A few weeks ago, my husband and I put the kids to bed early. Both were overtired, and we gave them strict instructions: Lights out, no talking, straight to sleep. Much later, when we went upstairs to check on them, we found tell-tale evidence they’d disobeyed. Each kid had fallen asleep with a flashlight on and a fat book on the floor nearby.
“You must be so proud,” my husband said.
And it’s true, I kind of was. I can’t tell you how often people hear that I’m a writer and feel compelled to share that they don’t really read, and neither do their kids. Or tell me they wish their children read more. Or tell me they are writing their first novel, but they don’t have time to read.
So here’s my list of tips on how to create readers from your own kids, your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s children down the street. Think of it as an investment in your work — somebody has to buy the book you are writing, right? And along the way, you may find new ways to squeeze in additional reading time yourself — which can help you learn more about pacing, voice, technique, and all the other aspects of great writing.
There’s power in numbers (or, embrace the clutter). As I write this, Donna Karan’s face is staring up at me from the kitchen table — I’m reading her autobiography as research for a novel idea I’m toying with. There’s a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book on the center island — one of my son’s go-to favorites whenever he finishes reading something new. There’s a stack of magazines on the living room coffee table, and I’m honestly afraid to look under my daughter’s bed because the books there may be the only thing holding it up. Sometimes when I’m being particularly sneaky and there’s a book I want them to read, I’ll leave it in the back of the car — they’ll read anything in an attempt to avoid the ‘How was your day?’ conversation!
The more books you have around, the more varied they are, the more likely it is someone will pick one up, even for a moment, and get hooked. It may not make for the tidiest house, but it does create a well-read one.
Give books as gifts. When we had our first baby shower, we asked everyone to bring a children’s book. Some were board books, which we kept in a basket in our daughter’s bedroom. Mostly she gnawed on them, but at least she got used to the feel of a book in her hands. Others we put away for safekeeping in a beautiful bookcase her godfather built for her. Reading the inscriptions on those books, even now, connects reading with love for me.
But it’s not just babies who need books. Be creative with your gift-giving. Give your high school athlete a copy of Friday Night Lights for his birthday. Find a manga comic book for your trendy niece. Browse second-hand bookstores for affordable coffee table books filled with photos for your parents or grandparents. Become known as that cool person who gives awesome books as gifts.
Restrict media. For me, this is the biggest key to developing readers — and reading more myself. When my kids were little, they were allowed to watch certain cartoons on the weekend, but we had a firm no-tv rule during the week. And that meant it couldn’t go on for me, either — at least not until they were in bed and asleep! We still stick to this rule now that our kids are in middle school. On the weekend, we’ll binge watch favorite shows or movies, but Monday through Thursday, the television stays off. My husband and I either DVR shows or watch them after the kids are in bed, which means many nights are television-free for us as well. That may equal less time to watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it means more time for reading.
Create a love for language, not just reading. Start a story and ask your kids to tell you what happens. Make up stories about people you see at the grocery store or on walks. Sound out words that sound funny or have funny meanings. Retell favorite stories that you grew up with, like The Wizard of Oz.
When my kids were both small, there was a period of time when I was too exhausted, mentally and physically, to write fiction, but I could retell stories that I remembered and make them my own, which led to my making up stories for them. It pushed me to be creative and kept my brain working and imagining. I believe that helped me when I finally did have time to write again. And both my kids now love to write and tell stories themselves.
Don’t rush it. Here’s a true tale: Both my children attended the same play-based preschool, and both attended half-day kindergarten. Both were at about the same level of reading proficiency when they entered first grade, which is to say, not much. But there’s a three year-age difference between them. When my first child wasn’t fluently reading by December, I casually asked the teacher if I should be concerned. She reassured me that development-wise, she was right on track, and would be reading shortly. She was right, and in a few months my daughter was plowing through Harry Potter.
When my second child entered first grade with the same educational experience and same reading level (none) it was three years later. By mid-fall, he was meeting with a reading specialist to bring him up to school standards, and by December, he was reading.
We are lucky to live in a district that has reading specialists, and I’m grateful for all the wonderful and hard work they do. At the same time, it shows to me how much the pressure is increasing on kids.
I really believe reading is a magical experience. It can take you to different worlds, help you experience different lives, teach you how to do everything from cook a casserole to remove an appendix. It’s a crucial skill. But it should also be fun, especially for children who are just learning. If it’s too much like work, you can bet they won’t want to do it in their spare time, and to me, the reading my kids do on their own is the most important reading of all.
Studies have shown that earlier readers aren’t necessarily better readers, and that many students aren’t ready to read until age seven or so. It’s hard to fight the bureaucracy that is the American school system, but we pretty much ignored timed reading requirements when my kids were little, or we counted the time we read to them instead. We kept the focus on fun for as long as possible.
Look for libraries. On vacations and trips, seek out local libraries. Drive a town or two over and see what’s there. It’s something we still do, even though my kids are big(ger) now. We’ve discovered libraries that loan out everything from sculpture to games and found fabulous librarians who were happy to talk books and make recommendations.
Let them read what they love (even if it isn’t what you enjoy). In third grade, my daughter discovered a series I hated. And it was a big series. She took a book home from that series every week for the entire year. The school librarian would listen to me complain and just laugh, pointing out that half of the appeal was how much she knew I disliked it.
As my kids have grown older, I’ve had to navigate more serious restrictions besides just my taste. Is the book too adult for them? Is it too gory? Are they emotionally ready for the content?
Generally speaking, there’s no hard rule at our house about what they can’t read, and it is almost unheard of for us to declare a book out of bounds. I’ve found that keeping an open mind leads to some very interesting discussions, and that in general, kids are pretty good at self-policing what they are comfortable with.
Don’t forget audio books. It’s a sneaky way to fit in more reading time. Hearing how words sound, understanding the importance of inflection and pacing, learning how to tell a story, are all important skills. Plus, sometimes it is just nice to be read to — even as an adult.
Set an example. Seeing you carve out time to read is the most powerful influence of all.
Make reading the forbidden fruit. When all else fails, try sending them to bed and telling them to go right to sleep. Just make sure to have a left a good book and a flashlight nearby. No matter how old they are, it still works every time.
Now it’s your turn. How do you find time to read? And what are your tips for creating avid readers — the fan base of tomorrow?
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About Liz Michalski
Liz Michalski's first novel, Evenfall, was published by Berkley Books (Penguin). Liz has been a reporter, an editor, and a freelance writer. In her previous life, she wrangled with ill-tempered horses and oversized show dogs. These days she's downsized to one husband, two children and a medium-sized mutt.
Liz, this is utterly WONDERFUL advice.
I made an effort to instill a love of reading in my daughter, but this blows my approach away. I love all the “enabling” steps you’ve taken. Bottom line, I wish I’d read this post 25 years ago!
I’m sending this to my friends and family with young children. THANK YOU for this amazing gift.
I”m so glad you found it helpful, Keith. Thanks for passing it along!
My daughter was the easy one. In the 1st grade, the teach had a chart on the door. Every time a kid read a book, they’d put a star next to their name. While every other kid was still on book 9 or 10, Sydney’s stars were, literally, going off the page. Going to Border’s was a big event. She’d grab a stack of chapter books and have one finished while waiting for us (I made her put that one back).
My son was a bit more stubborn, but he did eventually learn to love the boy books. Lots of adventure and action. Now he’s studying to be a history teacher. I think that’s partly because of the books he read growing up (it certainly wasn’t a love of school).
Like you, we limited TV. None on weekdays, though American Idol was allowed when they were in high school. Video games didn’t enter our home until they were both in high school as well. They loved trips to the library and bookstore.
I force myself to stop whatever I’m doing at 9 each night and get an hour of reading time in bed. Studies show that you sleep better anyway if you shut down all electronic devices at least 45 minutes before bed. And I love my Overdrive app. I always have a library audio book ready to go for the daily commute or flights.
I think the biggest issue this generation faces is the complete attachment to mindless entertainment. Our kids are shutting down their brains for hours every night. Most of our education comes from casual reading. Without that, I fear for what this nation will become.
I so agree with you, Ron. I think Therese wrote a post last year about how too much internet time cuts down on your ability to concentrate in a meaningful way. I find that myself, especially when I’ve spent too much time ‘researching’ online (otherwise known as foodling around). I think that being able to read and follow a storyline gives kids a huge advantage.
My favorite time to read is before bed. Turn on the Kindle, and tune out the world. If only I could stop falling asleep!
Sadly, I have the opposite problem, particularly when I’m reading a really good book. ; ) I stay up way too late and pay for it in the morning!
Thanks for bringing this up, Liz. I honestly think engendering reading and encouraging new readers are ways we can make the world a better place. Anyone who doubts it only needs to think about the impact on a case-by-case basis for the avid readers they know. Just imagine the cumulative effect!
There was no TV in the living room of my parents’ house. “The idiot box” was relegated to our basement rec room. Once when I was sick and kept home from school (before my mom went back to work, so I must have been about 8), my mom set up a daybed for me on the living room couch. Of course I got bored. The books on the living room shelf were “adult books” (the kid books were in the rec room). I’d always been fascinated by a book spine on the top shelf. And here I was, forced to lie staring at it. The book was Vagrant Viking, the auto-biography of Danish explorer Peter Freuchen.
So what’s a curious and bored kid to do? Yep, I climbed from the arm of the couch to stand on an end table, navigated a lampshade, and claimed my prize. It was the word “Viking” that got me. And before I get too smug about the “reading over TV” ethic of our household, I will admit that I suspected “Vagrant” had something to do with “varmint,” because I’d heard Yosemite Sam disparage Bugs with that word so many times. But I had to know. What did Bugs have to do with Vikings?
I hid the book under the covers every time my mom came through, but she eventually caught me. I thought I’d be in trouble, and I think she was a bit concerned about how I’d gotten it down. But what I got was tacit approval. I’d gotten away with it! She warned me that it would be difficult reading and left me with it. Of course then I had to struggle through. And although it had nothing to do with Bugs or with warriors with swords, I was soon fascinated by Freuchen’s adventures.
Tacit approval is what we received when it came to reading in bed, as well. There was a strict TV end time and bedtime. But beyond that, it was sort of, “Don’t read for *too* long,” and good night. It made all the difference.
Isn’t it amazing how random books we read in our childhood influenced us so much? How much of your writing today comes from that chance encounter? A really good argument for making sure children read widely and deeply.
Your parents sound awesome.
Last year my twins brought home their awards from school. A Honor Roll and so many ribbons that taped together they reached down to their knees but the ones I was most proud of? One received the Reader award, the other, the Writer award. Best in the whole grade!
Then earlier this year, one had a bad note sent home. She’d been caught reading under her desk during Math. I probably should’ve been upset, but how many times had I gotten in trouble for the same thing as a kid? And like your flashlight incident, I was secretly proud of my little reader rebel.
I just instigated a no tv after school policy and it has really helped, not just with improved reading habits, but also by easing the previously hellish homework hour, encouraging them to engage in more imaginary play AND doing chores without complaining so much.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Congrats to your kids! Those are great awards! And I remember getting caught reading under the desk as well. (It happened to both my kids, too!)
I really think cutting back on tv and other media time makes such a huge difference in everything. There are great television shows, and there are definitely times to enjoy trashy television shows, but there’s a lot of living and reading and thinking to do in-between. Glad cutting back is helping your family.
Liz, you’re a mama after my own heart! I love to read in bed or on the porch and I’m raising a family of book-lovers. My husband is a reader too and instead of doing umpteem projects after work, he reads :) I can’t fault him for not planting the garden when I’d prefer to read as well. There is such a joy of all of us being together, each in our own world, yet present to one another to share a funny moment or a delicious word like cornucopia. We didn’t have any TV or video games for the first decade of our kids’ lives and so even though we have a TV now, it’s mostly for watching sports or a family movie night.
For read alouds, I choose the best of the best. Even now, my husband will read to all of us, if it’s something especially good. I think the last book he read aloud was the Hobbit and that was a couple of years back. The kids entering their teens.
I also had to tell my kids’ teachers that the best punishment is to take away the books. At first they were astounded that I would deprive a child of books, but they caught on soon enough.
I always feel a little bit guilty reading during the day when there’s so much to do, Vijaya, but you are right — we have to have priorities! ; )
And I’ve threatened to take away books a few times too, which made me feel like a horrible parent but was definitely effective!
Have no guilt. Call it research :)
One more suggestion to add to the list — magazines. My son isn’t much of a reader, but he loves being current on trends in cars. He received a subscription to Car & Drive at the holidays and loves it. It’s not so hard to get him to do his leisure reading now.
BTW, loved Evenfall!
I love magazines, but got cut off a few years ago when my subscription hit twelve. My kids loved National Geographic and Highlights when they were younger, as well as American Girl.
A topic I feel passionately about, Liz. You do it justice.
My kids are past the point of me being able to have rules about digital media time, but they both read. I know this because I’m still shelling out $$ at the bookstore to feed their habit, and they are adults.
IMHO, if kids have been taught to associate reading with safety, love, parental attention, and magic–because we all know how powerful it can be to leave the present world behind–no matter how far they stray, they will eventually return to it as a way to feel grounded and whole.
A few things I’d add to your list in the form of Don’ts?
DON’T be a reading snob. Reading choices are intensely personal and close to identity. If your child *loves* Captain Underpants and you reject the material as unworthy, a tiny corner of them will see you rejecting their interests and passions as unworthy. (This is one reason I roll my eyes when I see writers mouthing-off about FSoG or other genre novels. Really? You want to tell a whole cohort of readers, many of whom are experimenting for the first time as adults, that they have no taste and are doing it wrong?) Better to use this reading time as a loss leader and ensure they are exposed to many, many forms of reading.
DON’T set the policy that they must finish what they read. It’s a guaranteed way to discourage experimentation.
DON’T set the policy they must read all the books in their room before looking at new ones? Haven’t you bought clothing you never wore or books which have remained on your TBR shelf for years? If you have the money to spend, consider books an investment and prioritize them over lattes and eating out. If you don’t have the money, patronize the second-hand bookstores and libraries.
/soapbox
Thanks, Liz!
All excellent points, Jan, thank you! (And what a nice mom to still be buying books for your kids!)
Good advice, especially the part about when a child should be expected to read. I am an avid reader now, but was a slow starter as a child in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. (ADHD had a lot to do with it, but it wasn’t as understood then.)
Then my folks got me started on comic books, a medium where skimming the text did not detract too much from the story.
Several thousand comics later and I was reading Dumas and Twain by middle school.
I too was a slow reader, and I remember very clearly being concerned about it when all my classmates knew their letters and basic words. I really think kids need time to learn at their own pace to keep reading from being stressful. Unfortunately, our educational system is moving the benchmarks in the other direction.
Thank you for discussing this important topic, Liz.
I was an Early Childhood Educator for many years and read scores of picture books to groups of children. Start early, but don’t remember that the book is there for the amusement of the child. So, when reading don’t demand that your child listen or continue to listen. If they aren’t interested let them walk away. Keep reading fun.
I’m an adult with dyslexia–and avid reader, raised by avid readers. Each supper time my parents would discuss what they were reading. Big ideas enticed me to read.
Fun to me is the most important part. Kids aren’t machines, built to take standardized tests. They are curious creatures who are capable of rapid learning when they are interested.
Thanks for this post, Liz. Early on, I read to my children, instilling a love for books. Often it was a continuing story, like WIND IN THE WILLOWS, that I read before I tucked them in. All of my children have been readers, though my youngest would rather play his guitar and create music before he turns out the light. That’s okay. We all have a passion and are allowed to pursue it.
We’ve done some continuing stories, especially Harry Potter, because it was so long. And helping your kids find their passion is what it is all about!
I loved this post. I am always trying to encourage my friends and family to get their children started early and I am always willing to buy a book for the kids in my circle, but alas, I have not gotten repeat customers. I will keep trying, though!
Thanks for reading, Elf. And keep at it –you never know what book will stick!
Language is what I love. Wordplay, learning a new code, whatever. I’ve always enjoyed language, thanks, I’m sure, to my family. Heck, my siblings taught me to read before I started school. I have to say, Dick, Jane, and Sally are pretty lame, aren’t they?
Those are the books I learned to read with, and they are kind of lame compared to what schools use today for sure!
I grew up with books. And the “junk room”, a special room, among many rooms on the top floor of the farmhouse, had a big book case filled with old books by wonderful authors. I remember sitting on the floor with my back against the bookcase. I’d read for hours, surrounded by antiques–pedal organ, fox fur stoles, quilts, and trunks full of dated clothes that collectors would kill to get today. My grandfather would stop at big sales and one time he brought home boxes and boxes of kids books. He was adding a big closet in the farmhouse, and it just happened to have a window in. Grandpa put all the boxes of books in there, and my brothers and I got into them. Thought we had died and gone to heaven! We sat on the floor, almost covered in books, reading and sharing. It became our unofficial reading/gathering room for us and cousins, until the closet was ready for clothes. I still have some of those books. My children read them and grandchildren read them. One grandson is here today…been sick all week, so he had to stay with me. He got my laptop and has started a “book”. He’s writing it when he isn’t coughing. He’s a book worm and reads my writing. Sometimes (many times) he’s standing with a book in his hand, when I pull up to get him from school…because he couldn’t wait to do more reading. Telling stories and reading to children can start a whole new generation of book lovers!
What a great treasure trove your grandfather’s house sounds like. And how cool is it that you’ve passed that love of reading down to your grandchildren! (And I hope your grandson is feeling better.)
Lovely, inspiring post, Liz. As a child, some of my fondest memories are going to the beautiful, old local library in a Sydney suburb and borrowing the maximum number of books to tide me over until I could go back again two weeks later. And then opening a book as I sat on a bench in the terraced garden while I waited for my siblings to select theirs, too anxious to wait until I got home to dive into a new world. I’m still like that!
Unfortunately, our boys are not big readers now, but I’m hoping the hours we spent together reading Harry Potter will have an impact on them some time in their lives.
I hope your boys come back to it too, Deborah — and if not I’m sure they have fond memories of the time spent with you.
Love this post, Liz. When I was a kid my mother made us read poetry and passages from classic books around the breakfast table. You get a skewered sense of reality when you hear about Gunga Din over scrambled eggs.
I continued the tradition and I’m convinced the reason one of my son’s is a goth rocker correlates directly to a combination of “The Raven” with a side of Cap’N Crunch.
My youngest grandaughter is two and currently her favorite book is about a naughty fairy who makes a trampoline out of burnt muffins… writing this I just realized there’s a family pattern here…
What a dull world it would be without books.
Yes, it would! And it sounds like your family has lots of fun at the breakfast table!
I was so lucky that both my parents were voracious readers. As kid I would sneak into the grown-up side of the library to find real books…I was tired of all those kid books and had read all those that appealed to me.
Hi June! I was the same way — my mom wrote a note to the nun who ran our school library so that I could take out anything I wanted. It was the best gift ever.
My boys are both big readers and books (used or new) are the gifts we now exchange at holidays. I’ve always assumed their love of reading came from the books I read them every day and from seeing me read. Sometimes, too, I would let them listen to an audio book after lights out.
They believe that anything they need to know they can find in a book, whether it’s tuning up a bike or building a house. One even researched the insulation factor of a wall of books (R2).
My main reading time these days is in the middle of the night. If I’m going to be awake for an hour or two in between my two sleep phases (see segmented sleep), then I’d rather read than lie there with my thoughts going round like a hamster on a wheel.
Your boys sound great! And I’m fascinated by segmented sleep — I started researching it a while ago for a story I’m thinking about!
Agree with this post so much, that I’m going to link to it in my blog next week about my 10-month-old granddaughter’s love for books! Thanks.
Thanks, Carol! And enjoy your grandbaby!
My love for reading and writing came from my parents’love for books. Whilst growing up, we had a library of books which I always hung around to find the latest interesting book to read.
Neither of my parents were big novel-readers, but we always had books in the house, and I went to the library pretty early on. I remember coming back with my six-book maximum, and burning through them in a day or two. Then when I was older, I discovered Mills & Boon historical romances, and spent whole days at the library because I didn’t dare bring them home! Not because my parents would have stopped me reading them, but I didn’t think I could cope with the sarcasm…
I don’t have kids, but I have noticed that while I never have time to watch the TV (“What? That programme’s a whole hour! I don’t have a whole hour to spare!”) somehow there’s always time to read. In fact, we got rid of the TV a few years ago because I was sick of dusting it, which was pretty much all my husband and I ever did with it. (“Oh, we can watch on the internet if we need to.” Not that we ever find the time.)
At school, though, I always envied the kids in the lower sets because they got to read “The BFG” and other fun stuff. I had to suffer through “Moonfleet” which I hated, although “Macbeth” and “The Crucible” were pretty good. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, there was also a surfeit of “improving books” – all about Issues (like divorce, death, drug addiction, bullying etc). They were obviously written not for children but for parents to give to children so that reading would be Educational and Improving. And, of course, not fun.
I think you’re exactly right to let your kids read what they want: that way, they’ll always associate reading with relaxation and fun (and maybe a bit of healthy rebellion), instead of duty and chores.
I don’t think there’s much that kids can’t cope with in print – with regard to “adult” themes, most kids pre-puberty will probably skip over it, finding it boring. And later on, it’ll provide a good jumping-off point for “that talk”. As for violence – how much violence do kids get exposed to today, in a much more graphic way? Not only is there the stable-door-bolted-horse angle (no point restricting their reading if they’re watching violence on TV and computer games) but also the advantage of a book is that you can actually stop, or skip over bits, if you want. You often also get to “hear” what the characters are thinking, which you don’t with TV and computer games. This can be a very valuable lesson.
Coming to this discussion a few days late, but I’m glad I saved the link to read the article when I had a chance.
I’m lucky that my kids and grandkids are all avid readers. My husband and I always had lots of books around, and a trip to the library was always a weekly event at our house.
Recently, I received an invitation to a baby shower that included a request to bring a book for the child. I thought that was a clever idea on the part of the shower hostess. I was ready to give her credit for coming up with something unique until I read your post, Liz. :-)
The first thing you should do with any TV is block all the children’s channels.