Sharing Books

I have been visiting the H. family for brothers' J and D's whole lives. I have watched them both grow and develop into little men. Both brothers are used to the routine of our home visits and can anticipate what I am going to do next and what the expectations are for them. They know they have to keep the TV off, that they have to keep all of the toys I bring on my "magic carpet", they come sit in either Mom's or my lap for our songs and fingerplays, and that they have to help clean everything up so that they can have a sticker before I leave. They also know my routine sharing books. On each of the 110 home visits I have had with J, I always share a book then after reading it aloud I hand it to Mom to read, she then hands it to J. J typically then shares the book with his brother, pointing out the pictures he thinks his brother would like the most (usually bugs, trucks and airplanes), then when finished he hands it to his brother for his turn. Mom said that they have brought this routine into their own story time at home, and when his sisters read him their school books they have learned that J expects to be handed the book to read back to them. Mom reported that when J finds a book around the house he finds brother to show it to. Mom and I also discussed how this book sharing shows how J understands the value of books, desires routine, and also about how important it is to model expected behavior, since he is always watching Mom to learn how to behave.

JT