Friday, April 25, 2008

Little Readers

Recently, Wren has been very interested in board books about trucks. Its that whole construction obsession that strikes young (male) toddlers from time to time. As with Frost, we have started to haunt construction sites in hopes of seeing a digger at work.

Wren's favorite construction board book is this one, by Caterpillar. He reads the book by turning pages rapidly until he comes to the one of a skid-steer loading gravel. He sticks at that pages for 5 minutes saying and signing "up, up" presumably because it is lifting gravel up in the picture.



Next, he turns to the following page of a mass excavator with its shovel down. He says "up up" again for a long time. He cries if I turn the page. Again, he obsesses over this particular picture (does he remember the excavator we watched digging?) The only way to "read" this book with him is to stop on these two pages FOR AGES and talk about them.

I end up talking about excavators digging (Wren says "dig") and lifting rocks up ( he echos "up up.") I tell him about the excavator claw and make a claw with my hand (he copies the claw and makes digging with claw motions). Eventually I tire and hide the book which results in tears.



I have been explaining to Frost that he can't watch so much TV because it is bad for him and Wren and that he is a big role model for Wren. I told him that Wren would do new things if he showed him how. This worked very well when Frost was persuaded to read his chapter book on the couch. Wren brought his board book to read next to Frost. They were a very sweet picture and for once did not pose for my photograph.

3 comments:

Wyndi said...

these are lovely photos! they are so cute!! so scholarly

Shannon said...

Thanks Wyndi
I really like the pictures too. They are so seldom quiet together!

Unknown said...

How funny. My 2.5 year old is also obsessed with construction cars. Whenever we go out for a drive somewhere, he tells me he wants to look for "Scoop" or "Muck", names of the construction cars in the show, "Bob the Builder". Whenever he does see it, he gets so excited.

Your sons are adorable. How old is Frost?