Information for Parents

Do you ever wonder how you can help your child develop a passion for reading?

Studies show benefits in parents taking an active interest in their child's developing reading skills. Award-winning author Rudolfo Anaya's love of language did not develop only in the classroom. It developed as he listened to members of his family tell stories and poems. It developed after he got his first library card, when he could take interesting books home and spend quiet time reading them. In the same way, your child's ongoing development as a reader will depend on a variety of experiences.

As you know, a child's learning begins long before his or her first day of formal education. You are your child's first and most important teacher and role model. However, when a child outgrows bedtime stories and story hour at the library, it can become more difficult to shape his or her reading experiences. It is essential, however, that you continue your efforts. You can do this by adapting principles you used when your child was just beginning to read and by introducing new ideas and experiences to fit your child's changing skills and maturity level. If you commit to doing this, you will play a key role in helping your child become an eager reader whose life is forever enriched by books.

The following suggestions can help you to foster literacy in your child, whether you are homeschooling or supplementing a public or private school education. Together they form a plan of action that encourages reading activities and presents reading in a positive light.

Be a Role Model

Children whose parents value reading and who read at home have a better chance of succeeding in school and becoming life-long readers. Be sure your children see you reading both for pleasure and to get information. Keep good books, magazines, and newspapers in the house. Follow news events. You might want to read articles from a newspaper or an online source together at the breakfast table or while relaxing in the evening. Discuss what your children are reading. Encourage them to talk about issues, characters, and themes in their reading. Try to connect these ideas to your lives. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement says, "Talk and listen to your children. Language is like a four-legged stool: speaking, listening, reading, and writing are its parts, and each supports the other." You might want to review the U.S. Department of Education's online brochure "Helping Your Child Become a Reader." This brochure contains tips on reading instruction at home that can be adapted for older children. It also features a special section on building enthusiasm for reading in older children.

Incorporate Reading into Other Activities

Encourage activities that require reading, such as cooking, constructing something (kite, model, art project), or identifying animals or trees after a nature walk. If a child has a particular hobby, such as coding or playing an instrument, introduce him or her to a variety of books related to it. For example, encourage a young basketball player to read a fiction book about basketball, a biography of a professional basketball player, or a book that discusses the history of basketball. These efforts show children that reading is not just a school activity, but an activity that can help them in different areas of their lives.

Provide Varied Reading Material

Some reading should be for enjoyment; some should be to gather information. Introduce children to a variety of genres, including nonfiction, realistic fiction, science fiction, poetry, etc., so that they can discover what genre they enjoy most. Ask them what types of writing they find most enjoyable and what types they find most challenging. Try to direct your child toward interesting, high-quality literature. Books that make children laugh, give them a sense of wonder, or keep them on the edge of their seats motivate them to keep reading. You can look online for lists of award-winning books.

Establish Routines

Make reading a regular part of your child's life. Encourage him or her to spend time reading every day, even if only 10 or 15 minutes. For example, have your child quietly read something he or she enjoys each night just before going to bed, or have your child read aloud to you. As a family, set aside at least one evening each week for reading instead of watching television or another typical activity. Make reading a part of breaks from school. For example, at the start of summer vacation, help children to set reading goals according to their individual skill levels. For example, one child might comfortably be able to read two chapter books over a summer, while another child might be able to read many more. Always remember that children are entitled to enjoy their summer reading—allow them freedom in choosing what they read and don't push them so hard that reading is seen as an unpleasant chore.

Communicate in Writing

Research shows that reading and writing are skills that influence and support each other. Often good readers are good writers, and good writers are good readers. With this in mind, encourage your child to exchange letters or emails with friends and relatives. Suggest that your child create a family newsletter or a web page. These are fun ways for children to hone their reading and writing skills. Also, children should be encouraged to communicate their thoughts and opinions on books, poems, or articles in writing. They can do this by writing informally in a journal or reading log. A child's journal or reading log can also be a place where they write private thoughts about their lives. Journal writing will boost your child's language skills and encourage him or her to look at the world through the eyes of a writer.

Visit the Library

Feeling comfortable in a library is an important part of being a literate person. Encourage children to get library cards and to make regular trips to the library. For upper-elementary and middle school children, the library is no longer just a source of entertainment; it is a place to find information. They can now be expected to use school and public libraries for reports and other research projects. There are many ways you can help your child build strong library skills. Here are some tips that will help you and your child through library/research assignments:

Talk about the wealth of search tools available at the library. Mention library catalog systems, periodical guides, reference books, and online resources. Be sure your child knows how to use a table of contents and an index.
Ask questions about the assignment. This will help your child to clarify what he or she needs to do. Help your child to classify the topic that he or she will be researching. What are its subtopics? Is the topic part of a larger subject? If children have a thorough understanding of their topics, they are better able to select reference materials.
Help your child to break the assignment into sections. Then set deadlines for each section. Managing time in this way will allow your child plenty of time to explore the library.
Give your children encouragement and advice but do not take over their assignments. Children should assume responsibility for their own research. This is the only way they will learn to rely on their own library skills. They also need to learn to feel comfortable approaching librarians and articulating in their own words what they need. Use the following ideas to further expand your child's knowledge of the library:

Ask an older child to research and bring home library books for a younger sibling. Or, ask your child to locate books on a particular subject for you. For example, you might ask him or her to locate a recipe, books by a particular author, or information on a hobby you are pursuing.
Look into programs for children your library might offer on using online resources or various software programs.
Find out if your local library has a summer reading program. A structured library program often offers children incentives to keep reading throughout the summer. This kind of program is especially helpful to a child who struggles with reading and whose skills might become rusty over the long summer break.

Consider Book Club

Are your efforts to foster literacy at home being supported at your child's school? If you are homeschooling, are you completely satisfied that your children are becoming eager, skilled readers? Whatever your answers to these important questions might be, the Book Club program is worth looking into. This program, developed over the last eleven years by a group of teachers and researchers, "has proven again and again that it does not only improve language arts skills, but also helps students gain increased motivation and the desire to become better readers." The Book Club program works so well because it incorporates the principles for encouraging literacy that are outlined above. It does this by:

encouraging communication and discussion
combining reading, discussion, and writing using well-written books that are interesting to children
getting children to connect themes and information in books to their own lives
allowing children to take responsibility for their study of literature

Traditional reading/literature instruction focuses heavily on searching for the "right answer." Students are encouraged to read for facts and sometimes trivial details that they are asked to recall for quizzes and short-answer worksheet questions—which they often struggle to complete independently. This type of reading instruction is not likely to develop a child's love of reading. The teachers and parents who use Book Club understand that literacy is a process. Good readers find meaning in a text by bringing their own ideas to it, discussing it, and connecting it to the world and their own lives.

This is how a typical Book Club classroom operates:

The Book Club teacher reads aloud from the book being studied.
The teacher gives a brief lesson and conducts a whole group discussion with the class.
Students then read silently and record responses in their journals or reading logs.
The class breaks into small groups.
For 15 minutes or so, students converse as the teacher walks from group to group to supervise and give guidance when necessary.

Traditional reading instruction keeps children on the outside—telling them that meaning is buried deeply within texts and then sending them on fact-finding missions. The Book Club program invites students to dive right into the literature—to question, debate, reflect, and to value what they bring to texts as readers. If your wish is to have your children be proficient readers and passionate about reading, then consider talking to teachers about Book Club or introducing Book Club's ideas into your homeschool environment.

For a more information about the Book Club Program, see our overview. To order Book Club teaching materials, call 1-800-475-9486 or fax 978-794-8062.

Links for Parents

Associations

American Library Association: For Parents and Caregivers — The American Library Association leads the country's development and promotion of library and information services. This section of the site is aimed specifically at parents and caregivers, including those who are homeschooling. Here you will find tips on raising lifelong readers and choosing good books for your children. The site also provides links and information on news and events.

Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) — The Association for Middle Level Education is dedicated to the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents. Its members include teachers, parents, administrators, and community leaders. At the website, you will find a resource center, news, research, information on the importance of parental involvement in education, and relevant links. Understanding the special needs of students at this developmental stage will help you foster literacy in your child.

International Literacy Association — The International Literacy Association is a group that seeks to promote high levels of literacy for all. Their website includes lists of relevant publications and information on the latest research on literacy. It also provides useful literacy links.

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) — This site, aimed at the professional development of English teachers, includes ideas and resources that can be useful to parents as well. Here you will find language arts news, lists of books on teaching literacy, proverbs and quotations, and open discussions on literacy. You will also find relevant links to other web resources.

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) — One of the most well-known literacy organizations, Reading is Fundamental offers a variety of resources on its website. The site has a special section for parents that includes book lists and motivational activities and tips. The site also offers the latest news in literacy and information on other literacy resources.

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) — We Need Diverse Books is dedicated to promoting books for children written by diverse authors and featuring diverse characters. The site includes resources for finding diverse books, as well as interviews with authors.

Government Resources

ERIC — The Institue of Education Sciences (ERIC) is designed to give parents and educators access to a variety of education-related literature. Established in 1966, ERIC is supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Library of Education. It provides education resources, children's literature resources, and information on the state of literacy in the nation.

U.S. Department of Education — This useful pamphlet, put out by the U.S. Department of Education, gives information on helping your child learn to read. Although it is geared primarily toward parents of younger children, parents of older children are likely to find certain sections of it relevant. The pamphlet gives specific information on building enthusiasm for reading in children, choosing books, working with schools, and building literacy in older children. It also provides a helpful list of resources.

Select Book Lists

Common Sense Media: Booklists — Common Sense Media offers book recommendations, organized by age as well as by topic, such as Books to Inspire Young Activists and Best Memoirs for Kids and Teens. Each book review includes suggested ideas to discuss with your child as he or she reads the book.

Good Reads: Young Adult — From young adult classics to new releases, Good Reads provides book reviews and ratings by readers, as well as book descriptions, author biographies, and bibliographies. Readers can ask authors questions directly using the "Ask the Author" feature.

St. Charles Public Library: Booklists — This thorough and well-organized site is run by Youth Services at St. Charles Public Library in St. Charles, Illinois. It includes book lists in categories such as Feel the Fear, First Love, and Girl Power. You just might find titles that will appeal to even the most finicky teen reader.