| "body"> | | | | God created us and that Adam and Eve brought the |
| A bookstore or library can be overwhelming when it | | | | knowledge of good and evil into our world by eating |
| comes to children's books. How do you decide which | | | | fruit from the forbidden tree. By reading books about |
| preschool childrens books to read to your children? | | | | Adam and Eve to my daughter, she gains knowledge |
| I've found that I can spend hours trying to decide | | | | of where we came from and how evil entered the |
| which books to buy or borrow for my three-year-old | | | | world. |
| child. | | | | 3. Life skill |
| To avoid piles of unread books and increase the | | | | I like to use the story of Adam and Eve to teach |
| depth of my child's learning, I've come up with a | | | | the life skill listening. Listen is a verb and is defined: to |
| formula to choose the best books for children. It's | | | | perceive by ear, usually attentively. I like to expand |
| easy and has just four components: a theme, | | | | on the definition and ad to take what is said to heart |
| knowledge, life skill and character. | | | | and put it into action. It is one thing to hear |
| Before I head to the library or bookstore, I think of | | | | someone's words, but when you apply what they |
| a theme that I would like my child to learn about. | | | | say, it shows that you have truly listened. |
| Then I think of what knowledge is learned from the | | | | In Genesis 3, Eve repeats what God told her, proving |
| theme, what life skill can be drawn from it and a | | | | that she heard his words. She tells the serpent, "We |
| character trait that coincides. | | | | may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God |
| I want my child to gain knowledge because it gives | | | | did say "you must not eat fruit from the tree that is |
| power and understanding. I want her to learn life skills | | | | in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch |
| so she can implement the knowledge and to develop | | | | it, or you will die" (Verse 2-3). Eve definitely heard |
| positive character traits so she uses her knowledge | | | | what God told her, but she didn't apply them and |
| and life skills in moral and ethical ways. | | | | thus did not truly listen. |
| By choosing a theme and a book from each | | | | When I ask my daughter to do or not do something, |
| category (knowledge, life skills, character) within a | | | | I like her to respond with "ok" or "yes" so I know |
| theme, children are not overwhelmed by multiple | | | | she heard me. Occasionally, she acknowledges what I |
| topics, yet are learning on a variety of levels. And it | | | | said but proceeds to do the opposite. This is when I |
| makes choosing the best books for children a lot | | | | ask her if she heard what I said, and she generally |
| easier. Here's an example of how to follow the | | | | repeats the instructions I gave. |
| formula: | | | | Choosing a book that teaches listening doesn't have |
| 1. Theme | | | | to be specifically about Adam and Eve. But when |
| Adam and Eve is a great theme. At an early age, | | | | read with the story of Adam and Eve, you can |
| children want to know where they came from | | | | discuss how the couple heard God's words but did |
| beyond "Mommy's tummy" and the story of Adam | | | | not truly listen because they did not put them into |
| and Eve teaches children where we come from. It | | | | action. A book that teaches listening combined with |
| also includes knowledge, a life skill and a character | | | | the story of Adam and Eve teaches children that |
| trait. | | | | listening means putting words into action. |
| 2. Knowledge | | | | 4. Character Trait |
| The story of Adam and Eve is about knowledge; the | | | | The third concept of my formula teaches a character |
| knowledge of good and evil. It's about how we came | | | | trait. Since Adam and Eve is the theme, I chose the |
| to know the existence of evil and experience it | | | | character trait obedience. Adam and Eve were not |
| firsthand. Adam and Eve were instructed that they | | | | obedient to God and as a result they were punished |
| could eat from any tree in the garden, except one. | | | | by being exiled from the Garden of Eden. |
| Then Satan convinced Eve to eat from the tree so | | | | "So the Lord banished him from the Garden of Eden |
| she would be more like God. | | | | to work the ground from which he had been taken." |
| "You will not surely die," the serpent [Satan] said to | | | | Genesis 3:24 |
| the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of | | | | Children need to learn obedience to their parents and |
| [the tree] your eyes will be opened, and you will be | | | | God, as guidelines are put in place for their benefit |
| like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 | | | | and protection. If they are disobedient, there are |
| Eve eats from the tree, shares the fruit with Adam | | | | consequences. You can choose any book that |
| and their eyes were opened to the world of good | | | | teaches about obedience, then relate it back to how |
| and evil. They suddenly became embarrassed and hid. | | | | Adam and Eve were disobedient and the |
| At an incredibly young age, children begin testing | | | | consequence of their action was to be exiled from |
| boundaries. They inherently know that some things | | | | the garden. |
| are good and some are bad, and it is the parents' job | | | | Choosing preschool childrens books using the formula |
| to provide the boundaries for children to learn exactly | | | | theme, knowledge, life skill and character teaches a |
| what is good or evil. | | | | topic from several angles, allowing children to learn on |
| My daughter knows the story of Adam and Eve well. | | | | a deeper level. It also makes choosing the best |
| The knowledge she gained from the story is that | | | | books for children easy. |