The Joy of Reading
How to keep it fun and fresh -- for babies, big kids, and you
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By Barbara Rowley
Babies and toddlers
Kindergarten and Beyond
What they love about books:
Reading is fun
By reading the same books as their friends, they'll feel like part of a group, and be up on the latest heroes and fads of kid culture
There's a book on practically every single topic in the whole world
If you read every single book in a series you'll feel really cool
Book time is snuggle time
What they'll be learning:
How to read
How to follow a story from chapter to chapter
How to use their imaginations
What you can do:
Keep reading. Your child's attention span and capacity for understanding complex plots and language when you're reading outstrip his own ability to read. So until his literacy catches up with his intellect, keep reading to him.
Don't play teacher. You might take turns reading paragraphs, pages, or chapters if your child likes to do that. But not all kids will. So don't turn storytime into reading practice unless your child initiates it.
Embrace abundance. Keep plenty of chapter books, storybooks, and picture books around on lots of topics.
Accept antsiness. If he's super-squirmy, let him do some other activity while he listens. After all, you can listen to the radio and do the dishes at the same time. Drawing, hair brushing, fiddling with some doodad � all are fine.
Choose thoughtfully. Pick books that embrace the values that are important to your family, and then talk about them. Keep it light. Reading is fun � the last thing you want to do is make it feel like drudgery.
What to look for when picking books:
Pictures, still. They can provide visual clues to help decode what's in the text.
Short chapters. And short sentences. You'll keep a new reader motivated by letting him succeed � move through a book, finish chapters, get to the end.
Real stories. Older kids' sophistication about how the world works mean they're ready for more involved plots.
Your child's interests. A growing sense of self means books on his favorite topics will be compelling.
Books you liked when you were little. There's joy for both of you in turning your favorite memories into your child's exciting discovery. Which, in the end, is what you want reading to be about.
Parenting, September 2006