How to Raise Readers

[curiouswonder]

This is a must.

Let children (when their young) see you read... for hours. They will want in on the fun. I have seen this work firsthand with my many nieces and nephews.

I think modeling like this is a huge key. I would add talking with kids about what you are reading and what they are reading. My oldest son (9) is fascinated that I can still learn from books. I'm not sure if that means he thinks I already know it all or if he's shocked that "at my age" I can still learn.

 

[abecedarian]

I think modeling like this is a huge key. I would add talking with kids about what you are reading and what they are reading. My oldest son (9) is fascinated that I can still learn from books. I'm not sure if that means he thinks I already know it all or if he's shocked that "at my age" I can still learn.

Do you really want the whole answer to that question cw? Just be glad he's happy! And I have to agree with you about talking to the kids about what you are reading is wonderful. That way they can know us as people, as more than just their parents. AND as you pointed out, it's great for them to understand that learning doesn't stop just by reaching a magical birthday..I never understood that phrase, "finished my education." I'm still breathing, so I ain't done yet...

 

[Geenh]

I would like to add my two cents. As the mother of a 15 year old daughter who hates to read I see the other side of the coin. I have tried everything... reading to her (I have done since she was born), turning off the TV (it's hard for me to tell her to stop watching Animal Planet or National Geographic), bought her books relating to what she (or her friends) are into at the time (girl mags, movie/music mags, animal books, etc), got her glasses for the mysterious headaches she used to get when reading (liar) and even shown by reading myself (I rarely watch TV myself). All to no avail... she just doesn't like reading.

I must say, it is good to know that tehre are kids that will read. I have read for as long as I can remember. Not all kids are the same.

As far as what kids read... my parents fought the fight over what I read and gave up when I was 14 because I chose to read stuff that 'horrifies' and still do to this day. I'd rather read a fiction "horrible" book than watch the evening news to be honest.

Just my opinion.

 

[Ronny]

You can check into reading programs in your town. My library has book clubs for kids and teens. For my son's group, they have a short discussion, some Q&A, a game and a craft on their bi-weekly book. I think it's a great program and the kids love it, it seems popular with the teens as well, there's always a lot of them there.

 

[abecedarian]

You can check into reading programs in your town. My library has book clubs for kids and teens. For my son's group, they have a short discussion, some Q&A, a game and a craft on their bi-weekly book. I think it's a great program and the kids love it, it seems popular with the teens as well, there's always a lot of them there.

Good suggestion. Wichita had a long list of mini programs going for teens this past summer. They were one-time meetings centered around various themes. One that looked like too much fun was a chocolate day..the kids got to try various kinds of chocolate and talk about some chocolate themed books. They rotated talks about the Harry Potter books, and various other themes were covered. If it hadn't been such a drive with gas prices so high, I would have taken my kids to some of them.

 

[SFG75]

There have been a lot of great suggestions so far(not surprising since we have some great members) Just a few odds and ends-I agree with Moto that picture books are great for the youngest and that yes, it is a tactile experience at that stage. Turning the pages, as well as playing with a connected toy(a lot of books are now "action books" and feature such things) The unplugging of the t.v. is also wise advice. Above all--model, model,model, model, model reading. My kids are to the point where the t.v. can be on, and they will pick up a book.

 

[Ronny]

My son is still a bit young but I notice at the school library a lot of the older kids are very into the manga books. I don't know much about them, any parents of older kids have a take on them?

 

[cajunmama]

I would like to add my two cents. As the mother of a 15 year old daughter who hates to read I see the other side of the coin. I have tried everything... reading to her (I have done since she was born), turning off the TV (it's hard for me to tell her to stop watching Animal Planet or National Geographic), bought her books relating to what she (or her friends) are into at the time (girl mags, movie/music mags, animal books, etc), got her glasses for the mysterious headaches she used to get when reading (liar) and even shown by reading myself (I rarely watch TV myself). All to no avail... she just doesn't like reading.

You did all you could. Like the old adage goes "you can lead a horse to water..."

 

[ruby]

I know were Geenh is coming from as my 14 yr old wont read either.

I have always bought books for my kids from a very young age.
Where they would love to sit on your knee and enjoy the books.

I dont even push my daughter any more because hopefully when shes older she just might pick a book up and start reading!

 

[igbomb]

I have a 7-month old at home right now. During the day with the babysitter (my sister-in-law), he watches one hour of Sesame Street and 1/2 hour of Boobah each day. Other than that, the TV is off until he is in bed. (He might also watch a little Pistons basketball or Packers football with Daddy on the weekend).

The babysitter reads to him a lot and takes him to the library occasionally. And we read to him at night before bed. Sometimes, I just read the book that I am reading out loud to him. At this point, I think the words are less important than the act of reading.

 

[Scottishduffy]

Turning off the TV is a must!

Modeling is is the way to go. Kids must see you read, then want to join the fun. I remember being read to at a very young age. My mother still keeps my favorite book "The Wind in The Willows" which she claims to have read to me every night for years because I just did not want any other story.

When I got to elementary age going to the bookstore was a special treat. It was a big deal to go the bookstore, though I suppose my parents just built it up and made it so much more exciting. I knew I could go the bokstore and be guarenteed to get something. Plus I had several book series I enjoyed. I even had two of the American Girl dolls, for my favorite characters.

In high school I stopped reading for a while, from let us say ages 13-16. Too much work and too much taking up my free time. My parents didn't push it. Though now I am done with schooling and have picked up reading all over again my dad is thrilled to pieces to have another 'reader' just like him in the family.

 

[Motokid]

My little state is doing it's part:

"BY ANGIE BASIOUNY
THE NEWS JOURNAL
11/23/2005
WILMINGTON -- New Castle County's libraries received an infusion of cash from the state Tuesday that county officials said will help with their plan to build or rebuild five libraries in five years.
"We have a really ambitious library construction agenda," said Anne Farley, who heads the county Community Services department. "We're going to get a lot done in a quick time period."
At the top of the agenda is next year's completion of the new Woodlawn Library at Eighth Street and Bancroft Parkway in Wilmington.
Other priorities are the demolition and rebuilding of the Kirkwood Highway Library, expansion and renovation of the Hockessin and Bear libraries, and the opening of a new library south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal by 2010.
"That's quite an aggressive schedule," said Anne Hampton, who presented the library capital budget plan to County Council members Tuesday.
In Delaware, the state pays for 50 percent of libraries while counties and private donations cover the remaining costs."

 

[abecedarian]

My little state is doing it's part:

"BY ANGIE BASIOUNY
THE NEWS JOURNAL
11/23/2005
WILMINGTON -- New Castle County's libraries received an infusion of cash from the state Tuesday that county officials said will help with their plan to build or rebuild five libraries in five years.
"We have a really ambitious library construction agenda," said Anne Farley, who heads the county Community Services department. "We're going to get a lot done in a quick time period."
At the top of the agenda is next year's completion of the new Woodlawn Library at Eighth Street and Bancroft Parkway in Wilmington.
Other priorities are the demolition and rebuilding of the Kirkwood Highway Library, expansion and renovation of the Hockessin and Bear libraries, and the opening of a new library south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal by 2010.
"That's quite an aggressive schedule," said Anne Hampton, who presented the library capital budget plan to County Council members Tuesday.
In Delaware, the state pays for 50 percent of libraries while counties and private donations cover the remaining costs."

Libraries are crucial for raising readers. I can't imagine trying to do this without them. Good for the citizens of Delaware! Wish some of ya'll would come rub elbows with some cockeyed Kansans I know...

 

[Dan Luna]

I don't have any children but I guess having a decent set of reference books and looking things up in them regularly would set a good example. Some nice coffee table photo books might also stimulate some curiosity as to what the accompanying captions / explanations say (it works for me!). Having a collection as dull as ditchwater is not the way to encourage reading - I must have read Ferdinand the Little Bull a thousand times at my grandparents as it was the only book not about religion or classical music.

 

[Ronny]

I don't have any children but I guess having a decent set of reference books and looking things up in them regularly would set a good example. Some nice coffee table photo books might also stimulate some curiosity as to what the accompanying captions / explanations say (it works for me!). Having a collection as dull as ditchwater is not the way to encourage reading - I must have read Ferdinand the Little Bull a thousand times at my grandparents as it was the only book not about religion or classical music.

That is a good point about reference books, when my son is interested in a topic I jump on it and get him as many books about it as I can while he's excited about it. Like when we went to the big airshow this summer we were checking books out about planes atleast a month before and a month after the show, my Dad (a small plane pilot) also bought him a few nice big coffee table books on planes.

If a big event is coming up it's often easy to get kids to read (or listen if they are young) about it before and after, so taking advantage of their excitement can be a good way to get them reading. We always read a lot around the holidays about the traditions of the holiday. If he sees a movie he really likes, like a Pirate movie, we read about pirates.

It seems my son (8) often prefers nonfiction books to stories, he has always liked books "about something" his words, most of the books in his room are about bugs, birds, cars, planes, pirates, knights, magic, dragons and animals.

 

[ions]

In a publishing industry mag sent out to book retailers there was a side-panel about raising readers. It goes like this:

The 3R's
From How to Make Your Child a Reader For Life by Paul Kropp

1. READ with your child every day.
2. REACH into your wallet to buy books, magazines and other reading materieal for your child and yourself.
3. RULE the media. Put a reasonable limit on television, video, computer time, and video games so there will be time for reading in your child's life.

Wow. Took me at least 4 edits to get this post right.

 

[SFG75]

I don't have any children but I guess having a decent set of reference books and looking things up in them regularly would set a good example. Some nice coffee table photo books might also stimulate some curiosity as to what the accompanying captions / explanations say (it works for me!). Having a collection as dull as ditchwater is not the way to encourage reading - I must have read Ferdinand the Little Bull a thousand times at my grandparents as it was the only book not about religion or classical music.

Large picture books are great!. I have tons of them and the kids just eat 'em up every time. I also have a lot of them at school. It's amazing how kids will just pick these up and the pictures will lead them into reading descriptive paragraphs of the given picture. From European sports cars, famous boxers, to architecture, picture books are an excellent source of encouraging reading.

 

[Dan Luna]

Just be careful how large - I bought a photo atlas of the Moon which at 27 lbs. nearly put my back out. Luckily it takes the form of punched sheets in a ring binder, so I've taken them all out and put them in a drawer.

 

[abecedarian]

Here's part of the problem:

http://fborfw.com/strip_fix/


Don't get me wrong, I loved English in high school, but there was a tendency to over-analyze everthing we read..

 

[Kookamoor]

Don't get me wrong, I loved English in high school, but there was a tendency to over-analyze everthing we read..

That's exactly why I love For Better or For Worse - it hits reality on the head!