Raise a Reader!

Reading is not the only method of learning. BUT, how else can a child learn to build a tree house — without any other interaction — while in a car?

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ~Sir Richard Steele, Tatler, 1710

For some, reading is easy and pleasurable, for others, not so much. In fact, there are people who find reading a chore to get through.

While at the library or bookstore, I watch my son thumb through the pages of different books and magazines. He is excited by the title and the content, but the thought of actually reading it just about frightens him. “Forget it, I would never be able to finish it,” he says. Because I find it hard to put a book down, it saddens me that this is a true statement.

During my childhood, I was reading every book I could get my hands on. Some were great, some boring, others — though I am not bilingual — were not even in English! Some nights, I would wake up to get a drink, and see that my mother’s light was still on; she was up reading.

In contrast, my (soon-to-be-ex) husband’s parents did not discourage reading, but he certainly does not remember any books laying around the house, nor was he read to as a child.

Our kids never saw their dad pick up a book and they saw their mom would hideout in the bathroom to knock out a chapter in peace (that’s how I read all the Out of seven kids, several of them are voracious readers, a couple could take or leave it, and the one son, well, you already know how he feels about it.

Are you considering the trend here?

How can we teach our children to want to read?

Read to your children. Everyday. It doesn’t have to be a whole book and it doesn’t have to be at night. Perhaps you could wake them up with a short story. If there are days that you absolutely cannot read to them, have them read to each other or an older sibling read to the younger kids. If these are not options, let your children know you relish your reading time with them and that when you miss a day, you cannot wait for the next day to pick it back up.

Get caught reading. Let your kids see you read. If you were one of those kids that grew up like my husband, find a book or magazine that you are interested in and read for five minutes everyday. It will help your children. If you are more like me, you will probably have to tell the kids “…wait a minute — just let me finish this page…” before you get around to other mothering things you have to do.

Did you know: you can finish a 250 page novel in a year if you read 2/3’s a page each day.

Teach young children how to use the library. I am amazed at how many kids have never been to a library, and even more at how many adults do not possess a library card. Most libraries now offer celebratory certificates to young children when they first apply. Technically, there are usually no age restrictions, but I find that children who can “sign” their name, can usually be accountable (to an extent) for the books they borrow.

Why Read?

Why not?

In all sincerity, through reading, they can do everything and anything. I mean it. I taught myself sign language, cooking, writing, sewing and advanced math because I was able to read about it in a book.

Furthermore, books allowed me to escape child abuse and I learned to ride a pony with Trixie Belden. When my mother was hospitalized and we were sent elsewhere to live, The Hardy Boys stayed by my side. Hours of boredom during my asthmatic summer months were cured through search word puzzles.

Why read? Because you can.

“Books are an extremely affordable entertainment resource. Tap into it.” ~Teraisa