THE IMPORTANCE OF READING TO AND WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS

If you are anything like me, you savor your reading and what you learned from this valuable activity. I am very fortunate that most of my Grandkids are avid readers. How much of that comes from the many beautiful hours of us reading to and with them when they were small? I know they carry a book everywhere they go; some may be because they only see their Grandpa with a book by his side. They emulate much more of what they see and do than what they are told.

Over a century ago, a savvy industrialist named Andrew Carnegie recognized the Magic of reading. The way Words of knowledge and wisdom are delivered may have changed. It is due in no small part to the vision and generosity of this giant of his time.

The Andrew Carnegie Libraries are a network of public libraries established by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Between 1883 and 1929, Carnegie donated $56.2 million ($3.8 Billion in today’s dollars)to build 2,509 libraries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Serbia, Belgium, France, the Caribbean, Mauritius, Malaysia, and Fiji.

Carnegie libraries were essential in developing public education and literacy in the United States. They provided access to books and other resources that would not have been available otherwise, and they helped to foster a love of reading and learning in communities of all sizes.

Carnegie’s motivation for building libraries was twofold. First, he believed that libraries were essential for self-improvement and civic engagement. Second, he saw libraries as a way to promote the American ideal of democracy.

The Carnegie libraries were designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their social or economic status. They were typically located in central locations and were open to the public for free. The libraries also offered various services, such as reading rooms, meeting rooms, and children’s programming.

The Carnegie Libraries had a profound impact on the development of public libraries in the United States and around the world. They helped to make books and information more accessible to people of all backgrounds. They also played a role in promoting literacy and education.

Many of the Carnegie libraries remain in use today. They are cherished landmarks in their communities and continue to serve as important centers of learning and culture.

I tell this story to reinvigorate you to zero in on the importance of reading with your Grandchildren. I like to have them tell me about their books, and I always share what I read with them when appropriate. I don’t preach; I share when those teaching moments present themselves.

I recognize that this generation is consuming information from many different sources, some of which I have never heard of. Please don’t let that dissuade you; I just ask them to show it to me.
Nothing I do creates a more meaningful connection with my small grandkids than reading with them. Many of the most significant and long-duration conversations with my preteen and teen Grandkids than what they are reading and how that applies to where they are on their journey.

Thank You for being a Caring Grandparent.