Raising Readers

by Jenn Thornton

Video games, apps, and gadgets that begin with the letter "i," oh my! Bound and determined to increase your kids' love of books? Read all about it.

Make it the kids' choice
A common mistake parents make is expecting their kids to love the same books that snag their attention. Kids have inter- ests that don't always jive with adults (you might love American Girl books, for example, but your little adventurer leans more towards Scholastic's I Survived series), so hand over the decision-making. Kids who have ownership of their reading ma- terial-and a library card-are more likely to read simply for pleasure. And parents, not every book needs to be educational. The surest way to capsize your kid's enthusiasm is to over-stress the learning curve. So table the edification, and keep the focus on fun.

Read aloud
Carving out time to read to your child is one of the most nurturing acts a parent can give. So, no matter how harried the schedule, take a calming ten minutes before bedtime to snuggle close together and read-kids enjoy taking turns (you pick a book, I pick a book; you turn a page, I turn a page). And don't just blather on-engage interest; Pause to look at the pictures, ask for your child's thoughts about what is happening in the story, ask them to predict what will happen next, talk about how the story makes them feel, and what they might do differently. Doing so brings characters to life and fosters conversation.

Set the example
Want your kids to be readers? Turn off the tube, stash the laptop, and shut off your cell. The most effective way to get your kids to become enthusiastic readers is to be one yourself. Go to story time with your kids, schedule a family reading circle at home, and make a weekly library date for the entire tribe. Over dinner, ask everyone which books they checked out, and why. And by all means, take five and read for yourself!

Incorporate technology
Leverage your kids' insta-in- terest in technology to increase their love of books. Surf the websites of their favorite authors to build anticipation for their newest releases, have them join an online book club for kids (clubs.scholastic.com), or track their reading minutes online (SoarwithReading.com). PBSkids. org is a virtual trove of educational games, writing contests and activities that invite kids to safely explore the interactive world of books.