Lead Kids to Read
By Mark W.F. Condon, Unite for Literacy vice president
There are kids who read and kids who don’t. Likely, the kids who don’t read simply haven’t discovered entertainment or solace found within the pages of a self-selected book.
Children often gallop from one fun activity to another, jumping right over the huge number of books which they might treasure forever if they would only stop long enough to discover them. Sometimes kids are bored and yearn for something enjoyable to do, but reading a book doesn’t cross their minds because they haven’t experienced that some of the most pleasurable moments in life are had while being lost in a book.
There’s another group of children who try book reading, but never seem to find any books that interest them. Is it truly possible that none exist?
I believe that the answer is, “No!” There are truly fabulous books to interest every child. They just haven’t learned how to find that “home run” book that leaves them eagerly wanting another and then another.
How can we help kids learn to find books that keep them coming back for more? Here are a few ideas:
Contact the young-adult book librarians in your local public library. These professionals are deeply committed and schooled in guiding children on a journey through their library’s book options.
Review and use your school library’s lists of suggested age-appropriate book titles. Then, invite kids to choose book titles they find interesting from up to two grades in either direction from their assigned grade level. If a book is too easy or too challenging, they can pick another. No problem!
Peruse the annual Children’s Book Award lists compiled by the Children’s Book Council and others.
Visit websites like Good Reads for Kids and Reading Rockets, which are packed with sure winners for all ages.
Take advantage of the free Unite for Literacy digital library for beginning readers or the free International Digital Children’s Library.
Ask family friends to recommend or loan the books that their kids have read and love.
Beyond helping children find books that excite them, we need to foster family engagement. Children whose families are unable (or unaware of the importance) to offer reading leadership often are unlikely to understand that books can enrich their lives. Sadly, this misunderstanding can lead to diminished success in school.
Without an appreciation of book reading, a child’s language fluency, their word and world knowledge, and potentially their writing ability can be stunted despite solid teaching efforts at school.
To help families engage with their children through books and reading, friends and school personnel can guide low-literate parents to find books that they just might love. They can suggest that families read them aloud in their home, modeling book enjoyment for their kids while nurturing their own reading selves.
Additionally, we can help families lead their children to reading by encouraging them to build a routine of daily shared book reading—a joyful relaxed time when families read, talk about what they read, and enjoy being together.