Learning to Read Versus Learning to Love Reading

Learning how to read is a major accomplishment for a child. Once achieved, a whole new world opens up for children because they can now independently read about topics that interest them. You may picture your child happily reading in a favorite chair and anticipate many visits to the library to check out a book about a favorite hero, mystery or snake. Sadly, this happy scenario may not happen.

The enjoyment of reading does not necessarily follow when children learn how to decode words and comprehend what the words are saying. Scholastic’s 2019 Kids & Family Reading Survey found that the percentage of children who read for pleasure actually drops as they get older. In the study, 57% of 8-year-olds reported reading for fun five to seven days each week compared to only 35% of 9-year-olds. The rapid decline in children who said they actually enjoyed reading is even more disturbing. When 8-year-olds in the same study were asked if they enjoyed reading, 40% answered positively. By the time children turned 9, only 28% had a positive response to the same question. You would think that the 9-year-olds’ greater familiarity with reading skills and comprehension would also increase their enjoyment of reading. So why does literacy not necessarily lead to a love of reading?

Literacy and the enjoyment of reading are two very different things. Literacy refers to the ability to read and write. Developing literacy is an important goal in early childhood classrooms. Oklahoma’s current literacy curriculum is based on the Science of Reading (SoR) and includes teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Teachers are encouraged to follow a highly scripted, task-oriented curriculum in order to teach each of these skills. So why isn’t all of this literacy instruction leading to a widespread love of reading?

Children, like adults, have vastly different interests. When they are interested in what they are doing and the activity is meaningful to them personally, they will be happy to complete it. But when the activity is not interesting to them, they gradually lose interest. Reading lessons that may lead one child to love reading will lead others to view reading as a boring chore. The enjoyment of reading most often comes from making choices based on individual interests and doing activities that are meaningful. If this is not happening in your child’s classroom, there are a variety of ways you can make reading fun and meaningful at home. Here are some suggestions.

Read Out Loud:

Reading out loud to your child makes a big difference in how much children enjoy reading on their own. Most children are read to when they are very young, but it often stops when children are able to read independently. The Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer Survey (2020) found that 61% of 5- to 7-year-olds read daily for pleasure when someone read aloud to them every day. Similarly, 63% of 8- to 13-year-olds read for fun each day when someone else read out loud to them each day. You can ask your child to help you pick out a book and read aloud a chapter each day. Afterwards, spend a few minutes talking about what you just read. You could ask, “What do you think will happen next?”

Write a Grocery List:

Provide your child with a pad of paper and an age-appropriate writing tool (crayon, pencil, pen) and ask them to write a grocery list when you write your own. You might tell them at the outset that they are not going to get all of those things, but you will select one item as a surprise. Older 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds will scribble and draw. This is the first stage of writing. Just say, “Tell me about your list,” to find out what they wrote. Ages 4 and 5 will often draw what they want while adding the beginning letter of what they would like. You might still need to ask the question. Older 5-year-olds and first graders often invent spellings for their favorite items – another stage in writing development. Common items are most often spelled accurately by second or third grade. Writing a list for the grocery store is a meaningful way for your child to practice writing without resorting to a worksheet.

Be a Model:

Children model themselves on the behavior of the adults around them. When your children see you reading, they draw the conclusion that reading is an important and fun activity. You can set aside a short time each day for you and your child to sit down, put your feet up, and enjoy a good book, magazine, newspaper, etc. When you are done, make sure to talk a little about what you read and ask them for their thoughts on their book.

Travel with a Book:

There are bound to be times when children get bored in the car or waiting at the dentist’s office and need some entertainment. Instead of handing them a tablet or smartphone, why not hand them a book or children’s magazine instead?

Expand the Possibilities:

Reading does not have to be limited to just books. Comic books featuring a favorite superhero can be fun. Graphic novels are another fun way to engage young readers. Children’s magazines such as Highlights and National Geographic Kidsoften introduce children to things they did not know they cared about. Having their own subscription arrive in the mail is something to look forward to each month.

Cook Together:

Children like to work with you in the kitchen. Creating a simple dish from a recipe is a great way to add reading to the activity. Check out a children’s cookbook from the library and let your child pick out a dish they would like to prepare. Ask your child to read the instructions out loud while you both work on the dish. Here are some great children’s cookbooks.

• Food Network Magazine The Recipe-A-Day Kids Cookbook: 365 Fun, Easy Treats
• The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes that You’ll Love to Cook and Eat
• The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs: 100+ Sweet and Savory Recipes that You’ll Love to Bake
• Share and Eat! The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Simple Recipes for Making Absolutely Everything from Scratch

Read the Menu:

Encourage children to read the menu when you go to a restaurant as they try to decide what to eat.

Read the Road Signs:

Ask children to read the road signs, street signs and billboards to you when you are walking or driving in the car.

Supermarket Helpers:

Turn grocery shopping into an opportunity for reading by encouraging children to read product labels, advertising posters, sale fliers, etc.

Read Picture Books:

For non-readers, gather books without words and let your child “read” them to you. Doing so encourages your child to build their language skills, use pictures for clues and sequence a story. Here are some great picture books for young children:

• Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
• A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer
• A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
• Flora the Penguin by Molly Idol
• Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
• Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paola

Dr. Anita Ede teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood education at Northeastern State University. Prior to teaching at NSU, she taught children in preschool, kindergarten and first grade settings. Classroom management and promoting resilience in a classroom environment are areas of particular interest and she has presented numerous times at SECA, NAEYC, OAECTE, and NAECTE conferences on these topics as well as published articles in Childhood Education, Child Care Exchange, and the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education. Her current research interest focuses on how to improve online education for early childhood students.