Raising Readers
How can we raise readers? Start from the womb. When I was pregnant with our son, he moved a lot in my tummy when there were just the two of us. I noticed, however, that he grew still when I was conversing and praying with his dad. I had a strong feeling he was “eavesdropping.” It would be good then to start speaking words of affirmation through God’s Word to and praying for well-being with your child in the womb.
Upon giving birth, continue reading God’s Word to, talking and praying with your child. Avoid baby talk. More than ever, for as long as you can, do not expose your newborn to gadgets. This includes not using gadgets within sight. Win over your baby to books first. While seated on your lap, let your baby pore through a picture book with you. It may be a cloth or a board book. When already able, let your child hold a book, even while bathing. There are plastic books for that.
From ages zero to four, a friend of mine read age-appropriate books to her daughters. Before she knew it, and this without phonics, they were reading with fluency on their own. Her middle daughter, my godchild, was reading Nancy Drew at kindergarten age.
Make books easily accessible in your home. Growing up, we had open shelves right in the middle of the house. One couldn’t miss the assortment of reading materials displayed there, including several dictionaries, Reader’s Digest magazines, and the Bible. The family bookshelf was also left unlocked, making it easy to pull out any book from the collection my parents invested in, including the New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia, the Through Golden Windows Series, and the Grolier Classics.
Let your child see you often holding and enjoying a book at home and wherever. Reading a book while waiting in line takes away the grumps for me. My son’s music teacher once caught our family reading our respective books while waiting for our orders at Chocolate Kiss. And yes, when we had more time, we used to bring a book to read while in the bathroom!
Visit bookstores with your child. When our son was a toddler, we allowed him to browse through all the books he fancied in the kiddie corner of a bookstore near us. But he knew that when we left the bookstore, we would only pay for one book of his choice. Encourage your child to visit and borrow books from the school library. Invite your child to book events, like sales, displays, and launches.
Know your child’s interests and gift your child books accordingly. For us, we bought our son Thomas the Tank Engine books alongside die-cast toy trains. Play word games with your child, like finding letters in objects and creating shorter words from a long word.
Above all, choose your child’s reading fare with care to reflect the values you want to share.
======
Mary Juliet N. Ballutay-Jocano, or Tita Juliet, has edited books that promote mental health and uplift Filipino culture. She has also written three stories for the Tutubi Patrol series—all animated and aired on TV, and two Translated into Chinese. She is the author of one of Hiyas; newest books, Oh Nose!