Reading Equals Success

I read an intriguing blog post by Dan Brown a teacher and author of The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle. He is also the author of an education blog called Get in the Fracas. This excerpt posed a very interesting observation:

"I have a clutch of students who read for pleasure, yet bizarrely hand in assignments only sporadically. Let’s call them “Readers.” These are the kids who take home The Kite Runner and read the whole thing in two days—then never write any of their journal responses. Their grades do not reflect their abilities. However, these students always score at or near the very top of the class on these standardized tests."

"I have many more students who hand in almost all of their assignments, yet they— according to their own pronouncements— dislike reading and never do it except when forced. They are the moaners and groaners when new books are distributed in class. They are always at or near the bottom of the statistical heap. Let’s call them “Worker Bees.” "

Unfortunately, this is the norm for many schools. When you think about it, most kids only read when they are told. But, how do you get them to read voluntarily. I have a laundry list of items you can try.

• Start reading to them at at early age. By early I mean when they have no comprehension of words. As they mature they will more easily understand the meaning of words.
• Visit the library, have your child to get their own library card, and frequently check out books.
  
• Select a book pertaining to a topic they enjoy. Your more apt to read something that peeks your interest.
• Have them to join a book club. This is also good way to enhance socialization and speaking skills.
• Participate in the reading programs at school. There are always reading competitions at school which give prizes away for reading a certain number of books.
• During the summer participate in the summer reading program at the library.
  
• When children authors come to town bring your child to meet them.
• Have them play computer games which involve reading.
  
• Read the book first then take them to see the movie which is based on the book.
• Have the older child read to the younger child and vice versa.
  
• Use interactive books such as the Leapfrog Tag reading system.
  
• Read the book with your child and then discuss later. This fosters parent child bonding. How about going out for dinner while discussing the book.
  
• Have reading competitions at your home to see which child can read the most books. Have incentives for winning that will entice them. You can even have ribbons or trophies.
• Go to Borders, Barnes and Noble or other book stores and have them look at inventory of books for sale. You don't necessarily have to buy the book. You can read the book there as well. You can also jot down the name/author and see if it is available at the library.
  
• Attend story time. Libraries, Borders and Barnes and Noble have free story time where an adult reads to the children.
  
• Utilize a variety of books: magazines, newspapers, comic books, touch and feel, books with cd's, books that have sound, bilingual books, etc.
• If they have a favorite book that they read over and over again, let them do so.
  
• Have them to use the internet and find topics of interest to read about online.
• Go to the children consignment sales and stores to purchase books for a fraction of the original cost.
• Associate what your child does daily to topics they can read about. If they like to dance then get a book on dancing, if they like to play football then get a book on football, if they like a certain entertainer then I am sure you can find a book about that entertainer. The sky is the limit.

Readers are leaders and worker bees just follow the crowd. Let's get our children to be "readers" and not "worker bees".