Maybe your child is already pretending to read a favorite book or sounding out words. Or maybe you’re just looking ahead on the calendar and wondering if this will be the year that reading clicks.
Regardless of where you are, there are strategies that parents, family members, and caregivers can use to support beginning readers. We spoke with Dr. Amanda Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic, to get easy, achievable tips on how to create an environment where reading will thrive.
When Are Kids Likely to Start Reading?
“Kids begin to read formally at about the age of five or six, but the process of learning to read begins so much sooner,” says Dr. Alexander. “From the time we are born, we are trying to make sense of the world in which we live, and that is comprehension.”
Right from the start, Dr. Alexander says, children are looking at their parent’s or caregiver’s face, making sense of what they see, and forming connections long before they do anything that resembles reading from their adult’s perspective.
“Learning to read does not begin with lifting print off the page,” Dr. Alexander says. Rather, it starts when children begin comprehending the world around them. That comprehension is a precursor to the more formal literacy training that we all engage in with our kids — identifying letters, learning letter-sound correspondence, blending sounds into words, and then, eventually, reading sentences and books.
How to Encourage Reading Behaviors in Kids
Dr. Alexander says that “it's really important for parents and caregivers to foster an environment that is rich in language, to develop language, engage in regular conversation with their kids and talk to them.”
The good news is that you’re probably doing that already, just as a matter of course as you go through your day. If you’ve ever narrated the day’s activities aloud to your child — “now we’re putting on your shoes, so that we can go to the library” — you’re already engaging in the kind of communication that leads to comprehension.
Tips for Parents of Early Readers
Beyond communicating with kids, there are specific steps parents can take to support beginning readers:
Let Kids Choose Which Books They Read
“You've got to build in your home a culture that values reading and that I think starts by allowing kids to choose their own story,” says Dr. Alexander.
For instance, if your child is interested in a particular topic or character — baseball, manga, Dog Man, what-have-you — let them direct their reading toward their interest. Dr. Alexander says this kind of choice fosters buy-in, which in turn supports enthusiasm and engagement.
“We learned from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report that the majority of kids agree that their favorite books are the ones that they are most likely to finish,” she says.
Make Sure Kids Have Access to Books
Going to the library and the bookstore is an important first step, but parents can also advocate to ensure that their schools and libraries have books. And developing a home library is essential–even if it only consists of a few favorite books. Scholastic’s research shows that the likelihood of kids being on track with reading and math skills is almost doubled if they have at least one book available in their home.
“Don't stress out on trying to be perfect. You are doing the best you can, and your best is good enough.” — Dr. Amanda Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic
Be a Role Model
Want a reader? Be a reader! Dr. Alexander stresses the importance of leading by example, noting that kids are very observant. When they see their caregiver read, they’ll want to read, too.
Make It a Family Event
Reading doesn’t need to be a solitary activity. Dr. Alexander suggests making reading a family event, just like going to the movies or the store.
Family reading time can look different depending on your preferences. You might gather in a room to read to yourselves or you might take turns reading aloud to one another.
“There's a lot of power in a read-aloud,” Dr. Alexander says. “Everyone loves being read to, and allows kids to hear the parent read fluently and with prosody, and that aids in their comprehension of the text.”
Prioritize Big Words
Even when kids can’t decode some words on their own, reading the words aloud can help them build comprehension and develop the skills to decode the meaning. In fact, Dr. Alexander suggests prioritizing “big words” in your reading with kids.
“Helping kids to decode words at home is important because it does strengthen their reading abilities and help them become competent in their ability to lift print off the page,” says Dr. Alexander. “And then it leads to a love of reading.”
Tackling challenging words ensures that kids have the tools to enjoy reading.
“No one loves to do something that they can't do well,” Dr. Alexander says. “You've got to have the ability to read in order to love reading. Focus on building opportunities to practice a little bit of decoding with your child.”
Don’t Be Afraid of Technology
While nothing replaces a parent reading, apps like Audible have their place, according to Dr. Alexander.
“It's also great for kids to hear the different intonations. They shouldn't only hear your voice all the time. They should be exposed to the voices of others, the accents of others. We want kids to be well-rounded and completely knowledgeable about the rich diversity that exists in this country, and those apps and others like them allow for that.”
Don’t Try to Be Perfect
Finally, Dr. Alexander closes with some welcome advice for any hardworking parent:
“Don't stress out on trying to be perfect. You are doing the best you can, and your best is good enough.”
Ready to help your child develop a lifelong passion for reading? Find your next book at The Scholastic Store, where you can shop by title, age and grade, subject, and more.
