I wanted to mention another feature on this blog, The Reading Basket, posted in the left-hand column. As I started to write, thoughts about reading with kids and using the library crowded in. So, I will talk in this post about reading with kids, then talk about ways to get the most out of the library in another post, and then finally will turn to the Basket on yet another day.
First, a word about reading aloud. I figure most parents realize a good way to instill a love of reading in a child is to read to them often, and to model the pleasure of reading by picking up a book of their own now and then. But some parents might also believe that once a child can read, that child should mainly be reading to himself, whether silently or to an adult.
For anyone who's a fan of Jim Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook, you know what I'm about to say, which is that children continue to benefit from hearing an adult read aloud long after they can read on their own. Trelease believes the benefits never end, and would read to his teenage son while the boy did the dishes. (Ahem. Note to future self!) Trelease provides a helpful list of read-aloud suggestions, separated into categories and labeled so you can find age-appropriate books (in terms of the ideas).
After a child has a base vocabulary--most of the words adults use in every-day conversation--an even more important source of new words is an adult reading aloud. An adult conversational vocabulary is surprisingly small compared to the total number of words an adult knows, but rarely uses.
The key, of course, is to read aloud books that are above a child's current reading ability. You've probably noticed already that many picture books are a bit out of the grasp of most brand-new readers anyway, so for younger kids, you don't have to look very far.
But beyond that, interactive reading--with the adult asking gentle, specific questions--can make the reading experience more interesting for the child, while providing insight into their development. We don't do this every time we read because it's most important to enjoy a book purely for itself, to savor the lilt of the writing and the fascinating illustrations.
Other times--after savoring a book--we can go back and do some discussing. To guide interactive reading, I found these great online pamphlets from the National Institute for Literacy; their lists are detailed yet succint. They include the types of questions to ask a child (depending on their age), and goals for the adult to try to meet when reading with their kids. An example of the latter is, "I talk with my child about stories and make connections to things that happen in our own lives." It can sound inane if you already do this, but for others, it's a revelation.
I've provided the website versions of the pamphlets below; if you'd rather download them in PDF format, look here. (They have ones for older kids, too.)
Preschoolers Get Ready to Read
If you nose around the National Literacy website, you will find other great pamphlets on there with a lot of information packed into a few pages about reading as a family. I didn't link them here because most parents are probably already convinced about the merits of reading with their kids, but they're there if you'd like to see them.
Happy page-turning!
* To be continued (about libraries) another day *
