I Hate Reading: A Resource For Parents📚

Hello to anyone who is reading this blog post! Whether you came directly from My Dog Ate My Blog or if you followed the link from my book, welcome! This is not like my usual blog posts that review and reflect on the process of different school projects I have been working on. Instead, this blog post is about reading, something that I am very passionate about but also something that I have noticed a decline in which is the actual reason why I am here. Over the past two weeks, I have been researching the benefits of reading (especially for younger, elementary school age children) and how those are really implemented into a child’s learning when done regularly and by choice. Ultimately, I have been researching the importance of kids choosing what they read and how this cultivates academic success and creativity. As always, I wanted to share this with you in a blog post! Along with this post, I have also written and illustrated a children’s book that I hope will encourage younger kids to read either through independent reading or listening to their parents read at bedtime. You can find it embedded below:

Ok, now it’s time for some of the research behind that book, the part for the parents. Let’s talk about some of the benefits of reading by choice:

– Children who read for fun have a more developed vocabulary, literacy skills, and writing skills

– Self-selection cultivates excitement and is, a lot of the time, what gets children to start reading

– Choice reading = engaged reading

– More reading leads to better reading

– Builds confidence and independence

– Shows children what the rest of the big wide world is like, what other people are like (empathy)

– Academic achievement across subjects

– Imagination and creation of new worlds and characters

– Reading a book forces you to focus

– Exercise for the mind

Now that you have some little tidbits to work with, let’s talk about some of the things we can do to encourage kids to start reading or keep reading. First of all, as I mentioned a bit before but I will put it more simply now, let kids choose what THEY want to read. This will do so so much more than choosing a book for them which even I (someone who loves reading pretty much anything) can speak to from experience. I vividly remember hating every single book I have been forced to read for literacy circles or novel study. I ma never able to entirely finish them and never remember or comprehend exactly what is happening in these books because I am not motivated to read it and engage in the book. This ability to pick good books and read them doesn’t come naturally though. Teachers and other school staff have a responsibility to teach kids how to pick good books and to encourage reading because there so many more interesting things that this generation of kids can do than read (TV, gaming, etc.) And it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a book that sparks interest in reading because, truly, it doesn’t matter what you read it only matters that you do. Romance, fantasy, dystopian, horror, graphic novels, historical fiction, it doesn’t matter. Reading what you choose provides you with that intellectual satisfaction and pleasure that pushes you to continue reading. 

Through my research, I have discovered that there are two really great ways to encourage reading, encourage independent and choice reading. This starts with a trip to the bookstore or the library and allowing the child the ability to walk around and look at different books and choose one all on their own. This is exactly how I started reading! My parents would take me to the bookstore once a month or once every two months to choose a new book to start reading and I LOVED IT! Once they have a book that they actually want to read, it is important to get into a regular routine or habit of reading. This means reading for fun 5-7 times per week whether that be 10 mins before bed, some quiet time after school or really whenever they want.  We have to understand that kids need a lot of time to read, especially at younger ages, so it’s ok if they read the same book over and over again or need to take turns reading with a parent at first. For sports and even math questions we say “practice makes perfect” and the same applies for reading! Those are the two major ways to motivate kids tor end that I believe are pretty simple but there are some other ones you could try to!

– Connect what the child or what you and the child are reading to real life or plan activities based on what you are reading

– Bring a book wherever you go so instead if screen time, get them to give reading a try

– Ask questions about what you are reading to engage them

– TV should not be a reward and reading should not be a punishment

– Read to each other

– make reading and books special! Get them their very own library card!

– Make reading creative (ex. If they like to draw, help them make their own little book)

– You want to pick a book that is the right level, not too hard and not too easy

Speaking of picking a book that is the right level, below you will find lists of five books for FIVE different age groups: picture books, first chapter books, middle, YA books. Some of these books are ones I read at these ages and fell in love with and some of them are ones I have heard are great! A lot of them are series of books (I will only be putting the first one down) because series are a great way to motivate kids to read too!

PICTURE BOOKS (2-5)

FIRST CHAPTER BOOKS (6-9)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE (8-12)

YOUNG ADULT (12-18)

Alright! That’s all I have for you today on My Dog Ate My Blog! I hope you found this resource helpful and informative and definitely feel free to checkout my book that I embedded earlier in this post. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog and I will see you next time!

– Jordyn