How Do I Raise a Reader?
It’s getting harder and harder to convince a child reading is essential. Toys talk, television is educational, and computers have voice recognition software. Books can be read to anyone, even adults. Despite this, children need to learn to read. More importantly, they need to be passionate about reading. This is best done at home by the parents.
Setting a Good Example
The very first step is always example. Your children need to see the people they love and look up to reading, and not just when they have to. They might get annoyed if you won’t stop and play with them until you reach the end of your chapter, but they will store away in their minds the idea that something in that dull-looking book of yours is extremely fun. Make sure you read for fun, and make sure your children know it’s fun. Talk about your reading. Make comments about how much you love going to the library. Reward yourself with reading time, and let the kids hear you promise yourself reading as a treat for good behavior.
Make story time important
Then make reading equally exciting for them. Reward them with story time as well. Instead of saying, “If you pick up your blocks, I’ll give you a cookie,” promise them a story instead. Announce story time with a joyful, excited voice. Make outings to libraries and bookstores major events to be looked forward to and even celebrated.
Of course, the most important thing is to read to your children. We start reading to ours in the hospital the day they’re born. Until they were old enough to stop wanting story time, they never knew a day without it. Since I didn’t know when they’d start being aware of the fact that I was reading to them, I started at birth so I wouldn’t miss the magic moment. Make storytime magic. Make it as cozy and memorable as you can and try to create some storytime traditions—reading wrapped in a blanket in the winter, and under a tree in the summer, for instance.
Extend the books. After reading a book about an old-fashioned taffy pull, have one of your own. Make puppets and do a puppet show of the story. Hate the ending? Change it! The more time you spend with the book, the more your child will love it and associate it with good memories.
When can you introduce reading?
Start introducing reading long before your child is ready to read. Label bedroom doors with the names of occupants. Point to words you encounter. Write simple lists. Anything that introduces a child to words is good. In my church class, we have a word of the day. I write a key word from the lesson on my white board, one letter at a time. Those who know letters call them out as I write. Then I tell them the word and set it up in the classroom. Throughout the lesson, I ask them what it says. Sometimes I send the word home with them. I don’t expect them to really learn to read the word—although some do—but they are being introduced to the concept in a non-threatening way. This also allows you to discover when they are ready, a time that is different for each child. Remember early academics aren't bad for children if the children want to learn it and the learning method is fun.
