blogging lessons

My friend Becca has been saying for years that I should get into blogging, had I realised it would be this addictive (being the compulsive type) I might have steered clear for longer...but here I am for better or worse...hooked.

I was reminded, as I read the 53 posts for Becca's Monday Musing, which involved visiting some fascinating blogs, that reading is more than books. Anyone who has worked in public libraries and school libraries will tell you that a recurring question is how can I get my child to read? I usually answer with go with the child's strengths, if a child likes to cook get them recipe books, if a child like soccer get them a book about Beckham, you get the gist. One mum was worried that her son liked Goosebumps books and I told her his tastes would mature if she let him choose but if she stopped him reading he may never pick up a book again. For a while he tested this out, read his way through Goosebumps and then, shock horror, started to read comics. He’s a man grown now and chooses to read sporting biographies – good on him I say. While I am a strong advocate for the monograph I have to accept that kids reading online are still reading and this is a good thing (and so is net-nanny).

We really are reading to know we're not alone and the world really is shrinking.

I had some blogging questions for Becca last time she dropped in (just a few) and she was a veritable font of knowledge spewed forth so fast that I find I'm still processing it (she is half my age after-all). so thanks Becca for all your gems and thanks Nise'for showing me how to get the date stamp (this post is my test case).