The weather is getting cooler and we are all starting to head indoors - the perfect time to encourage (or spark) a child's love of reading!
Reading tutoring programs (like the Read On! program we launched last year in partnership with select schools) are fantastic for helping young readers get up to grade level, but to really cement reading habits and instill a lifelong love of books, home practice is essential.
Parents: Here are five tips for helping your child become a lifelong reader this fall.
Talk About It: Books make great dinnertime or car commuting conversation. Ask your child, “What did you read today?" or “What is a great book you've read recently?" Follow up with, “What was so interesting about it?" “What did you like about the main character?" “How did it end?" Sharing something we enjoyed helps cement the positive associations! Grown-ups, make sure you do the same - share what you've been reading and what you love about it.
Make Time For It: That leads into the next thing: Make time for reading yourself! We know, it's hard to make time for everything, but if your youngsters see YOU reading for fun, they'll learn that it's a solid entertainment choice.
Start a Family Book Club: Read the same book together as a family so you can discuss it and build a shared memory. You can read aloud to each other under a pile of cozy blankets (bonus: getting read to AND reading aloud are both great for helping a striving reader build their skills). One 916 Ink staffer still remembers reading the Little House on the Prairie series as a family one winter, when her mom tired of how much TV they were watching. What a beautiful memory to have together! Another option, though, is to each read independently, and then you can talk about it later - a family book club.
Listen to It: Audiobooks count! Yes, to become fluent readers, kids do need to read words on a page in front of them, but audiobooks can be a useful tool in helping to incorporate books into your routine. Kind of like hiding veggies in mac and cheese. Listening to an audiobook engages a child's imagination in a way that watching a program on TV doesn't, exposes them to language, and helps them fall in love with stories - all things that will translate to reading pages. Read more about this here!
Make it Easy and Accessible: Stash books everywhere - the back of the toilet, the car, your backpack or totebag or purse. This way, you and your young readers can have reading “snacks” anytime you’re a little bit bored or hungry for a book. Take advantage of the library, and you have a never-ending rotation without spending a dime.
So, what are you and your young reader/s going to be reading this fall? We can't wait to hear about it!
