February 15, 2016

Reading Goals

"Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks." — Dr. Seuss

Creating a reader-friendly home has been one of my top goals since as far back as I can remember. As a teenager, I saved some of my favorite childhood books, from a massive donation purge, so that my future children could enjoy them. Even before Trent was born I remember signing up for some book mailing club ("Buy 1 & get 20 Free" or some such crazy promotion) so that I could read to him while I was pregnant. Nate and I have set some goals in order to create children with a love for reading, some of them simple and some have taken a little more effort, but all of them I feel have made an impact on their lives.

There are books in every room of our house. Something to grab the second you feel the urge to read and we try to keep them rotating. Sometimes it is seasonal books, books of new interests and hobbies, books about subjects they are learning in school, and random books that just might grab their attention.
We never say no. As crazy as it sounds, if the kids have an interest in a book we let them look at it. I learned just because it might appear to be "not meant for their age" doesn't mean to much when it comes to books. Trent has a plethora of knowledge from books and magazines that are not considered his grade level. We try not to limit them by saying this book is too old or too young for you. If you they want to read it, they can. We know that kids can understand stories they might not be able to read on their own. If it is challenging we offer to read it together. Also, knowledge does not come from always needing to read a book cover to cover sometimes it is simply a matter of opening the book to look at photos and ask us questions.
We have created reading spaces. We have an entire room in our home designed for reading but still each child has found special places that are perfect for them. It is their reading spot. Finding the perfect place to "Cuddle up with a good book" is a necessary part for them to fully focus and enjoy reading.
We read books as a family. It started when they were young with night time picture books but even now we enjoy reading chapter books together. It is amazing what conversations have been sparked from books. I love to hear the kids debate over what is going to happen next or why that character did what they did. It is such a fun way to connect with each other.
We have a Read It Before You See It policy. When the kids see a great new movie coming out we encourage them to read the books first. Trent flew through Jurrasic Park and the Harry Potter series in second grade for this very reason.
We go to the library every week. Together we pick out anything and everything their heart desires. Nonfiction, fiction, magazines, comic books; they can have it all. We have fun finding new items and rechecking ones that we have taken out many times before. We find books on CD to listen to together in the car and cheers can be heard when a new book in a series that was thought to be over is discovered. We love the library and could not survive without this wonderful resource. Library day is always my favorite day of the!
We do not make reading a chore or a duty. We present reading like a gift. All of our children have daily reading requirements for school and they surpass the time needed without ever needing to be told to "go do your homework". We fill their lives with books that they want to read so that the complaint isn't "why do I have to read today" but usually "do I have to stop".