reading

I’ve never had parents say exactly these words to me when they come for a well-child visit for their six-month-old, but it’s what the look on their face more or less says. As a pediatrician, I participate in Reach Out and Read, a program that trains health-care providers to give exactly this kind of advice: spend time every day reading together with your children, starting when they’re infants.

It wouldn’t be a very good program, however, if we simply dispensed the advice on what to do and didn’t address how to do it. For many of you reading this, you may have had the advantage of being read to yourself, or of seeing others around you read to young children, giving you an idea of how to carry out this advice. But for others—you may not know what to do.

For many, being told to read aloud might remind us of grade school, where someone read exactly what it said on the page, and everyone else sat quietly and listened. That might work nicely for third-graders, but it’s unlikely that a mouth-everything-in-sight infant or a squirmy toddler is going to follow that plan. Some parents may, when faced with a seemingly unruly audience, assume that their young child doesn’t like being read to—and be discouraged from trying again.

The key is that reading to very young children follows different rules. I’m going to give you permission to not do some things:

• You don’t need to read every page
• You don’t need to read pages in any specific order
• And you don’t even need to actually read what it says on the page.

Let the child hold the book and manipulate it. This means she’ll turn pages back and forth, or go backward, or pick out random pages. She may even mouth it instead of looking at it. This is all normal behavior for an infant or toddler.

You certainly can (and should) point at things on the pages and name them. Even better, when your baby touches or points at something on his own, name it for him so he hears the word. This is also a great opportunity to elaborate a little: “Yes, it’s a boat. A red boat!”

This means you can pick out books that might even be “very advanced” in terms of reading level, because your focus will be mostly on the pictures. The book may even be in a language you don’t understand, but you can still enjoy the images together with your child.

Finally, don’t be discouraged if your child doesn’t wish to look at books for more than a few moments. Infants and toddlers have naturally short attention spans. Sometimes they might not be in the mood. It’s OK to move on to something else and try again at another time.

By allowing your child to control what’s being looked at and discussed, you’re more likely to maintain her interest. Don’t worry about the fact that you might never get to read the actual story. When she’s a little older, she’ll be more able to sit and listen to the story itself. What you’re building now is a comfort with books and the association of books with something she’ll treasure above all: your love and attention.

Learning vocabulary is a milestone of reading and writing skills, as well as something kids do daily—sometimes without noticing. Whether your child needs to learn a specific set of vocabulary words or you’re looking to simply expand his vocabulary, here are ways to help.

1. Post words everywhere

In addition to—or instead of—flash cards that your child can keep in her back pocket and whip out during any downtime, try posting the words where your child will see them most often. This could be above her dresser, on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, in the notebook she carries around, on a bookmark, etc. Increasing the amount of interactions your child has with the words will help her memorize and comprehend them easier.

2. Learn word groups

The danger of drills and simple repetitions is that words are isolated from the context in which they function (i.e., phrases and sentences), which makes it more difficult for kids to remember them. Encourage your child to learn the words in groups that go together. For example, instead of crowd, think crowd of people—or, instead of data, think most accurate data. When studying a specific word, have your child list as many associations and connections as he can with the word, including drawing pictures of the word’s meaning.

3. Study context

Similar to word groups, understanding context is an important strategy for your child to study vocab more effectively. Have her consider the word in a sentence. What words often appear with or near it? Consider the context of the sentence also (formal? casual?). Can the word be used in multiple contexts or is it very particular? If you and your child are making flash cards, jot down a sentence from a book, an article, or another text with the word in it instead of just listing the definition of the word. To go a step further, have your child make up a new sentence with the word that has personal connections to her own life.

4. Use the words in daily life

Encourage your child to use the words in his day-to-day routine. You can choose one word, or a few words, per day or week. This might feel stilted at first, but it can be fun! Have your child pledge to use the word aloud or while writing, whether for homework or in his personal life (i.e., in a letter or an e-mail to a friend). If you choose to join the activity, you can model how you’d use the word, which will give him double the practice.

5. Read

If widening your child’s vocabulary with no specific word list is the goal, prioritize reading. It’s one of the best ways to increase vocabulary while also improving your child’s comprehension skills and expanding her world view. Encourage your child to read books that are just a bit challenging for her; there should be just enough new words for her to learn, but not too many that reading becomes laborious and context clues are too difficult. In addition to independent reading, set aside time to read with your child. This is a great opportunity to tackle higher-level reading material—you can take turns reading aloud, or you can read aloud yourself.

6. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts

Listening is an excellent way for students to engage with material that they might not otherwise. Choose education-oriented or fun podcasts that you can listen to together or alone, preferably ones that speak to your child’s interests. Try videos as well; there are many videos that might address topical vocab words or that your child can put them into a song and dance routine

For years, flash cards have been touted as the way to learn vocab. This year, see how you might use them differently or even go without them. If your child has a study buddy or tutor, try incorporating some of these strategies in activities they already do.  

During the upcoming holiday break, learning can easily slump. But it doesn’t have to! Here are six ways to incorporate learning into the holidays so your child goes back to school refreshed and ready to study.

1. Read for fun

Reading, as you know, develops vocabulary, critical-thinking skills, fluency, and even empathy. Take your child to the library or the local bookstore at the beginning of the break so he has an array of choices throughout the holidays (or books to take along during travel). Look for books you can read aloud together—you read to him, he reads to you, or a combination. Expose your child to a variety of books—comic books, graphic novels, magazines, poetry, etc. Audiobooks are also great for fluency and are excellent choices if the reading level is just a bit above your child’s.

2. Play together

Gather your family members for a game night that will be both fun and educational—whether your kids realize it or not. Choose games that involve strategy or have to do with literacy, counting, or guessing. Think chess, Scrabble, charades, or various iterations of them. Games like Jenga are great for motor skills. Have your child be the scorekeeper, a role that involves counting and calculating. Most games are educational in some way, and they will provide bonding time for the family. You could even encourage your child to create her own board game!

3. Get cooking

Welcome your child into the kitchen. You might start at the very beginning, such as having him plan a grocery list and helping you buy and calculate costs at the store. Baking is a great (and delicious) way to enjoy learning how to work with measurements, and it can be as simple or as complicated as you like. This direction might even take you and your child into the chemistry of cooking (perhaps try experimenting with different recipes of the same item and see what happens!) as well as conversations about other cultures, cuisines, and lifestyles.

4. Create DIY projects

Encourage your child toward DIY projects, which inspire creativity and problem-solving skills. There are some ready-made kits, which teach children to make their own soap or birdhouse, for example. Check out your local craft store for ideas and supplies, or do new activities you could try together. Turn these projects into holiday gifts or decorations. Teach your child a skill you know yourself, like knitting or crocheting. Finally, encourage your child in building and construction activities. You could use materials you already have at home, such as cardboard boxes, paper-towel rolls, toothpicks, and Popsicle sticks.

5. Perform writing and scrapbooking activities

To make writing fun, expose your child to different genres she may not experience at school, such as the aforementioned comic books, graphic novels, or poems. Have your child respond to books she reads by writing. She can keep a journal in which she writes whatever she wants. She might want to create lists in her journal, chronicle daily events or special occasions, write letters to her future self, or keep a dream journal. Suggest that she write holiday cards or letters to a pen pal or relative. You could also make this more tactile and visual by encouraging your child to scrapbook and collage with pictures and illustrations.

6. Take field trips with the family

Plan some outside trips—perhaps to a museum, local landmark, or historical site. Hiking would be great if the weather allows! Ask your child questions; you could even create a “treasure hunt” of the place if you like. Some museums provide optional, educational activities for children as well. If you’re planning on traveling during the break, involve your child in planning the schedule, reading maps, looking up places to go, figuring out transportation, and researching the historical background of the city or town.

Regardless of whether you stay home or go away for the holidays, your child can sustain his learning throughout the break. Capitalize on the time to encourage your child’s passions. Also consider asking your child’s teacher if he or she has any tips or suggestions!

“Some of the best memories are made in flip-flops,” says writer Kellie Elmore. But, sadly, all good things—even summer--must end. Fall is hinting at its arrival, and already it’s back to school.

As your kids swap their flip-flops for new school shoes and you begin to reinstate bedtimes, try putting daily reading back into your routine. These ideas will not only help beginning readers get their heads back in the game, but they’ll also help you continue to make great memories—with or without flip-flops.

• Everybody loves an audience—especially a furry one. Have your kids read aloud to pets, or even to a captive audience of stuffed animals.
• Let your child help you make a special reading spot—a cozy reading nook where he or she can settle in and read without distractions. Try draping a sheet over two chairs and adding some pillows to the floor. 
• Declare it Laugh-a-Lot Day. Dig out the joke books and take turns reading jokes to each other.  Use funny voices, or read while holding your nose. Bring out the comic books, and pore over the Sunday newspaper “funnies” together.
• Read aloud together. Take turns reading sentences, or pages.  
• Create a reader’s theater. Assign yourself a character. Your child reads the narration, and you read the dialogue. Enlist the help of older siblings if other character voices are needed.
• Use technology to make reading fun. Record or video your child reading a story, encouraging the making of sound effects. Then watch him or her enjoy hearing it or watching it played back. For even more positive reinforcement, share the recording with an appreciative relative.
• Compose the beginning of a story, and let your child make up an ending for it. Add the child’s ending, your author bylines, and a title your child invents. Then sit back and let your child read the whole story back to you.
• For kids who find it hard to sit still, embed some reading practice into active games. Use sidewalk chalk to write sight words on a hopscotch board. Each time your child hops on a word, he or she reads it. Similarly, make a word version of Twister.
• Create a little suspense. Choose a few library books you think your child would like. Wrap each one in a brown paper bag, and write one sentence on each bag that hints at what the book’s about. At various times during the day or week, let your child choose a book. Have fun with the element of surprise.  
• Instead of reading a bedtime story to your children when you tuck them in, let them tuck YOU in and read a story to you.
• Extend bedtime by 20–30 minutes—on the condition that your child use the time for reading. For added fun, darken the room and read by flashlight.

Summer is a great time for rest and relaxation, both for your child and the school community! However, you don’t want all your child’s valuable knowledge to shrink or disappear over the course of these months. Here are five ways to keep learning alive through the summer, without textbooks or schoolwork.

1. Read for fun

Some schools may require summer reading lists or projects to complete before the fall. Outside these assignments, encourage your child to find reading material that he enjoys. This may be easier for some students than others, depending on their level of engagement with reading itself. Help jump-start this process by researching award-winning or niche interest lists online, and visit your local library. The librarian can help, and sometimes there are even summer reading challenges that offer prizes upon completion. Especially if your child doesn’t like to read, exposing him to different genres can help widen what he thinks of as “reading.” These less-than-mainstream genres can include comics, poetry, and fan fiction. Reading is a great way for students to improve fluency and vocabulary, increase comprehension skills, and learn more about the world around them.

2. Do DIY projects and crafts

Creative projects are excellent ways to pass time during the summer while also building skills of problem-solving and innovation. Depending on your child’s interests, look into different DIY projects that she could get into. Would she like conducting a science experiment, learning how to knit, or directing a short film, for example? There are ways you could connect these projects to an interest or activity your child already appreciates, like learning to bake a cake if she likes sweet treats. Also consider which of your own skills and hobbies you could share with your child, as well as the skills of older siblings, cousins, or baby-sitters your child might spend time with this summer.

3. Go on field trips

Plan some field trips that you could take your child on. Look into what’s available in your community or within a reasonable travel radius like the zoo, an aquarium, museums, or community centers that are doing interesting local work—many of which have free or reduced admission for students! Don’t forget the park as well, where students can explore the outdoors and being in nature. Check your local newspaper or community newsletter for events, workshops, or movies in the parks that are especially geared toward kids. Additionally, if your family is traveling out of town, have your child do some research on the destination so he will be able to learn something new and get more out of the trip.

4. Attend camps for summer enrichment

Camps are one way for students to tap into the spirit of learning without the structure of school. There are traditional outdoor camps, as well as camps that have a special focus, like musical theater, 3D modeling and printing, or story writing. They come in all shapes and sizes: one week to months long, sleep-away or day camps, strictly or partially academic, etc.

5. Utilize online resources

Whether you’re a tech-savvy person or not, the Internet has an abundance of resources that your child can take advantage of. You might want to do an online search of educational games, video tutorials, or reading programs that can be accessed by computer, tablet, or phone—whatever is the preferred medium for you and your child. You could also look into shows or documentaries that would teach your child something new and that may be related to an interest of hers.

Summer can be a daunting yet exciting time for you and your child. It may help to create a routine or schedule around these activities, but at the same time, stay open to trying new ideas, as some may fail or fade with time. In any case, tap into your community—friends, family, and your child’s friends—to see what works for them and to do any activities together.   

Summer is here! And with the hot weather and longer days can come the “summer slide” – when children can lose months of hard-earned learning while they’re playing in the sprinklers and chasing the ice cream truck.

But, not to worry! A few easy steps can make a major impact in avoiding this potential pitfall. I founded Learning Heroes to help parents help their children be successful in school, and we’ve developed some simple tips to make sure your children don’t lose hard earned progress during the summer months:

1. Make Reading a Family Affair: Maintaining a reading habit over the summer is essential for staying up to speed  – it can also be a great avenue for family bonding. Try starting a family book club that meets on one scheduled night or morning a week. If your children are at different reading levels, one might read the book solo, while the other works with you. Let them choose the topic.  There are many great tools to help you select the right book – check out the Great Kids book finder for some reading list inspiration. Pose questions like “What surprised you most about the book?” or “Who was your favorite character?” You’ll learn more about what your children have on their minds, all while keeping skills sharp for the school year ahead.
2. Keep It Social: To make sure the dog days don't leave you out of the loop on new friends and influences, ask your child at least one open-ended question about their social lives per day (“Tell me about one good thing that happened today and one thing you wish happened differently”). Research tells us that adults are often the last to know about problems like bullying, and making sure peer relationships are part of your regular conversations at home will help you notice potential issues early.
3. Start a College Conversation: Seventy-five percent of parents believe it is very important or absolutely essential for their child to attain a college education, according to a recent study conducted by Learning Heroes, and it’s never too early to start a conversation about this goal. One of the most powerful things we can do as parents to improve our children’s chances for success in college is so simple: talk about it! Your child may be thinking more about water balloons, but don't be deterred. Encourage them to talk to their camp counselors or coaches about where they went to school. If accessible, take a day trip to a nearby college and have a picnic on the lawn. You'll learn more about what interests them, all while laying the groundwork for a solid academic future. 
4. Tap into Screen Time: Even the most active children might find themselves with more time to veg over the summer.  But not all TV has to be a guilty pleasure. Check out this guide to movie and TV shows that help young people build character strengths like compassion and curiosity. You can filter for the trait you want to nurture, point your children towards the right programs and make sure the message hits home.  

The bottom line: a summer filled with fun on the slip and slide is no excuse for the dreaded summer slide! Give these tips a try with your children and check out more resources, ideas and even a Readiness Roadmap at www.BeALearningHero.org. 

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Executive Editor, Parenting Content

When I was a kid my dad read to me every night. By age 5, I was traveling nightly through the worlds of The Hobbit or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Even afternoon naps would start with a bit of poetry.

When I had my kids, I knew that I wanted to raise them to be readers. I took to heart the lessons my father taught me -- that reading quickly or knowing how to pronounce long words aren't the important things, but loving the sound of language, identifying with the characters, and enjoying the journey into other worlds are what make reading fun.

By the time my youngest was learning to read, I was discovering graphic novels for myself, like Hope Larson's adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time and Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series. I noticed how attracted my son was to the images in my books. He would curl up with me and stare at the gorgeous illustrations and ask me about the characters and the stories. So we visited the comic book store and the library and started finding all sorts of graphic novels and cool comics for younger kids.

He started spending hours poring over these books, even though he could barely read the words. The illustrations, the exaggerated characters, and the way the panels were arranged to propel the stories forward were enough to keep his interest. Little by little he started reading bits out loud. He'd ask me to help him with the tougher words. And as soon as he finished one book, he'd ask for the next in the series. His most-loved series was a tie-in to his favorite TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which gave him even more motivation to read and more backstory to each chapter.

Now he's a reading machine -- a top reader in his class! Without graphic novels, I'm sure he'd still be reading, but I'm not sure he'd be enjoying the process quite as much.

Some favorite graphic novels:

Lunch Lady series -- The heroes of this cartoony series are the cafeteria women who uncover secrets, thwart evil plans, and always save the day.

Squish series -- Super silly and almost nonsensical to adults, Squish takes kids into the world of an ameoba that's not that much different from a kids' world...sorta.

Bink & Gollie -- These three friendship tales are light and funny (and perfect for early readers), but still tap into regular kid experiences like jealousy and compromise.

Giants Beware! -- This fun quest turns the traditional princess story on its head with lovable, passionate characters.

Zita the Spacegirl -- Action-packed and full of fantastical creatures, Zita is a superhero story about a regular girl who gets zapped into a different galaxy.

Cardboard -- Amazing tale of a boy and his dad who create living creatures out of a cardboard box. A bit darker than some of the other titles.

“The Reading Mother” is an old poem, and I’m not sure when I first heard it. But my favorite line comes to mind whenever I see a mom reading to her child: “Richer than I you will never be--I had a mother who read to me.” Certainly, by that measure, I’m a wealthy person, as are my children.

Reading to children is such a simple thing. Almost anyone can do it. It’s low cost. It’s low tech. Yet, many of us worry that in this  digital age full of tablets and smartphones that are often handed over to children, even babies,  essential basics such as books and magazines are increasingly shunned.

Decades ago educators cited reading as the most fundamental skill children acquire, and they promoted the idea that reading aloud to children is critically important. Early childhood teachers can quickly spot the students who are read to daily, as they are already on their way to becoming good future readers.

And now pediatricians are also speaking to the importance of reading to children—particularly in the first three years of their lives. In a new policy announcement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging its physician members to prescribe daily read-aloud time for parents and children together. And they say this should start from infancy. Formally adding their voice to the voices of others, doctors will remind parents at office visits not to forget “the basics.” They’ll be telling parents that it’s critical to read, speak, and sing to children at the very beginning of their young lives, because that’s how they acquire vocabulary and other important pre-literacy skills that may determine later school success. 

Doctors might also talk to parents about how regular reading is essential to optimal physical development. Research shows that when children are read to, their brain cells are literally turned on. Existing links among brain cells are strengthened. New cells are formed.  Reading, as it turns out, is brain food! Maybe it’s even fair to say that no child is completely healthy if he or she has not held a book or heard a story.

In my experience, many parents and grandparents—even the wealthy and well educated—are surprised to hear the research and learn that it’s never too soon to read to babies. The AAP and others point out that low-income children are of particular concern.  Studies show that more affluent children hear millions more words spoken, read, or sung than do children from low-income homes. This “word gap” gives low-income children a clear academic disadvantage, which may be apparent as early as 18 months.  One easy way to close that word gap is exposing babies to books.

Until very recently, the national conversation about this issue has been mostly a low but persistent hum. Let’s hope that with the AAP and so many others joining in, it will now rise to the level of a clarion call: Let’s read to children. All of us. Every child. Every day. In infancy and throughout childhood—even beyond the stage when they are reading independently.

As the poet said so well long ago, mothers can make their children rich—simply by opening a book.

Before I could read or write, I knew how a library card worked—and I desperately wanted one of my own. The librarian said that I could have one–as soon as I learned to print my name. I got right to work on that, and I can remember receiving the application and laboriously filling it out. I was barely tall enough to reach over her desk to give it to her, barely able myself to read what I’d written. But she gave me a card bearing my name—not my mom’s–which I literally wore out in months.

My lifelong love of books and reading started early. In our house, reading was spontaneous as much as it was routine. My mother consistently dropped what she was doing whenever I held up a book. Our bi-weekly grocery list always included a new Little Golden Book to add to my collection. If she forgot to buy it, I’d cry until my father sent her back to the store.

To keep my voracious appetite for stories somewhat sated, we regularly headed for the local library. My love of reading no doubt endeared me to our local children’s librarian. And she certainly endeared herself to me, encouraging me (“Yes, you can read this!”), empowering me (“You can choose your own books!”), and broadening my taste (“If you liked this, then you might like this”—so NOT an invention of Amazon.com). I worked my way through all the biographies, devoured the shelf of Newbery winners, and thrilled when the librarian set aside a new book she knew I’d like, making me feel special. My childhood library felt like home.

I began herding my children into our local library as soon as they were able to toddle. Libraries had changed greatly since my childhood, of course, with the added comforts of bean bag chairs and cozy corners filled with pillows. But the essential experience was largely the same, and my kids came to love the Saturday mornings we spent among the stacks. As it did for me as a child, the library offered my children access to more books than I could afford to buy. Many of these became favorites, checked out again and again, their trademark phrases becoming permanent parts of our family’s lexicon. 

Someone’s having a “Terrible, Horrible, No-Good Very Bad Day.”

A person’s a person, no matter how small.

I love you to the moon and back.

And it was our librarian who introduced my son to Ruth Krauss’s classic Big and Little (later reissued and re-titled And I Love You). I would not have guessed that my rough-and-tumble, car-crazy little boy would love this poetic book so tenderly, committing it to memory and naming his favorite stuffed black bear “Big Dark Street,” a phrase from the book’s reassuring conclusion that “big dark streets love little street lamps.”

Libraries have been such an integral part of my family life, that I was startled, recently, to talk with others who don’t feel the same way. I have a friend whose third-grader has never seen the inside of a public library. She is well educated and a person of considerable means, and her family buys the books they decide they want to read.  

I asked a middle-schooler I know if she used the library for homework help or research. She looked at me blankly. “We have wi-fi at home,” she said.  

But she doesn’t have a librarian skilled at helping her develop judgment about which sources are credible and which are not. I am sad that my friend’s third-grader didn’t get introduced to Big and Little, or another book he’d love- -likely one that his mother would never have selected for him.

So I wondered: Is the time-honored custom of taking our children to libraries falling by the wayside?

Informally, I surveyed friends who are parents—and grandparents – of young children. One mom told me that her preschooler selects his own library books each week and sleeps with them. A friend talked about how her granddaughter chooses a library visit over a trip to the park or the local ice cream stand. A volunteer at our local library reports that Storytime for Toddlers is alive and well—resplendent with wide eyes, giggles, and wiggles.

What a relief to hear that, for many families, libraries still rock.

To children’s librarians everywhere, “We love you to the moon and back.”