Read Aloud Magic: Give Your Child the Gift of Knowledge! (Child Development and Parenting Skills)
Remove the TV from the bedroom and install some bookshelves. Take charge!

These are Great Books for Any Parent

Each book provides excellent parenting information and insight.

These are all great books for parents. I'm certain you'll find them to be both interesting and informative. For your convenience, each of the book cover images below are graphic links to that book's detailed information and sales page at Amazon.com. So go ahead and take a look...

"One's mind, once stretched by a new idea,
never regains its original dimensions."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning, by Karen Andreola. Although written mostly for homeschooling parents, I found it to be a great resource for any parent, grandparent, or teacher who is concerned about a child’s literacy development and intellectual growth. Karen Andreola beautifully delivers examples of how she has raised, taught, and enriched her children using the methods of Charlotte Mason. As an educator, everything I read told me she absolutely “gets it.” This book illustrates the reason why Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education does work. You’ll see why she chose Mason’s methods, what she did to implement them, and tips to insure your success. This was a birthday gift for me from my daughter. My granddaughter, Lucy Mae, is attending kindergarten in a school which practices Mason’s philosophy. It warms my heart!


Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, by Ben Carson, M.D. and Cecil Murphey. Ben Carson grew up in inner-city Detroit and went from failing grades in the 5th grade to Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital at age 33. The book describes how and why his poor and illiterate mother, struggling for answers to reverse her sons' negative direction, decided to bring books and reading into their lives. It's an amazing story and today children and teenagers, wanting to follow in Dr. Carson’s footsteps, have started their own reading clubs at schools and in their neighborhoods, promising to read books and limit the time they spend watching TV. Every parent should read this book about Ben Carson's childhood and how his mother, and reading, totally changed his life.


Helen Keller: A photographic story of her life, by Leslie Garrett. No doubt, you already know the story of Helen Keller. However, most people don't know the details about this remarkable woman and the focused, committed teacher who changed her life. There are many books about Helen Keller that tell her story in greater detail, but I recommend this particular book for many reasons. It does an excellent job conveying her overall story in a somewhat condensed format. It's a relatively easy book to read and will appeal to the greatest number of parents. It makes a wonderful Read Aloud for the more mature child. And last but not least, it's the ultimate "can do" story. It shows all of us how a persistent and consistent effort can overcome even the biggest challenges. Everyone should read it.


For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School, by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. "For the Children's Sake is a book which can help every parent and teacher awaken the young minds of their children and give them a new richness, stability, and joy for living." This is an outstanding book and contains practical and proven strategies that have been used successfully, for many years, to enrich children's minds and increase their reading success. It is based on Charlotte Mason's philosophy and reflects a moderate Christian perspective. It focuses on the "narration technique" for reading with young children. It clearly explains the needs of children in terms of their educational foundation, and shows how education can be a joyous and enriching experience. Highly recommended!


Children: The Challenge. by Rudolf Dreikurs, M.D. Effective parenting skills go hand-in-hand with Read Aloud goals. The book's back cover summarizes it well: "Dr. Dreikurs, one of America's foremost child psychiatrists, presents an easy-to-follow program that teaches parents step-by-step how to cope with the common childhood problems that occur from toddler through preteen years. This warm and reassuring reference helps you understand your children's actions better, giving you the guidance you need to discipline lovingly and effectively... Children: The Challenge offers excellent advice and proven strategies for parents who want to build love and trust in their families, helping them to raise happier, healthier, and better behaved children." Every parent should read this book.


The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, by Gary Chapman, Ph.D. This book got a lot of attention when it was published in 1992. Now, although it's no longer "new," the information is as good as ever and should be required reading for every married couple. My rationale is simple. First, it's wonderfully enlightening and is a lot of fun if you and your spouse read it, and then discuss it, together. You'll learn a lot about each other and this insight could become the catalyst for strengthening your relationship. Second, I believe the stronger your relationship is with your spouse the better your home environment will be and the better your parenting skills will become. And, isn't that consistent with our Read Aloud goals?


The Five Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman, Ph.D. and Ross Campbell, M.D. This wonderfully insightful book is the result of a collaboration between these two renown authors. It focuses on unique factors effecting the parent-child relationship and the book describes it best. "Each child, like an adult, expresses and receives love through one of five different communication styles. This truth can work against parents who speak different love languages than their children. However, when properly prepared, moms and dads can use this information to help them meet their children's deepest emotional needs." As a parent, you can learn to speak your child's love language and strengthen the bonds between each another. This book definitely provides quality parenting insights.

To Your Read Aloud Success,
Signature
Susan Frankenberg
Read Aloud Coach and
Author of Read Aloud Magic
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Susan Frankenberg: Read Aloud Coach and Author of Read Aloud Magic.