To raise a child with the identity of a reader, surround them with books that excite and delight; read aloud into middle school; share ideas and personal growth that come from books; and create distraction-free zones where reading can flourish.
Good books touch an emotional chord. “You close the final pages of the book a little breathless, a little more in awe of the great and glorious world.”
— Sarah Mackenzie
Key Strategies
- Surround your child with books that excite and delight them. Good books create a vivid scene in your mind, introduce you to places, people, and ideas you’ve never encountered before, and touch an emotional chord.
- Read aloud with your child (all the way into middle school). Listening to books like The Phantom Tollbooth will motivate them to continue developing their own reading skills so they can read more advanced books.
- Share delights, ideas and personal growth that come from books, but don’t reward your child for reading. That will give them the impression that reading isn’t fun, and that’s the opposite of what you want!
- Create distraction-free zones where reading can flourish. In practice, this means that screens should be out of sight most of the time.
Additional Resources
Book: Raising Kids Who Read, Daniel Willingham
Book Club Culture: 1st through 4th Grade