Creating a Reading Child

As educators, my husband and I recognize the importance of reading.  We want Beth to enjoy reading, to inhale books the way I do.  I am, in fact, a school librarian, so reading is very near and dear to my heart.  I have watched students come into the library with their classes to pick books for independent reading, and have seen the huge gap between the “reading kids” and the “non-reading kids”.  The reading kids joyfully browse through the shelves, loading their arms with books and asking about the next book in their favorite series.  The “non-reading kids” try to hide behind the stacks or in a corner of the library, hoping that nobody will notice that they haven’t selected a book.  When they finally,usually with coercion,select a book, it is usually one that we invisibly label as “below reading level” or for struggling readers.  One thing that I notice over and over is that the biggest difference between these students isn’t about intelligence.  It is usually based on their ability to read...if reading is difficult, it is not fun,and if it is not fun, why would they willingly do it? If reading is easy, the reader can sit back and enjoy the story, rather than struggle with vocabulary and grammar.  With that in mind, we set out to start Beth on the path to becoming a lifelong reader and lover of books.   As educators, we are uniquely prepared to offer Beth the support she needs to become a lifelong reader.  And, we want to share that with you.

The first step towards creating a reading child is to read to them.  We read to Beth everyday, and have since she was born.  In fact, we even read to her in utero, because we had been told that she could hear us.  We have made it a priority to make sure there are plenty of books accessible to her and to read to her every day.  In the car, she doesn’t have toys to play with; she has books and a MeReader.  (The reader is really cool and reminds  me of a modern version of the cassette books we used to listen to as kids.  Do you remember those?  It would read the story to you and ding when it was time to turn the page.)

One thing I think people forget in this process is modeling.  Model the behavior you want to achieve.  In this case, let your kid see you reading.  Not just reading, but enjoying your reading.  Pick something you actually want to read and sit down in the middle of the house and read.  You will be amazed at how quickly your child climbs into your lap and asks about what you are reading.  Don't be annoyed by the interruption (trust me, I know how hard it is not to get annoyed when you are interrupted during reading).  They are doing exactly what you want….getting interested in reading!  This is the perfect time to hand them a book and read it together.  Put your book down (sorry, you'll have to read later) and read with your child.  If you have started working on the alphabet, start asking them to identify letters as you read (Can you find a “t” on this page?).  If you haven't started the alphabet yet, that's the next step.

Ready to tackle the alphabet?  There are many resources to help you.  We bought flashcards for Beth (found them at the $1 store), but you could easily make your own with a pack of index cards.  We also downloaded several apps to her tablet and tested them out.  The best one we found is Starfall ABCs.  All of the Starfall apps are terrific (more about those later).  We also bought Dr. Seuss’s Alphabet Book and a package of magnetic letters.  Then, we took all of these resources and started practicing with her.  Short sessions every day.  Keep in mind that the average attention span is the number of minutes that corresponds with your age.  So, for a three-year-old, that means they essentially have a three minute attention span.  Keep your letter sessions to five minutes.  You can do three or four sessions a day, but if your child seems uninterested or resistant, back off.  The key is to make reading fun.  For many kids, they enjoy the “work” just because it means extra one-on-one time with mommy or daddy.  If they don't seem to be enjoying it, try to make it into a game or incorporate some of their favorite things (Rrrrocket starts with “rrrr”.  “R” says “rrrr”.  Rrrrocket starts with “R”.  Can you find “R” for rrrrocket?).  They also love to learn the letters in their name.  (“B” says “bbbb”.  “B” for Beth.). As they learn the alphabet and what each letter says, they are building the foundations to start reading.

Once your child can recognize all the letters of the alphabet and tell you which sound they make, it is time to start putting those letters together to read.  One  of my favorite apps for this level  is the Starfall Learn To Read app; another free one.  With the help of this app, some fun games we play, and lots of practice, Beth is now sounding out words.  Mostly three letter words right now.  We use the magnetic letters and a small whiteboard to play “The Letter Game”.  The game starts when I put up a three letter word. Beth has to sound it out, tell me what it is, them she gets to change one letter to make a new word (for example, “hop” becomes “hot”). Then I get to change one letter (“hot” becomes “pot”).  The game continues back and forth until she gets tired of playing; usually about 10-15 minutes.  I love this game!  Beth lives to make silly words for me, then she giggles like crazy when I have to read the word (“poop” is one of her favorites, although “toot” may be a close second).  

I was very proud of her tonight.  She read her first five letter word (stars).  Her daddy and I made a big deal about it and sang the “Proud of You” song.  She was proud of herself and excited to read more.  That is the goal.  As long as she always wants to read more, I will know I have done my job well.