Why It’s Great to Read with Your Children
By Anna McQuinn
Why Is Reading So Important?
Research shows that learning to read is probably the single most important factor in school success--not just in reading itself and writing, but across many subjects. It helps develop the practice, motivation, concentration, and attention that are necessary for all learning.
Don't Just Tell--Show!
Children are given a strong incentive to learn to read when you are a role model yourself. Think about the different ways you read every day, then draw your children's attention to it. For example, read TV listings, assembly instructions, recipes, train schedules, newspapers, and the backs of food cans. Also, remember that you read for pleasure in different ways--you may read a magazine for easy entertainment, a fat novel when you relax during the holidays, or a literary prizewinner for the fun of it.
What to Read?
So don't confine yourself to storybooks when you read with your children. (Boys, especially, may go through phases of being more interested in reading for information.) Instead, try to have a variety of material so that you can read to find information, to follow instructions, to learn facts, and, of course, to have fun. Read magazines, craft books, cookbooks, and stories. Remember, if it's enjoyable, your children will want to repeat the experience.
Young Children
As you read stories and articles together, talk about what's happening and relate that back to your children. Say things like "Wow, what a cool truck--we saw one like that on the street yesterday, remember?" or "Oh, what do you think is going to happen now?" or "Why do you think he did that?" A question that doesn't have just a yes or no answer will prompt your children to talk and to engage with the story. If your children ramble off and want to talk some more, don't worry about finishing the story quickly--the objective is to relate what you are reading about to your children's experiences, to make reading relevant to their lives, and, most importantly, to enjoy this shared time.
Even before children learn to read, it is important for you to run your finger under the type as you read. Your children will learn that writing tells the story, and they will be motivated to learn how to decipher those squiggles for themselves. Listening to you read will also help them to concentrate, to listen properly, and to develop their language skills and vocabulary.
Older Children
The best way to bridge the gap between reading to your children and getting your children to read independently is to read together. Older children, even those who are beginning to read more confidently, will still enjoy reading with you or having you read to them. Reading aloud will help them to understand the sense of the story rather than just struggling to get the words right.
Just because children are older doesn't mean that you should feel any more pressure to read uninterrupted to the end. Stories and articles still provide a fantastic opportunity to talk with your children. They can express opinions about what's happening in a story, what they think about the characters, and how they feel. Reading together provides a safe place to discuss things kids worry about, whether they're things that happen at school, with their friends, or on TV. Again, don't confine yourself to fiction--your children may be motivated to read sports results, a biographical article, history, or instructions for something you can make together.
Magazines often provide a rich variety of material: stories, poems, information, jokes, advice, puzzles, or instructions. The same rules apply--talk about it, relate it to your children's life, and, most of all, make sure it's an enjoyable way to spend time together. Your children will want to repeat the experience and will be motivated to learn to read independently.
Anna McQuinn has worked with children's books and literature for 16 years as a writer, editor, and publisher. Her most recent titles include Wanda's Washing Machine and Lola at the Library.
A specialist in early-childhood development, Anna also works part-time on the UK Government's Sure Start program as a Community Librarian, running book groups for young children and their families.