I receive occasional newsletters from, and regularly check out the website of, an organization calledCommon Sense Media. Its mission is to improve “the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.” They point out that the average American child spends “more time with media and digital activities than they do with their families or in school, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, physical development.” Common Sense Media sponsors and summarizes research on various media’s impact on children; it reviews books, computer programs, apps, movies, video games, websites, television programs, and books; it offers advice for parents and educators; it highlights developmentally appropriate issues in media use, from infants to teenagers; and it provides commentary on a wide-variety of topics -- from “family media management” to internet safety, from “digital citizenship” to virtual worlds. The organization is non-partisan, not-for-profit, and independent. You may remember that I have cited its work a number of times in the past.
This past week Common Sense Media focused on “How to Raise a Reader.” Lifelong reading is a critical interest and competency to foster since much of our learning comes from reading. Fluent reading also impacts, among other things, one’s writing ability, vocabulary development, speech patterns, pronunciation, knowledge base, and cultural competence. Invariably when parents come in to discuss weak standardized test scores in the verbal area, we discover the child is an infrequent independent reader.
The piece this week gave these tips:
- read aloud -- be sure to keep it up after the child learns to read and extend bedtime reading aloud at least through middle childhood;
- “savor the series” -- introducing kids to book series often leads to voracious reading;
- “grab onto a genre” -- like with a series, introduce kids to a genre like biography, mysteries, fantasy, or animal stories;
- “feed the favorite author addiction” -- once kids find an author they like, urge them to read other books by that writer;
- “count on the classics” -- books become classics for a reason and because they expose readers to some eternal verities; also try sharing the books you loved as a kid;
- focus on the child’s interests -- books don’t need to represent great literature, but a keen interest in a topic often leads to a keen interest in reading books about that topic;
- “funny is fine” -- Common Sense Media believes that kids are interested in edgy humor books because they’re fun and “because they can live vicariously through [characters’] bad behavior”; still this is an area where parental values should come in; the website often offers thorough reviews and synopses of popular titles so parents can make the decision that is right for their family;
- “comics are ok” -- graphic novels are very popular and often can foster an interest in reading;
- “make reading a family value” -- set aside family time for reading; attend story hours with pre-schoolers; read at bedtime; join parent-children book clubs; frequently visit libraries and bookstores.
Your child’s teachers and our librarians can offer additional guidance in selecting titles for your child. They know your child’s reading level and often their interests. If there is one academic skill area or interest that you should attend to, it’s this one -- fostering a lifelong reading habit. It’s never too late to begin, but the pay off will be consistent, not just in academics but also in enjoyment throughout one’s lifetime.