Raising a Reader.

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!