Do you want to raise a better reader, or teach your children to love to read? I’m no literacy expert, but I am a mom of two kids who truly enjoy books. I wanted to share what I’ve learned from my experiences promoting reading at home.
Read to your child every day
You’ve probably heard this advice a million times, but it’s SO important. The more your child hears language–and sees language on the page–the more he will comprehend. I’ll never forget the day my two-year-old pointed to a quotation mark in a book and said, “Mommy, what’s this letter?” He couldn’t read yet–but he knew enough about books to realize those marks on the page meant something, and that this “letter” was different from the ones he could identify. Reading together builds literacy skills and helps your child associate reading with happy memories–and pediatricians and librarians agree that you should KEEP reading out loud to your child even after he can do it independently.
Let your kids read what they like
My daughter has always loved fictional stories, but my son never showed much interest in them. I was worried he might not care about reading–until he discovered nonfiction. He devours books about the solar system, dinosaurs, marine life, and plagues (yes, plagues–he’ll tell you everything there is to know about bacteria and viruses). These topics (especially plagues) might not be my cup of tea, but I’m enthusiastic about them because he likes them, and because he’s motivated to read. I always let my kids pick their own books at the library; I never judge their choices or force them to read anything they don’t like.
Model reading
Reading shouldn’t be a chore; it’s FUN! If your kids see that you enjoy reading–whether you’re into romance novels or nonfiction or even comic books–they will be interested in reading, too. Talk about what you’re reading and why you like it (in an age-appropriate way, of course!) Treat the library and bookstores as fun places for an outing. If you never read, find another role model in your family–an aunt, a cousin, an older sibling–who does, and let your child see that person reading and talk to him/her about books.
A word of caution–some experts say to avoid giving children “rewards,” like money or extra screen time, for reading. Reading should be pleasurable in itself–and the way YOU approach reading will teach them that lesson.
Leave empty space in your schedule
If kids are too busy with extracurricular activities–something I explored in a previous blog post–they won’t have time to read. Similarly, if you hand them the iPad every time they’re bored, they’ll never consider picking up a book. When I was a kid, I had a lot of free time–and I used it to read and write stories. If my parents had kept me entertained at every moment of the day, I would never have discovered my love for writing, or practiced writing enough to get published at a young age.
Another note about technology…I won’t deny that there are some educational apps that can help your kids build reading skills. My favorite is Starfall–which is free! But these apps should be a SUPPLEMENT to regular reading, not a REPLACEMENT for it. Your child still needs to hold books in her hands, and to have you read to her daily. Many children end up clicking around aimlessly on an app without learning anything–but looking through a real book, even if your child only focuses on the pictures, is always beneficial.
Growing a reader takes time and effort, but the payoff is worth it! And try not to obsess over your child’s reading level or compare her to her peers. Your child is more likely to make progress if she LOVES reading–not if it becomes a competition.