by Nancy Hreha

Created on: May 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 19, 2011

Mysteries to thrill the mind, adventures through time and space, heart warming and tender, laugh out loud funny or challenging and thought provoking the power of books to transport a child to a world of wonder can't be overstated. No other media can duplicate the benefits of that time of solitude when the imagery conjured within the readers mind opens a passage to creative energy that is so much a part of childhood.

The very act of quietly sitting down is becoming a lost art in our over scheduled society. And kids are not exempt from that hectic pace and constant need for sound, visuals and fast paced activity. Sitting down with a good book is becoming increasingly rare in a generation where attention can only be held for a short time by auditory, visual and electronic stimulation. As we study ADD/ADHD and ponder the nearly epidemic and staggering numbers of children afflicted with the disorders, we need to acknowledge the connection between trading in our good books for our lap tops, dvd's and ipods. Ironically, even our most advanced educational software has been created by the minds of those raised on traditional book reading.

The nurturing affect of reading a book to young children gives them a special time of closeness. That magical moment when the words, the story they memorized and "read" a hundred times to anyone who would listen, that magical moment when it all comes together and the letters make sounds and the sounds make words and the words have meaning; that proud moment just doesn't happen without books!  And those stories, those moments, those memories stay with us throughout our lives.

While some may tout the benefits of Internet and software, there is a danger to the developing mind that is spoon fed an exclusive diet of the imagination of others.

Words can describe a scene, a time, an emotion, an action that the reader brings to life through the images and feelings they visualize within the context of their own imagination. How often have you heard that seeing the film version of a book just wasn't the same, or "the book was so much better". Was it really the printed word on the page or the personal interaction of the reader and the author that made the text so much better than the best animations our computers can create?

Children who are read to and who become good readers are free to do what children do best...imagine! They create in their minds, color with their own pallet, solve the mystery as it unfolds, and participate in creating the story. At the same time, they are developing other skills essential motor skills and advanced mental skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Kids who flash about the Internet may appear more advanced, the software and technology tools at their fingertips amaze us, but as their creativity seems to flourish, the reality is that they are imprisoned by the glass wall of the screen in front of them. Books set a child free.

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