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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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

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.[/quote]

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?[/quote]

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