Summer is here, and with it comes swimming, vacations, lazy days, and hopefully, reading.
A landmark study reported in SLJ concludes that "...children who read at least six books during the summer maintained or improved their reading skills, while kids who didn't read any saw their skills slip by as much as an entire grade level"(See previous post).
The key to reading (summer or otherwise) is to make it enjoyable. If reading becomes a chore, it can be tedious at best and damaging to your child’s chances of becoming a lifelong reader at worst.
With this in mind, below are some tips for nurturing your reader:
1. Reading isn't just for bedtime.
You’re tired. Your kids are tired. Try setting aside another time when everyone is fresher and less cranky.
2. Allow your kids to choose their own books.
The most important thing is that they like the books they choose. If not, keep looking or ask a librarian for suggestions. Don’t force your taste on kids or make them read books that would be “good for them.”
3. Reading is its own reward.
We don’t need incentives to do pleasurable things, so if you hold up a carrot to get your kids to read, they will think of reading as something they have to be bribed to do.
4. Don’t say reading is important. Show it.
If you don’t read for pleasure, it’s going to be tough for your kids to be readers.
5. Reading aloud isn’t just for little kids.
Go ahead. Don’t be afraid to be goofy. Do the voices!
6. Provide the opportunity for reading.
Turn off the TV. Take books everywhere you go. Listen to audiobooks in the car.
7. Allow all types of reading.
Print books, ebooks, and audiobooks all “count” as reading. Ditto for magazines, comics, and graphic novels.
8. Own books.
Checking books out from the library is great, but nothing beats having a personal copy of favorite books. Give a bookstore gift card for special occasions!
9. Allow your kids the right to quit reading a book if they don’t like it and to re-read a book as many times as they want if they love it.
10. Talk about books with your kids.
Strike up a conversation about what they’re reading, not to test their comprehension, but to show genuine interest.
As summer ends and school begins, I hope you can look back at summer with memories of great vacations, lazy days, and favorite books that you and your child have shared.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the mentions, AuntyTech, JMalphy, dimac4, and PageinTraining! Much appreciated!
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