If my children had not been surrounded by picture books when they were very young, there is no way they would have become the advanced readers and learners they are today.
Picture books provide the window to our inner and outer worlds, and people of all ages can learn something from them. Yet, they have become such an underutilized resource within many of our homes and schools. Why? Hmmm....testing, our busy lives, our obsession with moving on to the next best thing, our desire for quick fixes, to name a few.
As a graduate student of childhood education, I was so happy that most of my professors encouraged students to incorporate as much high quality literature into our lesson plans as we possibly could. I was in heaven researching the best of children's books, and I knew that they were the single best resource for inspiring a love of reading and learning in students of all ages. My children were living proof.
Unfortunately, as I put together some amazing book lists, lesson plans, and units, it became clear that I would have little time to create and use them while I was working in the public schools. Teachers have so many responsibilities and time constraints, and a simple read-aloud is often considered a luxury. So, with teachers being so busy, parents can no longer depend on them to inspire a love of reading in their children.
That's why I was happy to read about a charter school in Massachusetts where college students are visiting K - 2 classrooms, and are sparking some pretty amazing conversations using picture books! You can call them philosophical discussions, or you can call them exercises in critical thinking...but it's astounding how a simple resource can transform the learning environment. You can read all about how this school is bringing picture books to life in The New York Times article, The Examined Life, Age 8.
Please note that this program was started by Thomas E. Wartenberg, who wrote the book, Big Ideas for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy through Children's Literature. It's an extremely useful resource for homeschooling parents and teachers who want to learn how to facilitate meaningful discussions relating to children's books. It also can be an eye-opening read for parents, but I'd caution against turning every read-aloud into a learning plan. It's more important to find high quality books to read and discuss informally together - just for the fun of it.
There's also a related wiki at www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org, where parents, teachers, and young children can find thought-provoking questions relating to many different children's books. I like it because you can take just one of those questions and see where the conversation goes from there. Sometimes, your child might not want to talk though, and that's okay (there's a lot to be said for simply reading a whole book all the way through without disrupting the flow). Or, your child may think of things on her own that an adult would never think of! The possibilities are endless, really.
Picture books may be dying out as a resource within many of our public schools, but it doesn't mean we can't bring them to life in our homes. Sometimes, it's the simple things that are right in front of us that can really transform our lives.
I can't imagine raising my children without all kinds of high quality literature. I hope you're enjoying the time reading and sharing books with your children as much as I am! It's a great way to spend quality time together, no matter how busy we may be.