All writers should also be readers but what I discovered recently was the joy of reading together with my little granddaughter. Not bedtime stories, or cuddling up on the settee to look at one of her story books - that's always a pleasure.
I'm talking about reading poetry together, which I'd never thought about until my recent birthday! My granddaughter, clever son and daughter-in-law bought me a huge, beautifully illustrated book of Nature Poems, one to be read every day of the year. It's not a book primarily for children, which is all the better for both of us.
The idea was to read a poem each day with my granddaughter, before or after the school run that we're responsible for a few times a week. It's been a wonderful idea and is the first thing we do in the mornings she's with us. I've always enjoyed poetry, and it was the first type of writing I tried in my teens. But I hadn't realised how much my granddaughter enjoyed reading it.
We take it in turns to read a poem and it struck me how beneficial it is to read them aloud like this. We both give them expression where appropriate and already, she has learned at least one new word. With my birthday in late October, we're both looking forward to starting at the very beginning in January!
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