1. Be an example. Read whenever you get a chance. Don’t wait until your children are in bed. Let them see you read! Make reading seem like a treat – talk about some exciting books you are reading (I am always in the middle of two or three) and show them your enthusiasm.
2. Read to them! Studies, both formal and informal, say that children of all ages love to have someone read to them. You can almost hear the anticipation when a teacher breaks open a picture book – even to middle school or high school students!
3. When traveling, don’t let each child plug in to their own movie or device. Make a big deal about choosing a book-on-tape for everyone to listen to together. Preview it before you get on the road and make sure everyone is hooked. Listening to a boring book is counterproductive. Talk about the book – when you take a break, talk about what might happen next, and then create alternate endings. When your child’s imagination is engaged, real learning takes place!
4. Love of reading is contagious. Each summer my family would visit the library every two weeks. We would check out our limit of books, stack them up, and then devour them. We lived in Texas, and had to rest during the heat of the day (My mother was a genius...) so we would each get a book and read for a few hours. It became a routine and something we looked forward to!
5. Use electronics to your advantage. Turn off the TV so they learn to enjoy the quiet. Have your Kindle or Nook ready to read at a moment’s notice, and then occasionally let your child download a book to your device. Please let them enjoy “real books” too! Many children are kinesthetic learners, and the physical touching of the pages helps them to focus.
6. Don’t limit your child’s choices to classics or books on an approved list. Let them choose something they would enjoy reading. Graphic novels, short stories, magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, you name it – if they are reading, they are learning! Once children get hooked on reading, they will delve into tougher books. Your goal is to get them to want to read!
I think that if you took a survey of 30-year-olds, you would find that the book that transformed more non-readers into love-to-readers has to be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I remember when the book first came out, it raised a real stir. Parents and teachers were concerned about magic and witches – harming our children and putting wicked thoughts into their heads. Doesn’t it seem tame now? I remember reading about Merlin and King Arthur and the Round Table when I was a child – so enchanting!
The real bonus of The Sorcerer’s Stone is the ending. (Spoiler alerts don’t apply to 19-year old books, do they?) Professor McGonagall awards Neville Longbottom extra points for standing up to his friends Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As a result, Gryffindor wins the coveted House Cup. She says this to Neville: "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” You could not find a better way to teach your child that lesson!
Blessings,
Barb
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