Reading is about being magically transported to another world. It's also how we make sense of our own world. Books give us knowledge and help us navigate real situations. As an elementary school teacher, I have found that kids who read about fictional characters solving problems are children who learn how to do that in their own lives. Readers are thinkers. Problem solvers. Future leaders.
My three kids have three very different personalities. Every parent with multiple children knows that no two kids are alike. In our house, there’s the moody one who excels at everything, the one who won’t sit still and then there’s the one licking the bottom of her shoe. Their interests range from sports to video games to musical theater, but what they have in common is a love for reading. It's not a coincidence. My husband and I decided before they were born that they were going to be readers. Teachers ask every year how they ended up this way. Other parents ask me if I forced them to do phonics drills as babies. Doctors, nurses, servers, and flight attendants have all remarked on the rare appearance of three small children silently reading books while waiting. It is a remarkable sight. But it's not magic. It’s not genetic either. The best part...it doesn't cost a thing. I'm about to reveal to you my secrets for raising children who genuinely love to read.
1. Read out loud to your children every day.
Albert Einstein said, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." When your children are infants, read out loud whatever adult novels you like. At that age they obviously can't follow the story line, but they are getting benefits from listening to your language. Not only are they associating your voice with being held and loved, they are also hearing all those good words in beautiful sentences. Babies have to crawl before they can walk, and readers have to be read to for a long time before they can read on their own. As they get old enough to understand the words, it's time to set down the Stephen King and switch to board books, especially ABC books. The repetition found in these alphabet books is an excellent foundation for letter recognition and eventually learning to read independently. One day you will celebrate the fact that they are no longer putting the books into their mouths. You’ll be free to move onto picture books, great for all ages but perfect for the 3-8 crowd. Chapter books are geared toward 6-9 year olds and are a perfect segue to middle grade novels meant for ages 8-12.
2. Bedtime routine.
We would never go to bed without brushing our teeth so why go to bed without reading a book? Make storytime part of your bedtime routine and you won't regret it. What a wonderful way to end the day. Here’s a sample evening: bath, PJs, teeth, books and songs. Create your own fun routine! You can read the same books to all of your children at once to make it easier. My older children still like to be read to, but also love to stay up late reading on their own. So we have a deal. If they're reading, they can keep their lights on for an extra 30 minutes. They feel like they've gotten a special treat and you're giving them that continual gift of books.
"A book is a dream that you hold in your hand." -Neil Gaiman
3. Do the voices.
I know many adults are not comfortable with “the voices.” Most of us had at least one parent who read in the most monotone voice ever. “Beuller? Beuller?” But there are so many ways to improve your read-aloud. Take dramatic pauses. Look up at your child’s face and be shocked or giggle with them when something happens in the story. React with them. “Ooh, I wonder what he’s going to do?” or “Whoa! I was not expecting that!” Get really quiet and slow in a suspenseful scene. Get loud and fast in others. Experiment with voices for the different characters. Maybe one is a fast talker. One is nasally. Use your falsetto or a very low voice. Can you do a really embarrassing Irish or Australian accent? Great! Your kids will love it. Do the voice of one of your favorite DIsney or TV characters (think Ross from Friends or Alexis from S. Creek). Your kids won’t know you didn’t just invent those voices on the spot! I still have fond memories of my mother reading “James and the Giant Peach” to us and every single one of those bugs had a different voice. Her commitment to keeping those characters consistent still makes me smile. Above all, be silly. Try “Extra Yarn” by Mac Barnett or “Secret Pizza Party” by Adam Rubin. Remember, not all books make good read-alouds. Don’t be afraid to put one down and try another. Model what good readers do and how to keep looking until you find a book that’s right for you and your child.
4. Share the read.
We love the “Elephant and Piggie” series by Mo Willems. Mo colors his speech bubbles the same color as his characters. This makes the dialogue easier for young children to follow. Have your child choose a character, then have them follow along and read in their character’s voice when it’s their line, as if in a play. It’s a great way to get the youngest readers involved without the overwhelming task of having to read the entire book. It’s also a great way to point out things like quotation marks for dialogue and punctuation at the end of a sentence to indicate a question or excitement.
5. Keep books everywhere.
As soon as my kids could hold a book by themselves, I made sure there was a basket of books in the backseat next to their car seats. I put a basket of books in the garage that we pulled out when we played outside. There were books in the bathroom when they were potty training. We even had waterproof books in the tub. You don’t have to force a child to read, but you can make sure that books are always a choice your child can make. I still keep books in my purse for “emergencies.” My kids know when it’s time to leave the house, they need to grab shoes and a book. Dr. Mariah Evans led a 20 year international study that proved what librarians knew all along. The number one predictor of educational success is not wealth, IQ or parents level of education. The number of books in a child’s home makes the biggest difference.
6. Forget about reading levels.
If your child is interested in a book, read it together. It doesn’t matter if they don’t know all of the words. The beauty of a read-aloud is the exposure to higher level vocabulary. After all, you are right there to pronounce all the big words correctly and explain them if need be. Let your child choose a book detailing all the dinosaur facts, even if it bores you to tears. It isn’t fair that she should only be allowed to read the two dino books on her “level.” Reading levels are meant for teachers so they can attempt to find some kind of order in the chaos that is teaching 25 children to read at the same time. It was not meant to limit your child at home and in your read-alouds. How will your children move up if they are never exposed to those next level words? So ignore the labels and levels, look for what interests you and your child. Outer space? Football? Creepy crawly insects? Video games? Legos? There's a book for that!
7. Celebrate words everywhere.
In the car, small children can play a game where everyone shouts out the letters or words found on the buildings and road signs. In the grocery store, go on a scavenger hunt. “I'm looking for the milk. What does milk start with? Mmmmm. Mmmmm. M! Who can spot an M for milk?” Everywhere you go, encourage your kids to point out the signs, logos and words they find and celebrate with them. This is called environmental print. Not only does it build letter recognition, it is often the way that early readers learn to make a connection between a combination of letters and meaning. If you get excited about reading, so will they. So, read the cereal box. Read the recipe. Read the street signs and instructions. Read the cards in a board game and the rules at the pool. Read the billboard. Read the side of the bus. Notice all the words and your children will too.
8. Treat reading like the gift that it is.
Make a special trip to get a book and discover new libraries and bookstores. Check out Hippocampo Books in Rochester, Author's Note in Medina or Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport. Treat books like a gift and never a chore. As parents, we shouldn't have to nag our kids to read or force them to for the sake of a reading log (oh, the dreaded reading logs!). Wrap up a new book for every holiday and birthday. Ask relatives to send books as gifts. (Who needs more plastic toys anyway?) Be excited when you get a new book. Lead by example and let your children see you reading for pleasure. Instead of handing over the ipad to occupy them in public, pull a book out of your bag. Make it a big deal.
"When I say to a parent, 'read to a child' I don't want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate." -Mem Fox
9. Free books!
Building a library of children’s books can be very expensive, but if you know where to look, free books are all around you. While I love to shop at independent bookstores and book festivals, there was a time when books were a luxury we could not afford. Like most new parents, when you are scrambling for the money to feed, clothe and diaper your tiny humans, you do not have much left for anything else. One summer, we made a game of visiting as many different libraries as we could. If you stay on top of your due dates, those books will always be free. We built up our permanent library by visiting little free libraries (check littlefreelibrary.org to find one close to you!). There's no need to pay for a little free library book or even return it. The easiest place to get great books for cheap or free are garage sales. Family and friends with slightly older children than yours are another great resource. You can find used books online or locally. We love The Secondhand Librarian in Rochester and The Dog Eared Book in Palmyra.
10. Try graphic novels.
Reluctant reader? Try graphic novels! Many parents and teachers have been under the impression that graphic novels are not “real” books. However, experts have known for a long time that reading success is directly linked to motivation. In other words, if a graphic novel is what will motivate your child to read, then let them read it. You will be fostering the motivation and thereby the success they will come to experience in reading. I was surprised to learn that a University of Oregon study found that comic books contain almost double the amount of sophisticated words than a children's book. Not only do they help to build vocabulary, they are fun to read and go a long way to increase a child's love of reading. In addition, many contemporary graphic novels tackle very complex issues. Try New Kid by Jerry Craft or Smile by Raina Telgemeier.
"Once you learn to read, you will forever be FREE." -Frederick Douglass
Happy reading!