You need to have your kids read outside of school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

NP - no, that's not what it takes. There's research on this stuff. I'm not discouraging anyone from reading to or with their kids, but this level of investment in reading isn't necessary for most kids to become strong readers. They don't need to love reading for pleasure, because reading for pleasure isn't a virtue. Good for you, glad all this worked for your kids, but for all the parents of young kids who read this and think, there's no way I could do all that, you don't have to.

You DO need to pay attention to how well your kids are reading and if they're struggling still in first grade, do something about that.

Reading for pleasure may not be a virtue, but it sure is a good way for them to accelerate their reading ability.

Sure. But that reading regimen is extreme, said as someone who loves reading for pleasure, and has from a young age. Kids have other interests, families do other things. Again, I'm all for reading - but what's described is one person's experience. There are other ways to increase the chance that kids read for pleasure that don't involve extended parental involvement.

I thought the main point of the post was that reading to/with kids beyond the early childhood years is important. Is that extended parental involvement? Is that not typical?

You think it's typical that parents read novels to their kids through elementary school? Daily? That a family reading for 30 minutes together in the same room, also daily, is typical? Seriously?

DP here.
I read to my kids. I assume that most people who love their kids and want the best education and enrichment for them also did. Why would they not? There is so much competition in the world, how could you fail your children in such a manner? If MCPS is failing, would you also let your kid fail? Do you blindly just let others dictate your kids future?

I am shocked to see that majority of y'all are not doing the best for your kid. Holy moly! What a waste of human brain and life. What a waste to be born in this country and do worse than a kid born in a 3rd world country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought everybody knew this already.

Yes.

People stop having kids, please. You can have sex without reproducing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

Your experience shows that sometimes kids are readers despite their parents. Those stories have always been around. What you say does not prove that can’t cultivate a love for reading. My mom read novels and I got so invested that I learned to read ahead. My daughter is doing the same thing right now. Maybe it would have happened regardless, but why take the chance? Also…. I love reading to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

NP - no, that's not what it takes. There's research on this stuff. I'm not discouraging anyone from reading to or with their kids, but this level of investment in reading isn't necessary for most kids to become strong readers. They don't need to love reading for pleasure, because reading for pleasure isn't a virtue. Good for you, glad all this worked for your kids, but for all the parents of young kids who read this and think, there's no way I could do all that, you don't have to.

You DO need to pay attention to how well your kids are reading and if they're struggling still in first grade, do something about that.

Reading for pleasure may not be a virtue, but it sure is a good way for them to accelerate their reading ability.

Sure. But that reading regimen is extreme, said as someone who loves reading for pleasure, and has from a young age. Kids have other interests, families do other things. Again, I'm all for reading - but what's described is one person's experience. There are other ways to increase the chance that kids read for pleasure that don't involve extended parental involvement.

I thought the main point of the post was that reading to/with kids beyond the early childhood years is important. Is that extended parental involvement? Is that not typical?

You think it's typical that parents read novels to their kids through elementary school? Daily? That a family reading for 30 minutes together in the same room, also daily, is typical? Seriously?

I don’t think family reading is typical, but yes I absolutely thought UMC parents were reading novels to their elementary age kids. We do, our parents did, our friends did and do. Happy to be corrected in my impression but yes I’m shocked if this isn’t typical.

Shocked? Lol.

We're UMC. I even have a Ph.D., go figure! DH and I read to all of our kids from a very young age, some novels to our oldest especially - because we had the time - but that petered out as they got older. Maybe by first or second grade? We put them to bed by sitting and talking about their days or whatever else. If they wanted a book, sure, but frankly by the time our older two were in second grade, they wanted to read themselves in bed. They're in eighth and sixth grades now and most nights, we have to tell them to put the book down and go to bed.

As I noted in a different post, our youngest has dyslexia, so we do still read to him nightly (he's in fourth). I hope someday he'll want to read for pleasure, but he's wired differently.

My larger point is that, no, most kids do not need years and years of being read to to become strong readers. I've seen that very clearly, up-front, with two kids who learned to read with no special intervention and one who struggles mightily, despite being a super smart kid. Would more kids benefit from being read to for longer? Sure. But that's not what's being discussed in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

Your experience shows that sometimes kids are readers despite their parents. Those stories have always been around. What you say does not prove that can’t cultivate a love for reading. My mom read novels and I got so invested that I learned to read ahead. My daughter is doing the same thing right now. Maybe it would have happened regardless, but why take the chance? Also…. I love reading to her.

All the people I know with kids who are avid readers did nothing special to get the avid reader to read the most. One or two kids is really into and the others aren't. Same households.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

NP - no, that's not what it takes. There's research on this stuff. I'm not discouraging anyone from reading to or with their kids, but this level of investment in reading isn't necessary for most kids to become strong readers. They don't need to love reading for pleasure, because reading for pleasure isn't a virtue. Good for you, glad all this worked for your kids, but for all the parents of young kids who read this and think, there's no way I could do all that, you don't have to.

You DO need to pay attention to how well your kids are reading and if they're struggling still in first grade, do something about that.

Reading for pleasure may not be a virtue, but it sure is a good way for them to accelerate their reading ability.

Sure. But that reading regimen is extreme, said as someone who loves reading for pleasure, and has from a young age. Kids have other interests, families do other things. Again, I'm all for reading - but what's described is one person's experience. There are other ways to increase the chance that kids read for pleasure that don't involve extended parental involvement.

I thought the main point of the post was that reading to/with kids beyond the early childhood years is important. Is that extended parental involvement? Is that not typical?

You think it's typical that parents read novels to their kids through elementary school? Daily? That a family reading for 30 minutes together in the same room, also daily, is typical? Seriously?

I don’t think family reading is typical, but yes I absolutely thought UMC parents were reading novels to their elementary age kids. We do, our parents did, our friends did and do. Happy to be corrected in my impression but yes I’m shocked if this isn’t typical.

Shocked? Lol.

We're UMC. I even have a Ph.D., go figure! DH and I read to all of our kids from a very young age, some novels to our oldest especially - because we had the time - but that petered out as they got older. Maybe by first or second grade? We put them to bed by sitting and talking about their days or whatever else. If they wanted a book, sure, but frankly by the time our older two were in second grade, they wanted to read themselves in bed. They're in eighth and sixth grades now and most nights, we have to tell them to put the book down and go to bed.

As I noted in a different post, our youngest has dyslexia, so we do still read to him nightly (he's in fourth). I hope someday he'll want to read for pleasure, but he's wired differently.

My larger point is that, no, most kids do not need years and years of being read to to become strong readers. I've seen that very clearly, up-front, with two kids who learned to read with no special intervention and one who struggles mightily, despite being a super smart kid. Would more kids benefit from being read to for longer? Sure. But that's not what's being discussed in this thread.

That actually makes more sense to me and is less shocking, lol. PP had claimed that parents were abandoning reading aloud to kids once kids could read *at all* and advocated for nightly novel reading. If kids are picking up the nightly novel reading without parental involvement, I don’t think many people are going to find a deficit there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

Your experience shows that sometimes kids are readers despite their parents. Those stories have always been around. What you say does not prove that can’t cultivate a love for reading. My mom read novels and I got so invested that I learned to read ahead. My daughter is doing the same thing right now. Maybe it would have happened regardless, but why take the chance? Also…. I love reading to her.

My parents didn’t read to me but I did read quite a bit to my kids, especially the older two. My parents didn’t read have a house filled with books of all levels and from many different decades. There are studies showing just the sheer number of books in the house makes a difference. I think that’s harder today with so many screen based reading options plus screens. When I was bored I would end up in front of a bookcase just browsing. That’s less true for today’s kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

Sorry, not in my culture. Most of us had parental involvement, study time at home was sacrosanct, and we all read for pleasure. To be supersmart and well read was a flex. No wonder my people are killing it here. No achievement gap here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

NP - no, that's not what it takes. There's research on this stuff. I'm not discouraging anyone from reading to or with their kids, but this level of investment in reading isn't necessary for most kids to become strong readers. They don't need to love reading for pleasure, because reading for pleasure isn't a virtue. Good for you, glad all this worked for your kids, but for all the parents of young kids who read this and think, there's no way I could do all that, you don't have to.

You DO need to pay attention to how well your kids are reading and if they're struggling still in first grade, do something about that.

Reading for pleasure may not be a virtue, but it sure is a good way for them to accelerate their reading ability.

Sure. But that reading regimen is extreme, said as someone who loves reading for pleasure, and has from a young age. Kids have other interests, families do other things. Again, I'm all for reading - but what's described is one person's experience. There are other ways to increase the chance that kids read for pleasure that don't involve extended parental involvement.

I thought the main point of the post was that reading to/with kids beyond the early childhood years is important. Is that extended parental involvement? Is that not typical?

You think it's typical that parents read novels to their kids through elementary school? Daily? That a family reading for 30 minutes together in the same room, also daily, is typical? Seriously?

I don’t think family reading is typical, but yes I absolutely thought UMC parents were reading novels to their elementary age kids. We do, our parents did, our friends did and do. Happy to be corrected in my impression but yes I’m shocked if this isn’t typical.

I too think it's typical that UMC parents are reading nightly to their children. I've even had conversations with my kids' friends and other girls in Girl Scouts/Soccer about what books they're reading with their parents. UMC and even middle class parents throw so much time and energy into their children. I think I'm on the higher end with 30 min of reading though. I think 15 min is more average. I definitely think reading to my kids is my most favorite part of being a parent, probably only second to Christmas morning.

[Anonymous]

Another easy way to get your kids to read more- read more to yourself! Apparently watching your parents read books to themselves is also an indicator of whether kids will become strong readers. I always have my nose in a book and will often eschew chores or sleep to read more. I got a kindle recently and LOVE it for reading at night. No more book lights needed and it doesn't bug dh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

Sorry, not in my culture. Most of us had parental involvement, study time at home was sacrosanct, and we all read for pleasure. To be supersmart and well read was a flex. No wonder my people are killing it here. No achievement gap here.

What is your culture? I'm curious because I'd love to know which likes to read the most. I actually feel like Americans read a lot, but maybe my own extended family skews that viewpoint. Libraries are packed anytime I go though.

[Anonymous]

Re reading to our kids- most educated, UMC read to their kids, at least until their kids read to themselves instead. The top 10% of kids are performing just as well as ever. It's the floor that's dropping out. The posters on here are not the ones at issue.

Also - why the dig on graphic novels? My kids are voracious graphic novel readers. For a few years, that was 90% of what they read. They are now in 7th and 9th and 10% of what they read are graphic novels. My nephews (same ages) were/ are the same- and I don't know too many other 13/14 yo extroverted/sporty boys still reading for fun. The study cited by the NYT (if that's what the OP is referring to) even suggests that fiction (and by extension fictional graphic novels) has unique benefits and that "non-fiction may involve fewer opportunities for developing linguistic skills, creativity, imagination, theory of mind, and/or emotion regulation." https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01549-4

But to the main point - yes- I don't know why schools are not having kids read novels anymore in middle and high school. It is ridiculous. My kids are reading about 2 books a year for school, if that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

As a parent of littler kids (5.5, 4, and baby) I found this really helpful, as I think I would have been tempted to have the oldest start reading to me as he is learning to read, but you make a good case to keep reading to him instead.

I will add one tip that's worked really well for my family. When my oldest stopped napping, I instituted an hour of reading time. He "reads" (ie, looks at books) and I sit there and read, too. It's actually lovely. He's also allowed to use his Yoto to play music or stories, and he looks at Waldo books and the kind that have buttons and stuff, too. But as he's learning to read (he's in K this year) it's starting to turn into real reading and we've built this great habit. And while I always read before bed, it's usually novels, and I've used this time to get through more non-fiction. Oh, and he's also learning to tell time because he wants to know when his hour is up and there's an analog clock in the room

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

Sorry doesn't ring true to me. My parents never ever read to me and I devoured books as a kid. Read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't want to be read at or to, I read myself. You can't force kids to love reading. They either do or they don't.

I'm the PP and I was like you -- loved to read even though my parents never read to me, was an advanced reader in elementary.

But I went to school in a school system that assigned a lot of novels, forced me to read and think about classic (and challenging) books, and had high expectations for my reading and writing ability. Our kids are not in that environment. Plus they have the distraction of handheld screens everywhere, especially at school.

I also disagree that kids either love reading or don't. Would you say the same about music or movies? Some people just can't watch movies, that's how it is? I think as long as kids can find a way to experience the pure pleasure of reading a really engaging story, they will love it. The problem is that many kids lag behind in reading ability or have learning disorders to overcome, and this makes reading arduous and unpleasant. By the time they are proficient in reading, they have negative associations with reading and don't seek out engaging texts (or resort to graphic novels because they are easier to read) and therefore never "level up" in the kinds of books they read, and just don't experience the pleasure of reading challenging but very engaging literature.

If parents keep reading to kids through elementary, you can fix all these problems. You can provide your kids with the classic and challenging literature that MCPS will not. You can show them what it feels like to read a longer novel start to finish, and the pleasures associated with this task. You can give them a break from their own reading challenges that can make reading feel like a chore, while still building their vocabulary, experiencing advanced story structure, etc.

If people really don't have the time for 30 minutes of reading a night with kids, you could maybe approximate this with audio books. But I think it's better if parents read with kids because I've found that this makes it easier to ensure kids are following the story, to stop and answer questions about what words mean or what is happening, and to ensure the reading material is age appropriate and not too scary or boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to give a piece of advice about raising readers based on my experience:

You need to read to your kids way more, and way longer, than most people do. You also need to start reading them novel length books earlier.

Most MC and UMC parents read to their kids nightly until school age. But they mostly read picture books, and the tendency is to stop reading on e kids can read a picture book themselves, around K. They might still "read together" but the focus will be on encouraging the child to read to them. I actually think pushing kids to read aloud to parents is when many kids stop enjoying books, because reading aloud is much harder than just reading, and especially for a new reader, it can feel like a chore.

Instead, I would encourage parents to continue to read to their kids, and to start reading chapter books as soon as their kid can tolerate it (choose extremely engaging books so that the lack of pictures will bother them less, and the excitement will sustain interest over multiple nights as you read).

And then keep reading. If you read good, engaging novels to kids, they will develop an interest in reading no matter what. Yes you also separately have to support reading skills. If they aren't getting proper phonics instruction in school, do a program like Hooked on Phonics at home. They need 10-15 minutes a day, minimum, of phonics instruction until it clicks. But that's different from reading for pleasure, and if you want your kids to read independently for pleasure, you have to read to them in a way that shows them how mature, more advanced books can be pleasurable.

I would read TO your kids as long as possible, all the way through elementary ideally. Even after you stop reading to them, I'd suggest keeping up the habit of reading together, and spending 20-30 minutes each evening as a family reading in the same room, even if you are all reading different books. No screens except a e-book reader.

This is what it takes.

+1