There is absolutely no doubt that the best way to turn our children into readers and book lovers is to start early. In fact, according to the Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language. Children’s books actually contain 50% more rare words than prime time television or even college students’ conversations.
Besides, there are other studies out there all agreeing that introducing children to books as early as possible has great long-term benefits – Follow this link to see fifty top literacy statistics.
So how do we raise our children to be readers? Here are 5 easy ways I would like to share:
1. Read to/with them
We need to start reading to our children when they are babies. We should never underestimate the power of reading to them at such an early age by thinking that it is a waste of time. As a matter of fact, reading aloud to your baby is an amazing activity you can continue for years. It is certainly a great time for bonding with him or her. Among many other things, reading aloud to babies builds listening, memory and vocabulary skills. According to an article from kidshealth.org by the time babies reach their first birthday they will have learned all the sounds needed to speak their native language. The more stories you read aloud, the more words your child will be exposed to and the better he or she will be able to talk.
In addition to reading to our children, it is important that we read with them. Children are great imitators. If as we’re waiting for our turn at a doctor’s appointment we are glued to our phones and expect them to be reading a book, it will just not work. They might do it for a few minutes, but at the end, they’d probably rather be playing games or watching videos on our phones too. Or they may just want to be watching TV. Our children need to see us reading if we want them to be readers!
2. Take them to the library
Children will definitely be fascinated by books all over the place when they go to a library. Plus, many libraries have play areas for children. What kid wouldn’t like that? However, if they don’t experience it early, and start seeing reading as a boring activity, it would be hard to get them interested in libraries.
In addition, while at the library, let them pick age-appropriate books they would like to read. It will give them this sense of freedom and being in control that children love! Moreover, libraries are a great way to expose them to a variety of books.
3. Limit TV and screen time
Unlimited TV and screen time and love for reading just don’t go well together. As parents, although we all decide how much screen time we want to allow our children to have, the American Academy of Pediatrics have some recommendations by age. And I get it, as parents, sometimes the only way we can get things done in the house is to let our children spend some time watching TV or their tablets.
My husband and I rarely watch TV. In fact, during the week, we do not watch TV at all. Once we get home from work, we have very limited time between dinner and bedtime; so we just can’t afford to spend it watching TV. In addition, our son only gets the tablet or watch a cartoon on TV on weekends and holidays. The rest of the time, besides speaking to family on FaceTime, he does not have any screen time.
Interstingly, he is so used to having us read to him before he goes to bed that he would not go to bed unless we read him a book that he picks.
This has been working very well for us, but every family is different. The key here is to make sure we limit screen time for our children and read more to/with them.
4. Be an example
As I mentioned above, children are great imitators. You cannot spend hours watching TV (unless the children are sleeping and do not see you doing it 🙂 ) and expect your children to be reading instead. It just does not work. The saying “actions speak louder than words” is even more true with children. They might not do what we say. but they will certainly do what we do. Therefore, we should do things we want our children to imitate.
5. Make it fun
Last but not least, we should make reading fun for our children! When you purchase books for your children or take them to the library, involve them in the selection process. Also, pick books with bright/colorful images! Children love images and shapes! As you read to/with them, bring the stories to life by making/imitating sounds. Also, if you are planning to visit a farm for example, read about farms prior to the visit. It will help them make the connection between the book and reality!
What else can we do to raise our children to become readers? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Until next time…
Huguette