Distracted Walkers! Youths "Cited" Reading Books

Books, cell phones and e-Readers can cause youths and adults to walk with that familiar head tilt  and casual pace. One mom shared, "Emily's friends thought it was funny watching her pace up and down the side walk trying to finish a book to record for summer reading".  I have seen people reading a lot while waiting in lines, around the library, exercising, and at parks! They are reading books in print, on phones or e-Readers. Our summer reading statistics and survey confirmed my hunch that more children read this summer than last summer. If you were not able to promote much reading at home this summer then maybe you can learn some tips from "big readers" who answered our survey.

We experienced record high participation in our summer reading program "Let's Read 50!". The drought and high temperatures may have influenced kids choice of free time activity. The freedom to choose an attainable goal of 50 books, hours or days generated excitement. Regardless of what motivated participation I would love to see if teachers notice improved reading scores of these returning students and  if the routines of reading continue on passed our program ending in July.

A Wall of 731 Big Readers Reaching "50" Hours, Books, or Days!

We have survey results from over 10 percent of the 1,770 participating this summer.We asked parents of "big readers" to share their tips on promoting reading at home. The following are some excellent reminders and new ideas.  If your child is struggling and not interested in reading, try some of these ideas from your library friends so that they may be "cited" reading.

• Be excited about reading with your child! Read together and make it your special time together.
• Have a set time each day for reading. We read before nap or bed to relax our 3 1/2 year old. Let the child pick the book(s) they are interested in.
• I keep books out in the open and in different rooms so they can can just grab a book and read, ask to be read to, or look at the pictures.
• I make sure to keep books right beside the toys. Where there is a basket of toys, there is a basket of books right next to it. I think that this has made them "play" objects for my son and I think this easy access has contributed to his being interested in sitting and looking through his books on his own during the day during his play times. Also, the importance of reading before bedtime cannot be stressed enough! I think this quite time with books and parents at the end of the day has really helped develop my son's attention span for books and stories over time.
• In the evenings, before bedtime, we read together as a family. Each of our children is allowed to choose a certain number of picture books (normally up to 4 each, but this number can be reduced during the day for undesired behaviors). Following our family reading time, each child usually has "extra" reading time, also, until their appointed bedtime; this is when our older child reads chapter books alone and when we work with our younger child on making some progress working one-on-one with leveled readers.
• Just set the timer (20 min) and make it routine. Sometimes she keeps reading past the time we set.
• Let them see you as an adult read. Read to them daily. Go to the library often. Have plenty of books, newspapers and magazines available. As a treat, go to the book store and let them choose a book to buy. Take books on trips in the car.
• must read before you play. each child read aloud to me once a week. discover a series and set the goal of finishing the series for the summer, determine how much to read each day and check off the days, celebrate the end of each book with special meal.
• My boys (ages 3 and 5 yrs old) have been listening to audiobooks the last 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed as a "settle down time" prior to bed time. It helps especially during the summer months when daylight hours are so long! They listen to the stories (Magic Tree House, James and the Giant Peach, Geronimo Stilton, and the Read, Listen & Wonder nonfiction books and CD sets from Candlewick Press) and play quietly in their rooms. They love their audiobook time and as a mom, so do I, since it makes bedtime easier and more enjoyable for all!
• My daughter brings books on errands in the car. It's a great way to pass the time for her. Our daughter also owns mini back packs of different sizes that let her bring along her stuff, including lots of books, no matter where we go. Also, although she can read books herself now, we read to her at night still. There's nothing that can replace time with mom or dad reading a book to her ... still.
• No matter what they are currently "into" check out or buy some books on the subject. It is fairly easy w/Google to find crafts and/or science experiments to go with any book they are reading. Books before movies Rewards for reading at home
• Put books in places that are easily accessible to them. We have a habit of reading before bed and before naps. We actively look for books on topics that my son is interested in.
• Read a chapter or book before bed or for quiet time each day. Write down your child's experiences into story form from age 3 and encourage them to keep a journal.
• Read to them when they are babies and they will continue to want to read when they are older!
• Read to them, let them see you read, make books available even if it's only for picture-viewing or tactile experience (babies)
• Read what they enjoy. That might mean reading "That Bad Bad Cat" every night for two months. You may be able to read it in your sleep. It may be dreadfully tiring. But letting them read what they want will help foster a love for reading. Truly, they will eventually tire of the same book too.
• read yourself, read to your children, ask them to read to you. Listen to them read even if it is not of interest to you. Talk about the stories they read. Ask them to read leaflets and flyers or menus to you.
• Set a timer as a goal. My kids like to know how much time they have, but often read longer to finish the chapter/book they were reading.
• Spoil yourselves! Extra large cuddly chair to share a book in. Hit the books you enjoyed as a kids first and than explore new ones together.
• Start reading to them as an infant. It really does maximize their interest.
• Turn off your TV and your computer and your Smart Phone. If you have time to look at a screen, you have time to read a book. Read after breakfast. Read before a nap. Read before bed. If you go to the doctor's office, read a book while you wait. Don't hand your kid your Smart Phone to keep him busy, bring a book.
• We have books everywhere. There is a book basket in the car that I rotate books each week. We read. We snuggle and read with our kids for long periods of time. Video games are not part of our daily routine and the hand held ones only come out during sibling practices, appointments, we are interested in what they read and often read recommendations from them to show our interest.
• We read aloud together every night before bed. The children look forward to it and see it as a privilege. They are disappointed if ever it is too late to get some reading in before bed.
• We read as a part of naptime and bedtime routines. They expect it and look forward to it. We started that with them as infants.
• We read nightly before bed, at the library special programs and at grandma/gramdpa's house
• We sit down and read at the same time each day and it has to be done before they even qualify to get video game time during the day.
• We start and end each day reading. It's just part of our family's daily routine, and because we do it together while snuggling in bed, my children equate reading with comfort and quality parent time.
• We started reading to our kids every single night before bed since they were babies. They enjoy it so much, they never let us skip a night! I strongly believe regular reading can help a child in so many ways like reading and writing themselves, to better understanding things like science and learning to use their imagination. The list goes on!
• When my 1st grade child wants us to read him a chapter book, we take turns reading. First we read him a chapter, and then he has to read us a learn-to-read book.