Looking forward to Shabbat! We are pleased to share a few words from Rochelle Baron, our wonderful preschool director at Hedwig Gruenewald Early Childhood Center: A few weeks ago I read an article entitled “Is E-Reading to Your Toddler Story Time, or Simply Screen Time?” in the Sunday New York Times. The idea of it all almost brought me to tears. I am of the school of people who consider ‘real books’, those with spines and book jackets and tons of pages, to be sacred and treasured. Who among us can’t remember the joy of snuggling in someone’s lap with a soft light shining onto the printed text? Remember the excitement of turning a page to find out what happens next, or thumbing back to the beginning of a chapter to re-discover a beloved phrase or thought? How rewarding was it to hide under the blankets with a night-light, reading into the wee hours of the morning just to finish a special story? The idea of trading all of these experiences in to read to a child on a flat screen seems terribly unjust. I have enjoyed the convenience of reading e-books on a Kindle and have taken them along on many trips when I did not want to pack a 500 page novel in a suitcase. But the thought of reading to a young child in this format just doesn’t seem appropriate. Kids should have the opportunity to spend time in a bookstore or library, browsing through the hundreds of choices and selecting a special book to take home to read with someone or by themselves. They should be able to start their own collections to pile up on shelves, whether to share with a friend or simply to re-visit some time in the future. The chance to sit with a grown-up and physically hold a book in one’s hands while it is being read to them is a magical experience for everyone involved that should not be traded for the convenience of a 5x7 flat board. Kids will have many chances to read on iPads and other computer devices as they continue their schooling. However, there should still be a place for real books in every child’s life. For those of you who aren’t members of PJ Library, I strongly encourage you to sign up for this wonderful free gift of Jewish-themed, no-strings attached, books for children between 6 months to 5.5 years old, sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. More information can be obtained by checking out the website, pjlibrary.org. I hope to see you on the bookstore check-out line with a children’s book in hand! Happy Reading and Shabbat Shalom!
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:00:00 +0000