The E’s and Ease of Teaching Your Child to Love Reading

Here are Shauna Dunn’s notes from her presentation at the Thomas Jefferson Leadership seminar in March.

In an earlier time in my life, I was an attorney, so I’m going to start with a disclaimer, It has been said that TV is the opposite of reading . . . but my children surely enjoyed an atypical amount of movies while I was preparing this presentation on reading!!

Walt Disney said,

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island and, best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.

B.F. Skinner, noted behavioral psychologist, taught:

We shouldn’t teach great books;
we should teach a love of reading.

Teaching a love of reading is full of E’s [ease]. These E’s include: Example, Exposure and Excitement.

When I first started my adventure in motherhood, I subscribed to several parenting magazines. One of those magazines had a regular column where people would share the best ideas for improving family life. Ideas about brushing teeth, eating vegetables, going to bed, play date problems . . . you could glean from the article things that would apply to your family, and leave the rest. I’m going to be sharing some of the things that have worked for me . . .

Keep in mind, I have an incurable disease, it is called OTTD . . . Over The Top Disorder, and when you combine this disorder with a personal passion such as reading, the results my sound quite a bit O-OTTD (Over- Over The Top). . . but I hope you discover some things today that will work for you.

Oh!! Here is another disclaimer . . . I think OTT Disorder is highly contagious.

Example (READ ALOUD FOCUS)

The first of the E’s is the E of Example. The most important example for children comes from their parents. As we talk about example, my main focus is the example of parents reading . . . to themselves and to their families.

• Example is as simple as letting your children see you read.
  Read for pleasure, read for information, read your core classic, read to prepare for book club discussions . . . as author William Faulkner said, “Read! Read! Read!”

• One thing that worked for me as a reading example for my children is reading books with my husband. It’s like our very own personal book club. The children know we are interested in reading as we talk about the book in regular daily conversation. Sometimes they are inspired to read the same book and join the discussion.

• • Katherine Marsfield: who is she?
    The pleasure of reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books.

  • When we were first married, he read them aloud to me. (But sometimes—often– I just couldn’t resist reading ahead.)Then we decided reading aloud was too slow, so we would read with our heads cocked together. Now, although we have a saying in our family . . . “Books are for sharing” . . . . we get two copies of the books and read next to each other.

• Slide: Book Clubs for adults: In our family, we have a saying: “books are for sharing!” As I’m involved with a couple of book groups, my children see the example of my reading and preparing for discussion for these book groups.

• My children often see me reading silently in the hallway to help keep things quiet after they are all in bed. I’m kind of like the hallway monitor! I tried reading Don Quixote aloud, thinking it would put them to sleep, but no luck, they were interested in the story. So, now I just read silently for a few minutes to keep things quiet.

My husband, Brent, calls the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease my personal “bible,” I read it every January. . . it is that good! It is that inspiring. It reminds me annually that all this effort is worth it! This book emphasizes the importance of READ ALOUD in creating children who love reading.

Through his book, Jim Trelease has been a tremendous mentor in helping me TO help my children gain a love for reading.

Gladys Hunt in Honey for a Child’s heart explains . . .

Read DIRECTLY from the book:

Children don’t stumble onto good books by themselves, they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic.

(Honey, p. 17)

It isn’t just the story that spins out pure joy and magic. It is the time spent together.

Something bigger than the book is happening as you read together.

Reading aloud as a family allows you to discuss things in a safe manner. You are talking about the characters in a book . . . and if what the characters learn or do in the book reflects on the situation in your life, so be it, but talking about occurrences in books can feel much safer than talking about personal situations.

Gladys Hunt shares:

“Reading aloud as a family has bound us together as sharing an adventure always does.”

READ FROM BOOK:

She points out three by-products of read aloud: (Honey/child p. 82)

1. Family closeness because of shared experience

2. Appreciation of good writing

3. Opportunity to teach what is true and good.

Here are some things that worked for me to help me Read Aloud to my children;:

• Scheduling time for Family Read Aloud is the key. I try to keep a “reading rhythm” in the day . . . if I don’t have time for an entire chapter, we try to read a little, even if it is just a bit of reading: a bit of poetry in lieu of a bedtime story, one verse from the core classic on a busy morning rather than a full blown family scripture study time. Big or small. . . it all adds up, and children still appreciate the structure of reading, even if they don’t get a full session.

  • Scheduled into the day is a historical fiction read aloud at lunchtime. (I read while they eat and do kitchen jobs . . . if they happen to want to keep me reading and are willing to clean other parts of our great room while I read aloud, well . . . so be it. Right now we are reading “Hittite Warrior” by Joanne Williamson. So far this year we have read “Time Cat” by Lloyd Alexander and Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I was skeptical of how much history they were getting from these fictional stories, but when we stop to discuss . . .wow! I am often amazed at the history they glean!

• • We typically do a family read aloud at bedtime. Family RA is time for “roast beef” books as opposed to hot dog books. I try to read engaging books . . . I try to match the average “listening” level, which is above most of the children’s reading levels. Sometimes we continue reading the history READ ALOUD if we are at a really exciting part. As the children get older it is getting harder to have everyone at home in the evening for Read Aloud Time. But, I find that if we skip an evening read aloud session, it is easy to forget to do it the next night. So, we just read without whoever is gone, and they can read what they missed, or just listen to an overview of what happened when we start reading the next day.

Remember, something bigger than the book is happening as you read together!!

• We also enjoy listening to audio books as a family. I listen to my own books on tape while I clean or do other mindless tasks, but as a family, we like to listen to CDs while we drive. Each week, I drive to my sister’s home which is about 30 minutes away for “Cousins Night.” I like to use this drive time for classic books that are a little bit harder to get your mind into, but then are intriguing once you get into the story. CDs seem to work especially well .. . a captive audience in the car, an interesting voice, a good story. Most recently, we have listened to Anne of Green Gables and Laddie during our weekly drive time.

• [D-E-A-R] DEAR stands for Drop Everything And Read. With my little ones, especially those that are not reading fluently on their own, if they ask for a story, I try to DROP EVERYTHING AND READ. I think that is such a better way to request attention than a temper tantrum—and I definitely want to encourage that type of behavior! Plus, I’m discovering that the time they want to cuddle and read with me is fleeting.
  If I am unable to stop what I am doing to read, I try to invite an older sibling to read, or I make an arrangement to read at a specific, later time. And, I set the timer to remind to read at a specific, later time.

• • If an older child asks me to read a story, I am doubly QUICK to comply. I think “Will you read to me?” is a safe and subtle way of saying, “I need a little bit of extra attention and love, will you give it to me?”

• ***Scripture Snack is another great family read aloud time.

  The best part is, the children NEVER let us miss this. We simply read a scripture story while the children eat a treat. (They are supposed to only get one treat each day, so scripture snack is a priority—otherwise they get no treat!) I sometimes get special treats like ice cream popsicles or ice cream sandwiches. But, mostly we just get a scoop or two of ice cream. I kind of see scripture reading and discussion in the morning for the older children (little ones are playing in the room with quiet toys/activities that are only pulled out during scriptures) and the scripture snack is geared toward the younger ones, but everyone wants the treats, so . . . everyone participates!

  • When we started doing this years ago, I read a story and held up a picture, and the children looked at the picture while I read. We have been doing this for a decade now, and it is amazing how much material we have gotten through. I also repeat books and stories often. 
    

  • Mortimer Adler:
    In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through you.

• • I give stumps or quizzers at the end of each session. I want the children to feel successful with answering these questions. I give the two-year-old questions with “Jesus!” as the answer. Every time. When they are ready, they start asking for “real” questions. My 5 year old now requests “hard/easy” questions.

• • If the children don’t know the answer they can “phone a friend,” or take the book and find the answer themselves. Since I look at the book to find the question, I can usually just hand them the book opened to the page that has the answer. With my two oldest children, I’m starting to venture into more personal application questions.

  • 
    

In addition to family read aloud time, reading with individual children is part of my Daily Reading Rhythm.

• This started out as a necessity. Once I had more that one child, I realized that I was really letting the baby’s reading time slip. I would try to squeeze in a book here and there, but mostly I was rushing to get something done.

• I read a story in the Read Aloud Handbook about a family who were told to put their severely disabled child into an institution. Instead, they put this child on a “diet” of 14 books per day. Through reading time (and a lot of other love and effort from his family) a miracle occurred. The child was never institutionalized and was even playing basketball at nine years old and reading at grade level—whatever that means!

Well, if read aloud can do that for a disabled child, imagine what it could do for my brilliant children! So I scheduled reading time with my baby. . . and the next baby . . . and the next baby . . .

• 
  I read in the morning when we are snuggling to wake up, I read before and after naps, I read a quick story after a diaper change, I read while I was spooning food into her mouth in the high chair, I read to her in the bathtub. My goal was 10 books per day. Sometimes the books were very thin, and sometimes reading was just reading a quick poem. But as I slipped reading into the routine of the day it became a joyous, bonding time for my baby and me! And, it doesn’t feel like it takes time away from your busy day, when it is woven into the little things like diaper changes and naptimes and feeding times.

• Now, my littlest one is past the board book stage, (yeah!) And many of the my children will listen to the picture book stories I am reading to her now, so I’m getting more BANG for my reading buck!

Babies are not the only ones who need individual reading time with parents. This does take some scheduling if you have multiple children. But, you can find time for things that you value!

Jim Trelease said, “Time is the great filtering agent of success.”

It is worth it because, something bigger than the book is happening as you read together!!

• • Jim Trelease says if your kids can’t wear the same underwear, most likely they won’t be interested in the same books. On the contrary, for family read aloud, I have found plenty of books that everyone enjoys listening to, from the 5 year old to the 13 year old. Even the two year old listens and sometimes makes comments on the story.

(15:30)

However, there are some books that create conversation points or encompass more mature topics that might be better read one on one.

• • • I read to my 13 year old son in the mornings to wake him up. We read exciting books, (the boring books put him right back to sleep. We just finished Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card . . . a book I highly recommend for learning leadership.) If he happens to fall back to sleep during the exciting parts, he is quick to read those parts after he is dressed.

• Sometimes a certain book really inspires him. When we read The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson, Malachi started reading it on his own and finished the trilogy within the next three days. He completely left me in the dust! I pretend to get mad when the children can’t resist reading ahead in the book we are reading together, but we both know I am secretly I am thrilled!

• • Our night time “reading rhythm” begins with family read aloud. We read a chapter or so . . . and stop at exciting parts for night time tidy time. “Oh, do you want to clean some more while I read some more?”

    • Sometimes they try “Plan B” and plead for one more chapter while one rubs my head and another rubs my feet and another gets me a drink. That often works as well.

    • Longer family read aloud time cuts into their bedtime reading time, but it is still reading.

• • After reading to the baby (and other can listen as well, except the last story is just for Sallie and I to enjoy together) It is 5 year old Coco’s bedtime. (Picture of Coco) She chooses a picture book, I try to squeeze in a couple of poems, then we have a short chapter book we read together. She works on a page or a paragraph, and I read the rest.

• • • She likes to read to me while I clean her room—or sometimes we mix it up, I read to her while she cleans, sometimes we both clean and sing together and then read . . . the reading and cleaning thing is a tactic we use often in our family. Even before she was ACTUALLY reading, she could elect to read me the pictures while I tidied. All the children seem to enjoy this little “trick.”

  • Sophia and Aerie sleep in the same room, and currently we read the same book. I think as Sophia gets older we may read different/more mature books together. (But I’ll have to figure out when to do that . . . Yikes.)

  • Sometimes my eldest daughter Sophia reads a book and wants to discuss it, so she asks me to read it on my own and we talk about it.

  • Malachi gets his individual read aloud time in the morning, so after I read to the “big” girls, I’m done! Whew! Then I enjoy silent reading in the hallway until the house quiets down.
    
    

Gladys Hunt, in Honey for a Teen’s Heart, tells us

“Parents who read widely together with their children are going to be those who most influence their children, who have the largest world view, who have an uncommon delight in what is good and true and beautiful and an uncommon commitment to it. Sharing and feeling and talking together will come naturally. Books shared with each other provide that kind of climate.”

When unmotivated to read individually to five children every day, I try to remind myself, “something bigger than the book is happening as you read together.”

Exposure (PRINT RICH ENVIRONMENT FOCUS)

The E of Exposure is next. As we talk about exposure today, I will focus on creating a print rich environment in the home. A “print rich environment” means just what it says: print is readily available, easily seen, accessible and appealing.

print is readily available, easily seen, accessible and appealing.

Example kindles desire to read, Exposure fans the flames. SLIDE

[Slide of bookshelves]

A year or so ago, I went to a meeting at a lovely home in a very NICE neighborhood. Wow. The decorating in the home was phenomenal. The hostess had a beautiful “key” theme throughout the main floor living areas. Large iron keys, a large painting of a key, smaller keys hung on ribbon which coordinated with the pictures hung on ribbons. Wow. It was amazing. I went away a little depressed. I would never have time to plan out something like that in my own home.–with a THEME and coordinating picture frames and accents . . . and then it hit me, I do have a theme . . . the home décor theme in my home is “homeschool with an emphasis on print rich environment, lightly accented with music.”

I discovered a quote by Anna Quindlen, a famous American author. She says

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.”

Jim Trelease encourages parents to provide 3 B’s in creating a print rich environment. He encourages us to provide our children with a Book basket (near the bed and in the bathroom), a Bedtime that allows for reading time, and a Book lamp to allow them reading time. What a great beginning of a print rich environment.

22:22

• A major help in creating a print rich environment is the public library. I can’t afford to buy all the books I want to read and all the books my children want to read. Can you believe our library only lets you check out 40 books per account? We were going twice per week until I figured out a way to work the system and get two accounts. (She laughs fiendishly . . . Mwah! Ha! Ha!)

• Part of exposure for young children includes public venue story-time visits… at the library or local bookstore. Initially, I thought, “Why should I make the effort to go to storytime? I am the queen of storytime in my home!” But I think going to story time sets an EXAMPLE that says, “Reading is important in our family schedule.” It allows for EXPOSURE to new models of reading and exposes us to enjoyable books that I might not have discovered on my own. Story time also creates excitement, in that it helps make reading a more social activity.

• Now that I am on the Library Board, at least once per month, I find myself at the library without children. What a treat! I hunt through the stacks for books I would love my children to read. (These are mostly picture books.) I bring 60-80 books home and spread them standing up over the dining table, counter, coffee table . . . any available space. In the morning when the children wake up, I don’t even say a word, but I discover them reading in their various preferred spots (sitting on top of the heater, bundled up using all of the couch throw pillows as blankets, or with a book propped around a cereal bowl) I rarely even have to put any of the books in the library book basket by evening. Somebody has read it and put it away for me. Voila! Library-Palooza!

25:00

• As part of the E of Exposure, you must provide time to read silently. Reading is a skill and it takes practice. Jim Trelease advocates Sustained Silent Reading in schools to practice the skill of reading.

• Did anyone have SSR when you were in school? It was a highlight for me! Mr. Trelease points out some principles that lead to successful SSR . . .

• 1. the child gets to choose the reading material,

  2. There are no records made of what was read or learned,

  3. The teacher leads by example and participates in the silent reading time, and

  4. SSR is scheduled to occur consistently.

We incorporated the principles of SSR to encourage personal scripture study with our children.

When my oldest turned 12, and was supposed to start “personal scripture study,” as part of his Duty God award for Boy Scouts. I thought, “what 12 year old boy is going to create time in his day for “personal scripture study?”

• • Luckily I was inspired with the idea to structure it into our family scripture reading time. After family scripture time, we set the timer for 10 minutes, and then we encourage the children to read gospel related things. It doesn’t HAVE to be reading from the actual scriptures. We have monthly magazines that are sent out through our church that the children enjoy reading, sometimes the children take this time to copy a verse they want to memorize. My husband and I take turns reading to the littlest ones while the other parent sets the example of having personal scripture study. I especially like it when the timer rings and everybody ignores it and remains engrossed in their personal gospel study.

  • This is SSR . . . sustained silent reading . . . at its finest!!

• Another tip to help your children love reading is to make books and reading not only a part of every day but also a part of special occasions.

• • We have a yearly recital with our Suzuki music teacher. One time, (while I was attending Weight Watchers) instead of getting a treat afterward, we went to the bookstore, and everyone got to pick a book instead of an ice cream sundae. Now, it is a calorie-friendly annual tradition!

• • We read special books on the days when someone looses a tooth, and we read “Hurray for you” when someone has a special accomplishment we want to recognize.

• • At Christmas time we have a Christmas picture book advent, and unwrap a book each day and read it. When I started doing this 12 years ago, I thought we would never have enough books to do a true advent and include all the days of December . . . They keep publishing darling new Christmas picture books, which I am POWERLESS to resist so I think we might be doomed. Can you imagine starting the countdown to Christmas on Labor Day? I am worse than Wal-mart!
    Bring sample of new books

• On birthdays, I have a couple of special birthday books that I read to wake the birthday child. They wake up to a balloon bouquet (the number of balloons equals their new age) wrapped around a present. It is always a new book. Then I read Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss or Birthday Zoo by Deborah Lee Rose.

• During February, I try to read an “I love you” book during breakfast. The older children pretend to be annoyed when I read mushy books, but if I miss a day, even they will ask, “Aren’t you going to read an I LOVE YOU book this morning?”

• For many other holidays, we have special picture books that get put out in a basket to emphasize the holiday. We have love books for February, Irish books in March, Easter books during Easter time, books about moms and dads in May and June, patriotic books in July, Halloween books, and even Thanksgiving books. It is like discovering old friends when I switch out the holiday books. We also supplement our holiday book supply with library books.

Just as a little end note, and I think it goes along with EXPOSURE: I always try to say the authors and illustrators names when I read a book. Sometimes I feel weird saying “Wee Willie Winkie, a Mother Goose Rhyme” or “Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell,” both books I have read and said the authors’ names probably hundreds of times. But, research shows doing this helps children realize that books are written by people.
Every morning, I start my read aloud time with Malachi by saying, “Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Sky.” He groans and tells me, “MOM! You don’t have to do that every time!” But, I know he is awake and listening!

I also think it is especially cute when my two year old asks, “Will you read Someday by Eileen Spinellit?” or “Let’s read Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger!” or when an older child says, “I think Roald Dahl and Shakespeare are my favorite authors. Will you help me find more books by them?”

Excitement

So, you have been an EXAMPLE of reading to your children, you have EXPOSED THEM TO a print rich environment, now . . . the fun part . . . creating EXCITEMENT for reading!

Be careful! As Louisa May Alcott warned . . . She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.

“case in point”

31:40

HOOK BOOK SLIDE: CAPT HOOK PIC

Generating excitement includes searching for your child’s “Hook Book.” Jim Trelease describes a hook book as THE book that first helps a child realize that books are fun, stories are worth the effort it takes to read. . . One “hook book” for me was the Sweet Valley High Series . . . I read them all. Can you believe I am admitting that in public?

Luckily, Mr. Trelease assuages my guilt about loving these books by giving evidence that reading series books as a child actually creates life long readers.

Here are some other things that “WORKED FOR ME” in creating excitement for reading in my home:

• Family journals and stories (bring example) Children love to hear stories about themselves, and they love to read stories about themselves. SLIDE

• Creating books and stories starring (individual) children creates excitement for reading. (BRING YOU AND ME AND WILD THING—READ FIRST PAGE)

• Following along with books on CD was the way I got my oldest child to get excited about reading. He started out as a reluctant reader, but he discovered that he really enjoys listening to stories on CD. When I paired listening with actual books and asked him to follow along in the book as he listened, he was hooked. I think his actual hook book was Redwall from an excellent series by Brian Jacques. This series continues to be a favorite. Listening to CDs helps the book come alive for him. When he was younger he would say, I’m going to watch the story of “Martin the Warrior” or something similar. . . meaning he was going to listen to a book on CD. He still prefers to listen to audio-books (thank goodness for the library!) but he will happily read a book he is excited about if it isn’t available on CD.

• Some of my excitement ideas have not worked. I tried to have the tooth fairy bring books instead of money. That did NOT go over well.

• But, some things have worked really well.
  One HUGE thing in creating a love of books in my home has been: The Book-a-neer. Actually, the Bookaneer is a fairly new visitor. Several years ago, the Book Fairy VOICE (complete with English Accent, sparkling tiara and pink gossamer wings) started visiting our home. Then she wanted a new look, and her friend, the Book Diva CHANGE VOICE(who wears elbow length gloves, a lot of bling jewelry, carries a black feather boa and talks like Zsa Zsa Gabor began visiting.) The Book Diva recently took a leave of absence and sent the Bookaneer in her place. 35:30
  

  • The Bookaneer descends the stairs with her arms filled with bright packages. The children run around the house calling out, “The Book-a-neer is here!” And they race to meet her on the couch. She starts with no particular child and asks,

• • “Arr, Matey, have you been a good reader this week (or month)?”

• • Then do a “real” Bookaneer visit with someone in the audience (two books)

• • One Book: 37:05

  • The Bookaneer gets books from bookstores , second hand stores, the library, ONLINE used book stores. My closet is actually called “Book Diva Land” It doesn’t matter where the book came from, or if it is new or a library book. The book talk creates excitement, as does the actual unwrapping of the gift. One of my very favorite things in life is to see all five of the children happily reading on the couch after a Bookaneer visit. I really feel validated!!

(Book Club Parties)

• Another very successful reading tradition started with a child who was a bit of a lazy reader. Learning to read is hard, and continues to be difficult, even after you have mastered how to decipher all the squiggles on the page. It takes repeated, consistent effort. What ended up working for this child turned into something that has become a fabulous and fun family tradition.

  • This child loved listening to stories, but reading on her own was not so appealing. She is a very social child, and was excited when another home schooled friend was invited to come over and “Buddy-read” every day in the afternoon. We picked a book about something they both loved . . . Fairies. They took turns reading to each other and read about a chapter each day.

  • We said we would have a little get together with fairy treats from a fairy cookbook we had. Well, you remember that disease I have? Over The Top Disorder? That one friend turned into two then three friends, and pretty soon, we had several little girls coming over in the afternoon to take turns reading the book. It truly was a party when we finished the book, and we had great fun planning the celebration. We ended up with ten or so little girls dressed up as fairies. The Book Fairy was there, too! We acted out portions of the story, made bracelets inspired by the story, ate pink fairy treats and talked about discussions for the next book they would read. Hmmm . .. maybe I was on to something.

The idea of the Book Club party was born.
39:50

• When we started doing book club parties, it was a drop off kind of thing. Then we read Ramona and her Mother by Beverly Clearly and had a mother’s tea. When the other mothers came, they helped with crowd control, they helped with the craft, they helped clean up, and they chatted afterward. Whoa! Having the mothers there made the parties so much more fun for me! Mothers are also are a great asset for comments and insights during discussion time. Now, mothers are invited to ALL of our book club parties!

• • I shoot for one party per child per quarter. My son doesn’t like parties (even birthday parties!), but humors his mother and consents to one party per year. The girls beg for more than one a quarter, and some have been known to ask if they could trade their birthday party for an extra book club party. I told you they are really fun!

41:00

SLIDE: picture of a laboratory in the background with formula in front

We have a basic formula for every book club party. Around 12 friends and their mothers are given an invitation to the party, usually 8-10 pairs attend. I used to make cute book mark style invitations with my girls and pass them out, now I do everything with email. Mothers and children are encouraged to read the book either together or individually. Oft times the books are a little more advanced, and the mothers have to read the book aloud (hehehe . . . see the method in my madness?)

• Every book club party has three things: circle time, including discussion, read aloud picture books and poems),

• a craft related to the book we are celebrating,

• and a treat inspired by the book.

Often, when reading a book, I can tell it will make a good book club party book, so I write notes about potential crafts/activities/songs/poems in the inset pages while we read the book. While Aerie and I were reading little House on the Prairie, she asked me to write, “Have dad make a smokehouse out of a tree in the back yard and make our own smoked ham.” I mark parts of the books so we can read aloud sections at the party to tie in the craft, activity or treat.

To encourage discussion, we ask each child to bring an object that represents something from the book that they enjoyed. Then we go around the circle and share the object and what we liked from the story. Now that the children are older, we are just starting to see actual discussion about the books. During this circle time, I read picture books, poems and finger plays and sing songs that relate to the celebrated book. We try to make connections and talk about how the activity or picture book ties into the book. Good picture books have universal appeal.

I read picture books at my pre-school book club parties and picture books at my pre-teen book club parties. Sometimes the SAME picture books are read for the teenager and for the five year old. Good picture books really are universal. They can be enjoyed by all ages. And, if the library doesn’t have something I need . . . it is a great excuse to add another picture book to my collection! After reading and discussing, we head to the dining room table for a craft and treats that relate to the book we are celebrating. While eating our treats, we announce the book for the next book club party, . . . and the cycle begins again.

44:05

Book Club Party Examples: (To be used if there is time)

Picture of child and slide for each?

Coco is 5 years old, and started having book club parties at age 4. Until now, her parties have been basically story times. Recently, she had a Bedtime and Blankets Book Club Party. We read Time for Bed by Mem Fox, Stay Awake Sally by Mitra Moderessi, and Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, along with some Bedtime poems and finger plays. As part of circle time, we broke up into pairs and the mothers read bedtime books to their daughters. PICTURE For our craft we decorated night lights from the Dollar store with foam stickers and permanent marker and ate a bedtime snack of milk and cookies.

Next quarter, she is celebrating her first chapter book, Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. We are going to read Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes (a picture book about another brave little mouse), make pens with puff ball mouse caps, and eat soup. EXAMPLE

Aerie, who is eight years old, said one of her favorite Book Club Parties was The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. We read Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke, made sand art ice cream necklaces and ate ice cream sundaes. Her next party is coming up in April and we are celebrating the Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander, and decorating inexpensive wristwatches from Oriental Trading. I get most of my craft ideas from Oriental Trading, Family Fun magazine and a new magazine I found at the library called “Pack of Fun.”

Sophia, who is eleven years old, said her favorite book club party was either Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (this was way before we knew it would become a movie”) or Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan.

For Inkheart, we read the Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke, and because the book is about a book loving family, each girl brought a favorite book and gave a brief “book talk” to the group. Then we made book journals (cute book marks or book journals are my “go to craft” if we can’t find an inexpensive craft to tie into the book) and ate spaghetti.

I discovered Lightening Thief because it was on the Utah Beehive Book Award nomination list. Children in Utah vote for their favorite books from a large list. Sometimes I have not particularly enjoyed Newbery Award winners, but I have yet to be disappointed with the Utah Beehive Book Award nominees and winner.

Sophia’s next book Club Party is the Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. We are going to invite the girls and their mothers to a tea party and ask them to dress up as they did in the book. We will read stories and poems about sisters, like Sheila Rae the Brave by Kevin Henkes and Sisters by David McPhail. We are going to decorate planters and plant rosebushes and eat homemade chocolate chip cookies.

47:40

Malachi, age 13, said his favorite book club was when we read The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander. His main reason was that the activity included watching the movie The Black Cauldron, and unearned media time is difficult to come by at our house.

I liked his Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke book club party. We did very BOY type things like a spit and rock throwing contest to kill paper crows (this was part of the book!), decorated dragon swords, and read poems and stories about dragons, including Tomie De Paola’s “The Knight and the Dragon.” His next book club is going to be “Isle of Swords” by Wayne Thomas Batson unless Sophia beats him to it, she loved that book as well. I’m excited to dip into my stash of Pirate Picture Books and to invite the Bookaneer to a special guest appearance.

50:00

First Conclusion:

The E’s of helping your child love reading include Example, Exposure, Excitement, as well as the unspoken E . . . Effort. While full of E’s, helping your child to love reading is not easy. But, these E’s will set you and your child on a journey to life long learning.

W. Fusselman reminds us:
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”

We have a minute or two for Questions:

POWER CONCLUSION:

Don’t forget: “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island !”

And in closing, please remember . . .

Something bigger than the book is happening when you read together!

Thank you.

Potential quotes:

Read, Read, Read

William Faulkner

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.

W. Fusselman

Katherine Marsfield:

The pleasure of reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books.

RA HANDBOOK

3: Exposure

The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it, and the more you like it the more you do it. The more you read, the more you know, and the more you know, the smarter you grow.

24:

We have time for what we value

“Time is the great filtering agent of success.”

37:

(Plato)

Avoid compulsion and let early education be a matter of amusement. Young children learn by games; compulsory education cannot remain in the soul.

40:

What level is the child listening on?

50:

The richer the words you hear, the richer will be the words you give back.

Victor Hugo:

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.

Thomas Jefferson: I cannot live without books.

The E’s and Ease of Helping Your Child Learn to Love Reading

We shouldn’t teach great books;

we should teach a love of reading.
~ B. F. Skinner

The E’s of helping your child learn to love reading include Example, Exposure and Excitement. This workshop is full of ideas to help fuel your child’s love for literature and reading—whether that love is just a tiny spark or a blazing fire. Some of these ideas include: Library-palooza, Drop Everything and Read time, holiday literary traditions, tips for encouraging personal core classic study, Book Diva visits, and Book Club Parties. Some ideas are tried and true methods while others are unique and exciting, but all are designed to help children in each of the four phases to develop a love for books and reading.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

~ Jacqueline Kennedy