Read To Your Children by Senator Susan Collins

Senator Susan Collins - Maine

“I cannot live without books,” Thomas Jefferson once said, and his enthusiasm was hardly overstated. I share President Jefferson’s love of a good book and a comfortable stretch of time in which to read it. But reading is also a pleasure that has to be cultivated, and it is vital for parents to expose their children to books at an early age. Taking just 30 minutes a day to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience.

Children whose parents read to them three or more times a week are almost twice as likely to be able to identify every letter of the alphabet. They are also more likely to be able to count to 20, write their own names, and read or pretend to read. When a child enters kindergarten already recognizing letters and familiar with books, she or he is better prepared to learn and less likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read.

Capturing the spirit of the day can be done through one simple act: provide a loving lap for a child and spend some time opening his or her world through a book. I applaud all schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, our parents, for their commitment to teaching America’s children the joys of reading.