Three’s Good Company When Reading
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels
By Mark W.F. Condon, Unite for Literacy vice president
Two’s great, but three’s a party! A friend recently shared, with some dismay, that his wife often listens when he reads to their little ones and participates in the conversations that ensue. He said that makes him feel as though he is being evaluated by the “Queen of Reading Aloud.” Ouch!
In response, I tried to put a different spin on that experience. I offered that the addition of someone else to what is most often just a one-adult-and-one-kid activity dramatically expands the value of book sharing and reading aloud for children, especially preschoolers and early elementary-school-age kids.
Reading aloud with youngsters on our laps is a predictable staple in every family that succeeds in raising avid, engaged readers. Those children are likely to grow to choose to read independently every day as they discover the wonders of each new book. And that lays a solid foundation for more formal education as children continue to develop through their teens and into their adult lives.
Traditionally, “Read to them every day” is the only advice that new parents get about taking on the essential role of enhancing their new family member’s education. That’s great, even essential advice; but it isn’t the whole story about how parents can jumpstart a child’s learning life through reading.
Parents and kids must also talk about what they read. After all, conversations about books anchor a sense that books and thoughtful reading have deep value. Adding more family voices to conversations expands and enriches the possibilities that those conversations will nurture a child’s penchant for lifelong reading and learning through conversation.
Indeed, while a one-on-one conversation about a book with a lap-cuddled child is undoubtedly a sweet interaction, adding another participant (or more, like another child) expands the potential for reflection about and personal connection with books. Little ones who observe a group’s wondering or dialogue about a story are provided with an opportunity to expand their growing conceptions of books as positive influences in the family, and come to appreciate the personal power of books and reading.
It’s very much like the edification that adult readers receive when they participate in book clubs. Perspectives even slightly different from one’s own can prompt thoughtful inquiries and lead participants in many new directions. This multiplier effect shines a light for adults and toddlers on how personally exciting and enriching collaborative thinking and conversation about a book can be.
Two perspectives are fertile ground for the shared exploration of books and the powers of literacy. More perspectives expand the possibilities for inquiry and exploration in thrilling new ways.