As
self-professed bibliophile, one of the
first thoughts I had regarding how I would raise Annabelle was that I wanted
her to be a Reader. We still have her very first book, Princess. What
exactly is a Reader? A Reader is quite different
from a reader. A Reader is someone who loves
books & articles, the printed word. Someone who reads for the sake of reading. Someone who would rather read than look at a screen.
Someone who is never bored because they always
have reading material in hand. Someone who
cannot leave the house without at least one book…just in case. I am a Reader, and
I wanted AB to be a Reader as well.
In
those blissful first months, I would strap her into her Baby Bjorn and we would
prowl the bookstores. She was happy and
content and so was I. Her first room
also served as my library, so she was surrounded by books from the very
beginning.
She
has been a library regular since she was four months old. She graduated from the Bjorn to the stroller
to toddling around by herself. Libraries
were exciting places for her. Once I was
in law school and there were more demands on my time, I had the babysitter take
her to the library instead of staying in our apartment. And I read to her
whenever I could, on the train, on the bus, waiting for said transit, at
bedtime, after dinner, while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. In addition,
I was reading all the time, as well. Books, books, books, all the time.
I
read tons of parenting books and articles about how to teach your child to
read. The majority of them said to follow your children’s lead. When they are ready
to learn how to read, they will let you know.
So, I continued what I was doing. Toward the beginning of this year, she
expressed interest in learning how to read, beyond the recognition of street
signs and store names. Needless to say, I was overjoyed with this seemingly
sudden turn of events.
Her
interest has snowballed. There is no
stopping her now. Everyday, multiple times a day, she asks, “Can you read with
me?” She can read many of the books she chooses herself, but she wants me to
watch her reading and be her backup for tricky words.
Multiple
times a week she asks, “Can we go to the library?” She got her own library card
in celebration of starting kindergarten. She has picked up my habit of choosing based
on covers. She comes to me with dozens of books stacked up to her chin ready to
check out with her very own card. I no longer count the amount of books in her
stack. This is one extravagance I cannot
deny her, for you can never have too many books.
I
am not ashamed to admit that I use books as leverage. If she is acting up, I
threaten that there will be no bedtime reading and she quickly straightens up.
Once she egregiously misbehaved at the library and lost her library privileges
for a week. She was devastated. Given the threats of cutting library funding all
over the country, I want her to understand
that the ability to go to a library and check out books for free is a privilege,
not a right. She has a responsibility to care for the books
when they are in her possession. So far, so good.
There
was a moment earlier this month where she was asking me repeatedly to read to
her, choosing books over computer games, movies, television and even playing
outside. I thought, “My plan is working!
AB's a Reader!” and I was able to push
through my selfish annoyance at not being able to read my own book, crawl into
her reading nook, fold myself into criss-cross applesauce and read Chrysanthemum
with her (again).
Here
are my tips for raising a Reader:
1.
Surround them with books: Studies
have shown that having books in the home is a key part of your child’s success
in school. Make books (and magazines, and
newspapers) easily accessible to them. Books,
especially quality picture books, are quite expensive, so take advantage of your local library where there
are a wealth of materials available to you for free.
2.
Be a model reader: Little ones
model their parents’ behavior. “Do as I
say, not as I do,” is just not going to
cut it when it comes to reading. If your
kiddo never sees you picking up a book for pleasure, then they are never going
to want to do it either.
3.
Start early: From the very
beginning read to your child. Some even
recommend reading to them in
utero. Make books and reading a part
of daily life. Raising a Reader is really about making your lifestyle conducive
to reading. The early you start making the
conscious decisions regarding literacy, the easier it will be to integrate them
into your parenting style.
4.
Take advantage of teaching moments:
Early on, I used my daughter’s name as my computer login password to help her
learn how to spell her name. She was
stoked that she got to use Mommy’s computer, and she worked on letter
recognition. Words are everywhere, so take advantage. Signs are a great
starting point and it also helps your child become acquainted with their
neighborhood and immediate surroundings.
5.
Follow their lead: Don’t force learning to read on them. If you are reading to them and
making books available, the time will
come when they will want to repeat the words after you or ask you what a word
means or how to say it. Let them pick
out their own books. They are more
likely to be engaged with something in line with their interests.
6.
Make it fun: When I say
that we are going to the library, my daughter literally shouts, “Yay!” Going to the library or bookstore is
a way to spending quality time with your kids as well as show them that you value
books and reading. When reading with
them, get into the characters and act out the story. Get them laughing. Get them engaged. It really only takes one fun time to make
them want to do it again and again and again, attempting to recreate the magic
of a great story.
Happy Reading!
