My kids will be the first to jump for a Captain Underpants book. The first to jump for any number of thoughtless books laden with bathroom humor and cheap laughs. How could they avoid them? They’re on prominent display at the book fair, flaunted in glossy glory atop a crate of supersized ink pens, kitty posters, and stuffed animals whose stitching is already falling out.
Even more alluring than hollow books are the glowing screens from televisions and devices that constantly beg for our kids’ attention. All the while, thought-provoking literature collects dust at the library and bookstores close their doors for the last time. But does any of this really matter? With so much technology these days, is there really any value to reading a novel anymore?
Yes!
The research is indisputable. Kids who read for pleasure score higher on assessment tests and they get higher grades in math. They are better at recognizing emotions and they have higher social IQs.
Its been found that reading for pleasure is more important for childrens’ cognitive development than their parents' level of education and it’s a bigger indicator for success at school that than either wealth or social class.
“It dawned on her that successful people for whom she cleaned homes had libraries—they read. After work she went home and turned off the television that Ben and his brother were watching. She said in essence: You boys are watching too much television. From now on you can watch three programs a week. In your free time you will go to the library—read two books a week and give me a report. | You may have heard of Ben Carson, the world-renowned neurosurgeon. Carson came from humble beginnings, and he claims that he was the worst student in his whole fifth-grade class. He spent childhood with his brother and their single mother in the projects of Detroit. Carson’s mother had been married at age 13, and she did not know how to read herself, but she was determined to help her children make a better life for themselves. |
The boys were shocked. Ben said he had never read a book in his entire life except when required to do so at school. They protested, they complained, they argued, but it was to no avail. Then Ben reflected, “She laid down the law. I didn’t like the rule, but her determination to see us improve changed the course of my life.” |
Reading is powerful! And yet here we are, reading lower quality books for less quantity of time than ever before. Did you know that as of 2011, America was the only free-market country where the current generation was less educated than the previous one? And though we’ve known for years that poor literacy is linked to crime and poverty, we continue to let our standards of literacy decline.
Like Ben Carson’s mom, we parents are the ones who can make the difference. Studies say that parents, not teachers, are the most important reading role models for young people. But sadly, 25% of adults in America read zero books last year.
It’s never too late!
Did you know that for every year you read with your child, average lifetime earnings increase for that child by $50,000? By the time your child starts kindergarten, you make a $250,000 gift to your child by reading aloud for just 20 minutes a day. And just the simple act of owning books and having them around your home is proven to raise your child’s reading scores.
I have four sons, three who are old enough to read, and each has their own set of reading challenges. But I have studied the topic of reading over the past few months and I am convinced that every child can and must become a devoted reader. I’m defining a devoted reader as someone who:
- Has reading plans and opinions (knows their favorite books and genres, and has an idea of what to read next.)
- Reads a quality book for at least thirty minutes, every day
It’s both simpler and harder than it sounds. Being a devoted reader is a lot more than just slogging through tough books, and it's a lot more exciting too! Being a devoted reader is joyful and satisfying, but one thing I know for sure is that becoming a devoted reader rarely happens on its own. Devoted reading is a skill, an acquired taste, and it requires effort to instill it in our children.
I have come up with a plan to make devoted reading happen in our home, and I believe this plan can work for you too. The summer is busy, but in one hour a day we can create some new healthy reading habits and help our kids acquire a taste for quality books.
BUT…
what if your child doesn’t like to read?
what if your child has a learning disability?
what if your children are already teenagers and it feels like it’s too late?
what if your child is still an infant?
No Worries! I’m going to address all of these issues in my next post when I share our reading plan with you. I hope you will join us on our journey to devoted reading.
Articles to Come (Subscribe if you would like to receive these articles by e-mail.)
The Plan—How to raise devoted readers
A Book is a Book— so does it really matter what you read? (Yes)
Books Vs Screens—The debate, the answers, and how to find balance.
Reading and Brain Function
Does it Really Matter how long you read? (Yes!)
Blah Blah Blah – the nasty condition of being overfed and malnourished with mental junkfood
Three Types of Books – Candy, substance, and veggie
The Hot Topic of Choice – Should kids get to choose their own books? (Yes, kind of.)
Emotional Reading vs Informational Reading – How different things you read affect different parts of
your brain
Reading Revolution – Taking a Stand and Calling for Change in Our Community
Articles I Read That Make the Case for Quality Reading:
Reading Fiction Improves Brain Connectivity and Function, by Christopher Bergland
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function This article describes the neuroscience behind why reading good fiction improves brain function and connectivity. My heart was jumping out of my chest as I read it because it rang to so true to me! I’ve known for years how blah, blah, blah feels vs. how it feels to read a quality novel. I have felt the powerful impact of a novel as it taught and changed me, but when I read this article I finally understood the science that explains why.
“The Case for Literature,” By Nancie Atwell http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/02/10/21atwell_ep.h29.html?qs=The+Case+for+Literature
Reading Brochures by Jim Trelease
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/brochures.html
This link will take you to a page on Trelease’s website with several free brochures that you can read through and print out if you want to learn more about the importance of reading. For decades, Trelease has been sharing statistics, reasons why, and ideas to help families read more. His books are excellent, but you can glean a lot of the info from his books on his website.
Books I Read That Make the Case for Quality Reading:
The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease
The Reading Zone and In the Middle by Nancie Atwell. These books are written for educators, and what more important educator is there an a parent? So far I have only read In the Zone, and it was short, engaging, and powerful. Keep a highlighter handy for this one
Additional Sources for This Article:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/377.abstract
(National Literacy Trust, Reaching Out with Role Models, April 2009)
(2013 research by Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown from the Institute of Education)
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/parents-the-prime-gospel-teachers-of-their-children?lang=eng
“FAQs on the Brain.” Zero to Three. Accessed June 30, 2014.
http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/brain-development/faqs-on-the-brain.html#parentsrole
Gordon Wells, The Meaning Makers: Children Learning Language and Using Language to Learn (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986)
Catherine E. Snow, M. Susan Burns, Peg Griffin, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1998)
Lynn Fielding, Nancy Kerr, and Paul Rosier, The 90% Reading Goal (Kennewick, WA: The New Foundation Press, 1998), page 68.
http://readingfoundation.org/the-solution/programs/read-with-a-child/?gclid=CjwKEAjwycaqBRCSorjE7ZewsmUSJABWzM54oN0GUqqoM-xYNaDypWV_5Wzbydmt-6FLJTLoXZpA4RoC2m7w_wcB
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function
https://www.crc.losrios.edu/files/onebook/NEA_Reading_Report.pdf
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