One of the questions I get asked most often is "How do I get my child to enjoy reading?" I've heard it from teachers, parents, friends... and they all want to know how to make their kid(s) enjoy reading. I am a huge fan of this quote, by my FAVORITE author: Never was there ever a kid who didn't like to be read to when they were young. So what happens? How are we killing the love of reading in our youth? And how do we recapture it in the modern age of screens and technology sucking up all their attention? I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do have three reasons why I'm so interested in raising readers: I know, I know, I have the cutest.kids.ever. As you can tell by the picture, they are still pretty young. 6, 3, and 8 months at the time of this blog post. And I'm worried about them. Right now they LOVE to read. They can't get enough books! So how do I keep that momentum going to turn them into lifelong readers? It turns out that it's not super difficult to raise a reader, but it does start at home. Here are three tips: 1. Read aloud early and often. I know this can be next to impossible. Just last night I was thinking about reading aloud to my own kids, and it occurred to me that some nights we hurry through books because it's already past bedtime and everyone is tired. Sometimes we pick "just one book" or "just a short book" because we don't have time to read a book aloud. I'm working on this as a parent, because reading aloud to my kids is the most important indicator of their future success as readers. We made time last night to read aloud six chapters from my son's current favorite series... Junie B. Jones. There was nothing better than cuddling up with him (and my daughter, too!) and reading aloud to them in the chair. The dirty dishes waited because there were more important things to do. And just because your kids are big doesn't mean you shouldn't read aloud to them! Check out this article about reading to big kids and why it is so vital to their success as readers! 2. Model reading and talk about your own reading. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I love to read. Don't most librarians? But my kids never see me reading, because I am too busy taking care of everything else that needs to be done. And that is not okay. Seeing important adults in their lives reading and talking about what you are reading to kids engages them in books too. Just today I had a great conversation with one of my 7th graders about how I totally HATED how Veronica Roth wrote Allegiant - I loved the story, but I hated the writer's craft. It now has a hold list of kids waiting for it! I told a couple of kids last week about how Holly Black's Doll Bones CREEPED ME OUT and that I wished someone had warned me - I can't keep it on the shelf. I showed them the shrine to Harry Potter that I have in my office - and now there are no Harry Potter books to be found anywhere in the library! As this article says, "If you have books, newspapers, and magazines around your house, and your child sees you reading, then your child will learn that you value reading. You can't over-estimate the value of modeling." 3. Go to the library. I am totally biased because I work in one, but go to the library. Go regularly and frequently. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, gets a slow clap for this article on why our entire future depends on libraries, reading, and daydreaming. "The simplest way to make sure that we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity. And that means, at its simplest, finding books that they enjoy, giving them access to those books, and letting them read them." Is that man brilliant or WHAT? I LOVE HIM. #FanGirl. But he's right... our future really does depend on raising readers and having a literate society. And where better to find materials than the library? Libraries are awesome places full of awesome people who love to share their love of books and technology with their patrons. Get thee to a library today! Looking for more tips on raising readers? I have a collection of articles for parents and educators - check it out by clicking the "Literature Resources for Parents" tab on the left of the website.
Do you have any tips for raising readers? Leave them in the comments below!
1 Comment
Cathy Davidson
9/15/2015 05:51:44 pm
This is a great blog. So true, even for high school students. Your kiddies are adorable and so lucky to have someone who reads to them regularly. Keep writing and reading!
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About the AuthorHi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Christine Hurley. This is my 17th year of teaching - I've taught Kindergarten, 4th grade, elementary media, and now I am in my 6th year of teaching middle school media! Archives
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