Developing Your Child's Connection to Reading
By Todd Butler and Karissa Piper
On a pleasant Friday evening in the middle of July, a line of a few hundred people anxiously waited for the doors of Mac's Backs Paperbacks to open. The composition of this Coventry neighborhood group was striking, ranging from “tweens” to adults, as was their collective unparalleled intrigue for the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter book series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The passion and uncontained excitement of these Potter fans was infectious as the energy extended to the parents. Kids and adults alike were engaged in predictions of the outcome of the characters as they eagerly anticipated delving into author J.K. Rowling's magical world one last time. The enthusiasm for the release of this book was so intense that the subsequent activity included many families pitching tents and holding all-night reading sessions in order to get the book read ahead of any next-day media spoilers. The questions that arise from this phenomenal popularity of a book series are twofold: How did Potter fans develop such a love for reading? More importantly, how do you forge a path for all children to embrace reading on their own terms?
Suzanne DeGaetano, co-owner of Mac's Backs Paperbacks, explains that in her stories, J.K. Rowling establishes a world apart. In this phantasmal setting, Rowling masterfully creates intriguing characters, exciting and skillful cliffhangers and a multidimensional plot that entices a certain type of child to connect. While her literary offerings may not engage all kids, they elicit a certain intrigue that can be found in any type of reading genre. Ultimately, the key to developing a child's connection to reading is to understand what drives his/her interests. Then, simply find titles and genres that interest him/her.
For example, if you recognize that your child generally becomes immersed in video games, you may have stumbled upon a great discovery. Rather than shunning video-game playing, talk with your child about what it is about the game that is so intriguing to him/her. Then take a trip to the library or local bookstore to pick up books and magazines that offer game-playing tips, reviews of new games, etc. This course of action may lead to wiser spending choices, potential future education and eventually career endeavors. If your child is a sports fanatic, surprise him/her with a subscription to a magazine such as Sports Illustrated or treat him/her to a trip to the local library to read biographies of favorite athletes. There even may be hope for the hopeless romantic – if your child is discovering the pressures of “tweener” dating, perhaps steering him/her toward age-appropriate romance novels or coming-of-age stories would help him/her connect to and understand these pressures in a healthy way. As all of these examples demonstrate, the point of literature is to draw a connection between our experiences to ultimately better the human condition.
Just as our experiences differ, the medium in which we connect also will differ. Without downplaying the importance of reading novels, there are multiple reading options available. There is something to be said for the tactile sensation of holding a hard-cover book or inhaling the scent of fresh ink lifting from a newspaper. While these traditional sensory experiences connected to reading are comforting, it is imperative to address the ever-changing ways in which we receive and digest our printed words. In today's world, paperless technology has become the most convenient way for members of the younger generation to improve their literacy skills.
In 2006, Beachwood High School (BHS) adopted a new Humanities Program, gathering students who were struggling in school due to a disconnect from the curriculum. The classroom experience was designed to cross curriculum between the literacy-heavy English and Social Studies standards. Students were selected for the course based on shortfalls in related skills. These students differed from the mainstream students and therefore needed a course of study that offered higher interest titles and genres, as well as less traditional but more appropriate mediums to guide them to success. Just as the Potter fans found their passionate connection through Rowling, these disconnected students needed a “hook” to spark their interests. Technology became a medium that helped form a bond to literature and literacy skills. Some of the activities successfully employed in this course may also work for you in connecting a disengaged child.
In addition to selecting high-interest topics, BHS augmented the reading assignments with weekly blogs (online journaling), wikis (collaborative forums for completing projects), podcasts (recording reading or written work), interactive reading websites and discussion forums (critical responses to readings online). Parent-controlled family blogs can be set up so as to allow your children to journal and critique what they have read. To see examples regarding blogging and interactive reading for teens, visit websites from famous authors popular with teens such as Jack Gantos (www.jackgantos.com) or J.K. Rowling (www.jkrowling.com). This online interaction develops critical thinking skills imperative to kids as they reflect upon the literature, while fostering deeper meanings as they relate the literature to their own lives. Also look online for websites that offer short articles with an option to post critical responses.
Critical thinking skills cannot be developed in a vacuum. If children are engaging in these activities alone, they will not reap the benefits. The children who lined up outside Mac's Backs Paperbacks are products of parent/child critical and creative interaction. According to DeGaetano, the biggest obstacle facing a child engaged in reading is parental support. She strongly believes that kids need to see their parents reading so as to model the behavior. Parents who read only to their children and not with them are missing an integral element in their development.
Consider, for example, creating family literature themes for the week or month which offer the opportunity for you and your child to select a genre and gather reading material for a shared pleasure reading hour. The goal is not to create a school-like atmosphere but rather a healthy leisure activity where you and your child will be able to look forward to spending time together, each lost in your own book. You may turn to the blogs and family discussion boards as a supplement to this activity, increasing the desire to read further and discuss in more depth.
While most of these suggested activities lend themselves to leisure and bonding, they also will strengthen your child's literacy skills, paying dividends in his/her formal education. According to an article that appeared in the April 2007 edition of American Sociological Review, Johns Hopkins University Sociology Professor Karl L. Alexander and his colleagues concluded after a study that students who engaged in summer literacy activities at home with parents increased their reading achievement test scores 49 points over students who did not. Making up this difference during the school year becomes more difficult as the child ages. So, be sure to have fun in bonding with your child as you gather multiple media sources, connect to his/her interests and engage in leisure literacy activities. The most important advice to you, the parent, is to remember that your involvement in modeling these literacy behaviors will ultimately translate to a more productive and engaged student in school.
Todd Butler has been teaching English for eight years. He has worked at Camelback High School in Arizona and now teaches ninth and tenth grades at Beachwood High School. He can be reached at teb@bw.beachwood.k12.oh.us.
Karissa Piper has been teaching social studies for four years. She began her career at Winston-Salem/Forsythe County Schools in North Carolina and now teaches ninth and tenth grades at Beachwood High School. She can be reached at kp@bw.beachwood.k12.oh.us.
