Make Room for Reading

by Bonnie Bernstein

Whether they're preschool, grade-school, or high-school bound, most kids look forward to the new school year with anticipation . . . and a little dread. All too often, these mixed feelings have something to do with that first R we associate with school days: Reading.

Kids' first experiences with books are warm and nurturing; they love to be cuddled and read to. When do their attitudes toward reading begin to change? When ours do. When we start to emphasize the skill of reading over its delights -- when we forget that reading is not just for learning, but also for fun.

If books are behind your children's back-to-school woes, inject a little school spirit into their reading. Here are some ideas:

Read all about it. Is your child just starting preschool or kindergarten? A little advance reading can relieve some fear of the unknown. Look for reassuring, humorous stories about other characters who survive the first day of school. You may run into some familiar faces: Arthur and Winnie the Pooh, for example, are successful first-timers.

First-day celebration. Take a cue from a book that celebrates a child's first day, or first day back to school. In Born in the Gravy, by Denys Cazet, a dad and his kindergarten baby debrief over ice cream. Meet your little guys after school with hugs, a special treat, and time to listen to the stories they have to tell.

Don't stop reading aloud. Learning to read can be hard work. Encourage your child to practice reading to you, but be willing to take turns or take over if she seems tired or frustrated. Even as your child's skills improve, continue reading aloud books that are above her level, to help build her vocabulary and stimulate her thinking.

Hear the difference. Tape or videotape your child reading something to you at the beginning of the school year. From time to time, as you hear improvement, rerecord your child reading and let him listen and compare.

Anything goes. Magazines, comics, the Internet -- it all counts as reading. Don't put down your kids' choices -- not even the series fiction you find silly. It may be what they need to escape the tensions of the school day. Instead, take notice of what interests your readers, and look for opportunities to steer them toward more challenging literature on the subject.

Swap stories. Let your teenager know you think he's mature enough for some of the books you enjoy. That Stephen King novel you can't put down? Offer to let him read it next. And read the books he recommends to you. Many works of young adult fiction offer valuable insights into adolescent concerns in the '90s, and may prompt some discussion.

More on: Raising Ready Readers