With summer just around the corner I thought back to a blog post I did a while ago about summer reading.  Today I thought I would re-post the blog and make a book recommendation for parents who hope to encourage reading this summer with their child.

All three of my boys have learned to read at different ages.  The thing that has been consistent with all of them is my husband and I have always read to them every night.

“You may have tangible wealth untold:

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be…

I had a mother who read to me.” -Strickland Gillilan, The Reading Mother

My children have opted not to do any summer camps this year.  They did not want to do any camps last year either.  As much as I like saving money,  I was sure hoping they would sign up for something.  The thought of entertaining three boys, all day, all summer long seems a bit daunting.

We have been doing different fun things this summer, but to be honest, I cannot do a ‘big’ outing everyday.  Most days they will have to find ways to entertain themselves.  I have increased their computer and TV time for the summer, but it is only an hour a day, during the week.  So, what are they doing with all the extra free time?  Read, of course.

One of things I have noticed different about this summer, is my middle son is now reading chapter books in his free time.  Tall Boy has gained confidence in his reading this year and now sees reading as something to enjoy, opposed to a chore he was required to do.

Tall Boy, has found a great book series, Warriors, and is slowing working his way toward reading the entire series.  Every day I find him laying on his bed reading…it’s really wonderful.  Considering not only two years ago, he was struggling to even read at grade level.

The Warrior book series is about cats.  His aunt started giving my Old Boy the books after she would read them herself.  She loves cats and thought my oldest son would enjoy them.  Old Boy has read them all and now the books are in the boy’s bedroom.  Tall Boy must have come across a book one day, started reading, liked it and the rest in history.

Children reading is not as common as it used to be.  Reading takes time and quiet time at that.  But one of most important things about reading, when it comes to children, is an interest and motivation.  A child must have an interest in wanting to read and that will be his/her motivation.

But how can parents get their children interested?  Any parent of reading children will tell you, because they already know the answer.  You must read to them.  Starting when they are very young and continuing as long as possible.  When parents share the world of books with their kids, they begin to see their value and are motivated to learn to read themselves.

When I was pregnant with my third child, I was working at the boy’s school, as teacher’s assistant in the classroom.  One day the school’s librarian came up to me to give me a gift for the baby.  It was a book, of course.  What was interesting about the book was it was not a book for the baby, it was a book for parents.

The book was called, The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease.  The book is not a parenting book or a how to teach your child to read, but a book about teaching your child to want to read.  It clearly explains why to read aloud, when to begin and end, do’s and don’ts and ways to encourage independent reading.  One of my favorite sections of the book is, the Treasury of Read-Alouds.  It is a complete listing of books to read to children from infant to young adulthood.

Most parents read to their children when they are very young.  Each night the bedtime routine consists of bath and reading time.  It sounds familiar right?  But once the child learns to read on his own, the parent suddenly stops reading to the child.  The wonderful nighttime routine is over.  But in the book, The Read-Aloud Handbook, the author says the routine of reading, daily to your child should continue well into the teenage years.

Every night, my husband still reads to the teenage boys.  It became my husband’s responsibility, because he is gone all day and at night he then can have one on one time with the boys.  My oldest son has always been an independent reader, but my Tall Boy has not.  After my husband and I read the handbook, we both agreed reading daily to the older boys should continue.  Interestingly, the boys continued to enjoy their Dad reading every day to them.

My middle son had an interest in Harry Potter books, but when he wanted to start reading them his reading level was not high enough.  My husband slowly, chapter after chapter, read all the books to the boys.  It became a great source of connection for them.  They would discuss the books, see the movies and talk about the characters.  Now this week they will be seeing the final movie in a great fashion, at the midnight showing.  Their love of the books now becomes a celebration, along with millions of other Harry Potter book lovers.

Because my middle son was read to, and listened to books on CD (a handbook recommendation), his comprehension level was higher than his reading level for many years.  Then one day, the reading level met the comprehension level and result is independent reading.  It has been a slow process, but a good one.

One of my favorite memories with my Mom and Dad, is when they used to read to me.  Mom would read picture books and Dad the comics.  I remember often it would be my only one-on-one time with them.  As my husband and I read to our boys, I hope they will have the same wonderful memories…being read to.

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