Books, we examine how parents and teachers of young children can address “tricky topics” such as perfectionism, worry, and accepting differences in themselves and others by reading wonderful picture books with engaging characters who struggle a bit too. Even young children can often see themselves in these engaging characters as they cuddle up in a safe space with their parents. This is true for young children in a classroom as well. When students feel safe and seen within their classroom community, these books can be used to address challenges that arise. It is less threatening or scary for children to talk about the challenges of a character in a story than to discuss these feelings in themselves. As a veteran teacher, I can assure you that it is much easier to work with a worried five-year-old than a school-avoidant, anxiety-filled fifteen-year-old.
“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” Swedish Proverb
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde
“One of the greatest gifts adults can give - to their offspring and to their society - is to read to children.” Carl Sagan
Our intention in writing this book for parents was to provide a curated list of over forty picture books to read that will promote a strong connection with their children. Additionally, the strategies in our book have been chosen based on the most recent research in the field, and we make this information easy and quick to read since we know parents of young children are extremely busy. Here are a few of our recommendations:
The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates - This lovely story is told by a warm-hearted red umbrella who expands to shelter others no matter what. Parents will love this story of inclusion, while children will enjoy the kind message.
Red by Michael Hall - A blue crayon wearing a red label grows up believing he is red, but he struggles to draw like a red crayon. He feels like a failure until a new friend asks him to draw blue things, and he can’t believe how easy and fun it is to create blueberries and oceans! When he focuses on his strengths, he feels happy and successful. Children will love the absurdity of the story.
There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent - This is a timeless classic about a boy who sees a small dragon in his house, but the adults assure him it is not there. As the boy continues to ignore the dragon, he grows bigger, and the dragon picks up the house and carries it down the street. When the little boy acknowledges the dragon, it shrinks back to its small size, and they live happily ever after. Adults and children will enjoy the metaphor for anxiety in the form of a dragon.
These are just a few examples of charming picture books that we recommend that address those “tricky topics.” Our book will help you feel less alone in your parenting journey as Lin and I also include some of the antics of our own neurodivergent children along the way!
Lin and I recently attended a webinar to discuss our new book. I invited my father from Virginia since the event was virtual, and I knew he was interested in our discussion. Near the end of our talk, I asked him how he felt about our thoughts on connection through reading. He paused a moment and then sadly admitted that, as a single father, he wished he had read with my sister and me more often when we were younger. I quickly pointed out that my sister and I were both avid readers and that our close connection with him came from the love of music that we shared. Every night for many years, my father and I played trombone-clarinet duets together, and we performed professionally in my teen years. I assured him that reading is merely one way to promote a deep connection with our children - music and other activities are another.
Speaking now as a parent whose 19-year-old son is moving away tomorrow to start his first job as a software engineer, I can promise that the days may go by slowly, but the years fly by. Spend quality time building those close connections through reading or another activity, and together, you and your children will reap the benefits in spades when times are smooth and when challenges arise.
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The Bentley Center was founded by Gayle Bentley to provide support and education for gifted and twice-exceptional children and their families. She has taught in the public school system since 1999 and holds a doctoral degree in cognitive diversity in education.
Gayle serves on the boards of the California Association of the Gifted (CAG) and Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) and regularly presents clinics at state and national conferences about gifted education and twice-exceptionality. She recently published her first book with Dr. Lin Lim, Using Picture Books to Help Little Ones Learn About Themselves.
As the mother of three amazing neurodivergent sons, Gayle understands this journey. Her empathy for parents, as they seek an individualized “best fit” for their children’s educational needs and behavioral challenges, led to the development of The Bentley Center.