Raising Readers
I’m so glad that you’re still hanging in there with me for this 10-day series. I hope it’s informative and helpful. The posting schedule got derailed, so I apologize if you were looking for this post on Wednesday.
We’re heading down the backside of the series now, but we’ve covered a lot. We’ve talked about the environment in which your kids learn, early literacy, how important both play and toy storage is, and how to develop good work habits through both chores and projects.
Today we’ll tackle the topic of developing a love of reading.
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I tend to keep the concepts of developing literacy skills separate from becoming a reader.
A reader is a person who loves to read for its sake, not because it’s been assigned. I think that, if we truly want to raise lifelong learners, we need to raise readers first. And not just readers… readers who LOVE reading.
I know most of us sit on the couch, curled up with our littles and read to them. There’s nothing better than having a snuggly 2, 3, or 4 year old leaning in, fiddling with your hair, and laughing together over some of Amelia Bedelia’s antics.
When was the last time you sat and cuddled with a book and your 10 year old? Your 13 year old?
And, I’m talking to myself here, too. We’re all guilty of this. “Here’s the book you need to read, why don’t you go find a quiet space and read the first chapter.” Once kids get proficient at reading, we let them go. And, there’s a place for that, but we’re not talking about raising kids that know how to read.
We want to raise good readers who love the written word.
They won’t get there if reading always happens in isolation. Reading is social. Books and characters need to be talked about. They need to be shared.
Ask:
- What’s going on in that book you’re reading?
- Tell me what happened today – I tried to get to the book last night and catch up to where you are, but I was just too tired. Can you fill me in?
- That main character is something else. Why do you think she chooses to do those things?
- What would you do differently?
Good readers read a lot. They listen to others read. They have several books going at a time. They check piles of books out of the library and rack up large fines for overdue books {oh, wait… that’s just me}. They have shelves of books, eBooks on devices and computers, magazine subscriptions. And they always look to read about something they need to learn first, before doing anything else. You can help facilitate this.
Build in reading rituals.
We read at bedtime – that’s an easy one. But, I also read aloud to the kids at the breakfast table and at the lunch table. Logan takes a quiet time each day, builds a “nest” of pillows, and reads. Trevor reads before bed to help settle his mind. And Molly reads in the car.
We also have the ritual that, as I’m not a morning person and would much prefer lounging in bed, if you’re up before me you can come snuggle in my bed with some books. On mornings after I’ve been up to meet a deadline or with a fussing baby, this extra time to lay in my comfy bed before starting the day is welcome, and my kids love having that quiet time with me.
Books and reading need to be warm and fuzzy.
And you know what, they don’t all need to be classics. I may get negative comments over this one, but I don’t think that there is anything wrong with books by contemporary authors. I love classics, too. We’ve read A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Swiss Family Robinson, and more.
But we’ve also read and loved Harry Potter {though I am selective about maturity levels and we’ve only allowed Trevor to read the first, second, and third}, the Who Was? biography series, The Magic Tree House series, books by Beverly Cleary, Mary Ryan, Nancy MacArthur, Roald Dahl, and Matt Christopher, among others.
I think it’s so important that kids relate to the stories they’re reading and have good conversations about them. There are times to stretch them and have them read difficult books, but for the most part they need to read and enjoy in order to become lifelong readers and learners.
The key is to know your child and the books they’re reading. Stay involved and talk about their books. Read their books with them, before they do, or at night after they put them down. But encourage them to read often.
What do YOU do to encourage a love of reading in your older kids?
