Why do you read?
It seems like a simple enough question with a reasonably simple few possible answers. But have you considered the fact that your own reading habits are affecting those of your children?
For instance, ask yourself the questions;
- How often do you read?
- Where do you read?
- And in what format do you read?
The reason for this post and these specific questions is my own experience with reading and with watching my own child’s reading surpass what his school can deal with.
I read daily and I do it in front of my son. I read in electronic and paper format. I talk about the fact that I’m reading if I am using my kindle so that he knows that I am reading. When I started reading in bed more, he took to reading in bed beside me. I noticed the school books he was bringing home were too easy and he was reading them too quickly and way before either of us wanted our reading time to stop. So I took him to a book shop (Waterstones) and I bought him novels. Real books. The Percy Jackson series. He zoomed through them. He is now on another Rick Riordan series. Some of the books he is reading have over 500 pages in and are larger than the books I read. A recent comment in his reading card from school was “There are some really difficult words in this book, but they are not difficult for ****”
My little boy has also been tested and his reading level has reached the top-level that the school records (it goes to year 6) and he is in year 5. He still has 18 months to go.
This post isn’t to brag, but to show the power of reading in front of children. The old adage of leading by example is true even in the respect of reading.
So consider the above three questions again if you have children. It’s not necessarily about reading to them, but by showing them the joy that reading brings to your own life, you can encourage them to copy what you do and in that simple act, they can gain their own pleasure from reading.
This post is part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.
diannegray says
This is so true, Rebecca. My children were (and still are) prolific readers. We used to lie in bed at night and I’d read and they’d read their books. Bragging aside (there no such thing as bragging when it comes to kids!) they are all doing very well for themselves now that they’re grown and I’m sure the reading opened up their worlds and really gave them a good head start at school 😀
Rebecca Bradley says
That’s it isn’t it? It opens up their worlds. Not only giving them the ability to read, but teaching them so much at the same time. I just wish everyone knew how wonderful reading was.
MarinaSofia says
I agree that in the long term it probably rubs off on the kids, although there’s only so much a parent can do. My two are like chalk and cheese.
My older son loves reading, whizzed through Harry Potter, Rick Riordan, Anthony Horowitz, The Hobbit etc. at an early age. He’s been writing his own stories and poems, he provides us with a weekly newsletter/magazine (when he remembers) and he just generally loves stories and information of all kinds. The younger one is clearly a budding engineer and likes non-fiction, but for quite a few years used to avoid reading any fiction beyond the most basic books demanded in class. He is a fluent reader, so it wasn’t that he found it difficult to read stories, but I think he was both lazy and couldn’t find something to excite him. I think (hope!) we may have turned the corner now, as he has started borrowing Jeremy Strong, Horrible Science, David Walliams and Roald Dahl. Still not as voracious a reader as his brother, but I’ve learnt one lesson: if I recommend a book, it is bound to be poison and best avoided!
cleopatralovesbooks says
I wrote my response before I read yours and it sounds like we have had similar experiences – no two children are the same!
MarinaSofia says
Ha! Glad to see I’m not the only one! And that yours both thrived, regardless…
Rebecca Bradley says
I haven’t made the choice of what my son is reading, he did that one all by himself. I also recognise that children are different. I have just noticed, that by reading so openly in front of him, he seems to have picked up the interest. Now that could have been in fiction or non fiction. It could even have been in comics! But it’s reading together. I suppose I am singing to the choir on this blog as most who come here are readers I imagine! My eldest who is now in college, won’t pick up a book if I paid her….well, maybe if I offered payment!
LM Milford says
I think you definitely have the right to brag! So nice to hear about a child enjoying reading, and in particular a boy when were always told young boys don’t read. Well done to your son, and tell him to keep up the good work!
Rebecca Bradley says
You do hear boys are lazier don’t you? So yes, I think I do feel quite proud of his reading achievements at the moment. He may not hold on to them as he gets older, but time will tell. Thank you Lynn.
Elizabeth Hein says
My two girls are both big readers. They have developed their own tastes over time, but never had the option of not being readers. One thing we did was make sure they had their own bookshelves in their rooms where they could keep “their” books. I have also become the book-aunt for my nieces and nephews. They know that they will always receive a hard cover new release for their birthdays.
Rebecca Bradley says
I like the idea of being the book aunt! I might try and take that mantle up, though I’m not sure how much it would be appreciated…
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
You are empowering him for success!
I remember seeing my parents read all the time – thus, I read all the time as well.
Rebecca Bradley says
I can’t remember seeing mine read, but we did have bookshelves stuffed with books, which I took from and read and when I’d finished I went down to the local library 🙂
atexasgirlblogs says
I read every night before I go to bed either a book or a magazine and Charlie has started to bring his books in to my room so we can read together. I love that as my daughter used to do the same thing but I lost her when she was 16.
Rebecca Bradley says
I’m so sorry about your daughter. I can’t imagine.
Your son, coming to read with you sounds just like the scenario in our house. It’s a lovely feeling isn’t it 🙂
Margot Kinberg says
Rebecca – You have every right to brag. And your underlying message – about the power of example – is so true. Children look to their parents and caregivers for examples, and they take their cues from them. There is, in case you’re interested, quite a lot of research supporting your point too. Children who live in homes where people do a lot of reading and there are a lot of books, tend to become readers themselves.
Rebecca Bradley says
Thanks Margot. I didn’t know about the research. It was just something I had noticed at home. What a perfect reason for me to keep reading as much as I do! In fact, I probably need to read more 🙂
nancyrae4 says
Your boy sounds wonderful. Reading sharpens minds like NOTHING else.
My mom read to us from the time we were babies, and I am so grateful she did. Reading made us participants in the world, not just watchers. She did read some sophisticated stuff, and I often snagged it off the top shelf of our bookcases when she wasn’t looking. SF of the cold-war era was terrifying and fascinating for a ten year old. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich was indescribable for someone fifteen (or of any age), and that would be my only caveat about adult’s reading habits affecting children. Great post.
Rebecca Bradley says
A good point on reading habits. We don’t leave 18 rated DVD’s laying around (violent ones I’m talking about!) but we don’t think anything about just leaving a book case full of books. Another blog post there I think!
cleopatralovesbooks says
I totally agree with you seeing parents read can have a positive effect on your child’s reading but I would like to add that what works for one child won’t necessarily work for another. Like much of parenting you have to work with the child you have. I have two children now both grown up. The elder is a great reader and has loved books since she was tiny, my second child who literally got read to from day one, (it was the only way to keep his sister still while I fed him) is not a reader. Same household, same mother who reads and values reading, different child. Now the elder one learnt to read well before the age of four and read Roald Dahl while in reception (under 5) I honestly don’t know when the younger one became a proficient reader but he had no problems, it simply didn’t capture his imagination in the same way, he didn’t want to spend the time, so we borrowed audio books from the library, encouraged him to access more factual books which he did and refused to get on the school’s bandwagon of nagging him to read more. He had a wide vocabulary and proficient skill but it wasn’t his thing (he’s at university on studying illustration and belongs to a writers club)
As parents we can only every provide the opportunity to love books and that includes reading to your child from a young age but not every child will automatically share their parents love of reading and shouldn’t be made to feel that this was down to something they did or didn’t do. I don’t believe there is a magic formula – sorry for the long answer but I feel really strongly about this subject 🙂
Rebecca Bradley says
As you feel passionately about this, can I just point out one thing in you answer – that this is simply something I have noticed has occurred in my home with my youngest and I would NOT under any circumstances make him feel it was something he did or didn’t do, if he hadn’t followed my lead. Notice it was me reading, not me reading to him, or telling him to read..
I am also aware that children are different, as I have a child in college and she hasn’t read in a book she hasn’t had to read, in years.
I am probably singing to the choir on this blog about the “general” possibility that if there are books around and a reader in the house, a child’s automatic inquisitive nature may help them also pick up a book voluntarily as opposed to homes that don’t have books in them, as I presume most people who read this blog are readers.
Like I say, it was an observation of something that did happen in my house, so I turned it into a blog post.
cleopatralovesbooks says
I’m sorry if you took my comments in a way that I didn’t mean. I think it is wonderful that your son reads and I’m sure seeing you read only reinforces that this is a worthwhile pursuit. My point was there aren’t a list of things you can do that will guarantee a result (as in all areas of parenting) and hopefully my post indicates that although my son is not a reader this wasn’t because he couldn’t (he was exceptionally able) nor because wasn’t interested in the construct of a story (his current pursuits show that this is strong) but because he didn’t enjoy the process of reading. I applaud anyone who tries to instil a love of reading into their child (successfully or not)
I passionately (like most readers of this blog, I’m sure) think that reading skills are the foundation to so much within education but my personal story shows that as long as they learn to read proficiently they don’t have to be bookworms to do well at school. Both of mine reached the top levels in reading very early despite one refusing to leave the house without a book and the other not reading of his own free will.
It is an excellent discussion point as I think my experiences show that preferences for one activity over another are formed early on (no close relation has even a vague artistic talent) and you are both lucky as if he has got this far through life and loves reading then that will stay with him for a lifetime!
Rebecca Bradley says
I understand where you’re coming from. You’re own personal experience with your son. My own pleasure comes from knowing I passed my faulty genes down to my son so his career choices are somewhat limited. No sporting options, armed forces, police, fire etc. It has to be something he works at with his head.
Another point is that reading takes up time. To finish a book, time is taken up and not all children want to give that time at particular points in their lives. I’m happy he reads now. I’m not sure he still will when he is a teenager!
I also think I’m overly pleased to see one of my kids doing what I’m doing.
I hope I didn’t offend you in any of my comments. Children are very individual and they all have their own ideas from quite an early age. I was surprised that my little boy knew adamantly that he wanted long hair (shoulder length) from about the age of 7/8!
Jacqui Murray says
Absolutely read with my children (not anymore–they’re all grown up). My son wasn’t much of a fan, but I allowed him to read anything (at the suggestion of his teacher). He started with Star Trek and ended up with Greek historians–like Thucydides. Neither would I have picked!
Rebecca Bradley says
Like you Jacqui, I didn’t pick my son’s books. He chose them himself. And continues to choose all future books. They have their own tastes, likes and dislikes. Forcing a genre on them they don’t like just won’t help matters will it.
Finley Jayne says
How often do you read? Daily, for several hours 😀
Where do you read? Living room, in my designated reading chair
And in what format do you read? paper back/hard cover
I have three kids (5, 7 and 9) and I’m struggling with my oldest right now, because she has no interest in books, besides graphic novels (aka comic books). I take her to the library every week and she sees me reading all the time, so hopefully some day it will click and she’ll discover how awesome all kinds of books are (even ones without pictures, lol).
Finley Jayne
http://finleyjaynesbookshelves.blogspot.com/
Rebecca Bradley says
I love that you have a reading chair. I imagine it’s really comfortable and worn in now.
Apparently graphic novels are really coming into their own now and are novella’s in picture format. I know in Nottingham we have a great graphic novel shop and it sells some wonderful stuff. It’s worth checking out to see if you have a dedicated shop near you and see if you can widen reading that way.
datmama4 says
You’re doing a great service to your son’s future by reading to him and with him. My parents were always reading—ironically, my mom was always reading non-fiction and biographies, whereas my dad was a fiction guy, which is the reverse for most men and women. My in-laws have always read, so my husband grew up reading a lot also. We continued to read to our kids long after they were able to read on their own, partly to allow everyone to enjoy a book at the same time, and partly to have them listen to books that may have been (at that time) above their reading level. They’re all avid readers now.
Rebecca Bradley says
My parents had bookshelves filled with books, but oddly I never saw them reading. I did however read what was on there before heading to the library. I love reading and I just want to pass that joy on.
Mich Napier says
That’s awesome! Grew up with parents that read non-fiction or History and all I read is fiction. No Kids yet, but I have turned my Wife into a reader and I used to read Thor, one of our Jack Russell’s who would intently watch me reading.
1) Frequently read throughout the day.
2) Bed, bathroom, lazy boy chair, poochy potty breaks, work, shopping and traveling.
3.) Paperback, Kindle and the occasional Hardback.
Rebecca Bradley says
I managed to turn my sister into a reader. It took a while, but we weren’t living in the same house so recommending books was difficult, but she does read now. It’s great to pass the joy on isn’t it 🙂