A child who reads will be an adult who thinks

I've had a topic on my mind for awhile and decided tonight I was ready to tackle it! A lot of my thoughts come from what I observed and learned about reading comprehension when I was teaching. For as long as I can remember, I've loved books and reading. One of the first books to make an impression on me was Charlotte's Web. Dad read it to me before I could read and I cried at the end when Charlotte died. Another favorite was The Digging-est Dog. At one time I probably could've recited the whole book from memory. Jan and Faylene Weaver read the Curious George books over and over to me and my siblings while babysitting us. By the way, thank you!!

It's well known that children who read have an easier time in school. There's many studies and research that proves this. Here's a few statistics I found interesting.

• The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school. 

•  By the age of 2, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies, and higher cognitive skills than their peers.

•  Children who are read to at least three times a week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who are read to less than 3 times a week

I'm not a parent, but I believe reading to your children is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. To build reading comprehension, take time to explain words they might not understand, ask and answer questions to make sure they are following, and explain background or historical context. Don't be afraid to read books that are above their level. This stimulates their mind and can actually build comprehension.

As a teacher, I loved reading to my students and introducing them to new books. Seeing their interest and hearing their comments on the book we were reading for story hour was one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher! I never felt bad about reading past schedule because I felt it was just as educational as any other subject.

I know not all children like to read, but are there any who don't enjoy being read to? Also, I firmly believe that those who think they don't like to read just haven't found the right kind of book. Expose them to a variety of genres - nonfiction (kids love true stories!), fantasy, historical fiction, mystery - try it all!

I love to hear of families who go to the library, read out loud to their children on trips or winter evenings, and read chapter books to their pre-school age children. Kudos to you and keep it up!