Hello, again!
Before we take a look at additional books we used this year in our Christmas Advent tradition, I feel like we should talk about reading to children.
But first, a word about screen time. With only a few days remaining until all that Christmas joy gets unpacked, and a to-do list that gets longer by the second, screens have been our constant companion lately. As I type, we are knee deep in a day long movie marathon, complete with phones and tablets. There have been video games, texts, and books. There should always be books.
According to this study, the Nations Report Card found a decline in the national average for reading. In some cases, that drop was as much as 2 points. Now, that might not seem so bad, unless you factor in the near 3 point decline in the years before.
In another study, referenced here, we see a correlation between screen time and the decrease in what they are calling “reading stamina”. That article highlights how a deeper, slower connection needs to be made between the brain and the words on the page, in order to understand what is being read. While Ohio State University, found a large discrepancy between children who were read to and those who were not.
Here are a few we’ve unwrapped lately.
One of my boys, loves this movie, but some in the family feel it’s a little much. The book though, is just right. Ours even comes with a free, downloadable reading done by a famous actor, complete with sound effects.
Of course, no Christmas book list would be complete without this timeless poem. This version happens to be our favorite. The illustrations switch between simple and beautiful, to stunning, full page, colorful spreads.
Another Christmas classic, and one of my personal favorites! When my girls were younger, and we would watch this online, we would jokingly say that one did not simply watch The Nutcracker. Complete with tutus, crowns, and even a Nutcracker Doll, this always became an interactive event for 3 little girls in our house.
That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more of our favorites.
If you missed Part 1, you can find it here. But! Be sure to subscribe and receive posts delivered straight to your inbox. It’s not as fun as the way Santa delivers things, but its close.
In the meantime, remember, there should always be books, and tutus, and movies, and twinkly lights, and dancing, and…..
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