In her book, “How to Get Your Child to Love Reading,” teacher and librarian Esmé Raji Codell notes that many government and independent studies have shown reading helps increase learning and improves standardized test scores. The U.S. Department of Education’s website includes a statement from President Obama calling on parents to take time everyday to read with their child. He states that it is an important step in helping your child achieve. And we notice one thing about reading: the more children read, the better they get at it, and the more they enjoy it—it’s self-perpetuating. The better readers they become, the more successfully they can complete their work in school, and this enables them to reach a higher level of achievement in life.
Now that school is out, the leisurely days of summer make the perfect time to nurture curious readers. Without the pressure of schoolwork, children will realize that they can read just for the fun of it. Meanwhile, advanced readers who are well on their way to literacy can further foster their love for literature by doing some enjoyable summer reading.
Reading As a Family Activity
Great idea! But how do we do it? In “The Read-Aloud Handbook,” Jim Trelease says, “Extensive research has proven that reading aloud to a child is the single most important factor in raising a reader.”
Start with establishing the habit of reading aloud to your children. For toddlers and preschoolers, read with them for a short time period two or three times during the day and let their interest grow. Before naps and before bedtime are especially good times. Be sure to include older kids who are already reading by themselves—they can enjoy and benefit from this family reading time too. They may want to take turns reading out loud with you. Leo Babauta, founder of the Zen Habits blog on simple and productive living, wrote in a blog post titled, “How to Instill the Love of Reading—In Your Child, or Yourself,” that a loving and compassionate atmosphere in which you show your enthusiasm for learning and share that enthusiasm with your child, is the best way to help him or her achieve. Here are some of Babauta’s tips on setting up a good reading environment:
“Read fun books, exciting books, adventurous books.
“Make reading fun. Make it a time of bonding between the two of you. Make it something your child looks forward to doing each day.
“Make it a routine—do it at the same time(s) of day, in the same place, such as at night in bed or in the morning in a favorite chair or couch—because children find comfort in routines.
“Provide a variety of reading materials for your child, about topics she’s interested in.
“And be a model—read yourself. Do it every day, and let your child see how much you love reading.”
Following up on his last suggestion, if you are a reader, don’t save your reading time for after the kids are in bed. Take time during the evenings and on weekends for your own recreational reading, so that your kids can see you enjoying a good book. If you were to ask your bibliophile friends and colleagues how they got started, many would say their mom or dad read often, so they just got into the habit. You can talk about books with friends and family members so that your child hears what others have to say about reading; share your books with them, and create a culture of book lovers.
If you are not an avid reader, don’t let that stop you from providing the benefits of reading to your child. Share with your child a subject that you are interested in, and go to the library to research that topic. Bring the books home and read them together. It will be much easier to nurture your child’s enthusiasm for books if you are reading ones that interest you as well. Also draw on book-loving friends and family members to engage your child in conversation about what he or she is reading.
Reading is Fun!
Encourage reading by letting the child read what he or she enjoys. Don’t mar the environment with threats or punishments, or force the child to read classics—just encourage your child to read. We’ll say it again: reading supports itself. The more the child reads, the more he will improve his reading skills. If he finds a book or magazine interesting, he’ll seek out other things to read.
To get started, you don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of new books. Go to your public library and ask the librarian for suggestions for your child. The librarian can give you titles and authors of suitable books, and even a reading list. He can take you to the appropriate section so you can browse further for shelves and shelves of books that might be of your child’s interest. If your child has not yet found a particular subject or genre that intrigues him, introduce him to a book or short story about his hobby or favorite color, and let him browse through it. If he’s hesitant to begin reading it, tell him what you liked about it, or why you think he might like it.
When talking about reading, many times we first think of fiction—stories people make up. But you should also ask where to find nonfiction books for your child’s age group. One of the reasons some youngsters don’t like to read is that they may prefer to read about real facts, not personal stories about made-up characters. These children may really enjoy scientific or historical books.
Continually provide an interesting selection for your readers. “The Book Whisperer” by Donalynn Miller is one useful resource to help find the right books for your child. As you discover the kinds of books your child is interested in, you can support his reading habit by giving a gift of those books for birthday presents and special occasions.
