When the school year ends, we gladly change focus. We put away the school folders and throw away well-worn stubby pencils. Year-old, slightly smelly lunch bags get pitched in the trash. We turn our faces to the sun and our backs to our books….well, almost.
Summer is the time the library pulls out the stops and beckons, no, bribes our children to come on in. Reading incentive programs promise prizes to all kids who read their way to the goal line. Book bags, books, computers, IPods and 10 speed bikes as prizes entice kids to read, read, read. Library reading incentive programs attempt to draw our kids into the wonderful experience of summer reading—in other words, reading for the sheer pleasure of it.
While some children are born book lovers, helping our children become book lovers often takes incentive, as the library knows, and some intentionality on our parts. A good place to start is to create a book-friendly home environment. Do your kids have easy access to books? Even babies that are a few months old can enjoy a “book.” Granted they chew on it, slobber all over it, and might accidentally turn a page, but nevertheless, they are experiencing their first book. Small plastic books with black and white faces and patterns have been show
n to intrigue newborns.
For toddlers, baskets or low shelves with hardy books provide access and opportunity to have positive experiences with books, which is the goal at this age. Board books are more appropriate and comfortable for chubby fingers. Paper books should be used with supervision so that pages don’t get torn or written on. It’s never too early to teach that books are a treasured possession.
Trips to the library can be a positive part of a child’s earliest memories. Today’s libraries often have wonderful large stuffed animal pillows to sit on or snuggle with as kids read. Bubble chairs, puzzles, puppets and computers draw kids in—though I don’t let my children use the computer at the library except to find books. Creative programming such as Read to a Pet, puppet shows and story hours keep kids interested in the imaginative world of stories contained in books. I still vividly recall the story hour at our local library when I was a preschooler. We sat in a circle on a big oriental carpet and at the end, the librarian passed around a small treasure chest filled with hard candy. Even back then the library knew about incentives.
Love for books is contagious. When kids see mom or dad reading, it is assuredly making an impression on them. When do your kids see you read: first thing in the morning, before bed, on the couch at night next to your spouse who is also reading, at the beach, at the doctor’s office? Do you and your spouse or friends talk about the good books you’re reading in front of the kids? Do they hear your enthusiastic reviews or critiques? Is a stack of books on your night stand? When your favorite book is made into a movie, do you share how disappointed you are because movies made from books NEVER get it right? (Editor bias admitted!) Is your house full of loved books that your children can discover right at home?
This summer, my children are doing our library’s reading program that offers all sorts of incentives! My first-born, achievement-oriented son immediately confiscated the kitchen timer and knocked off the first level of required reading in two days to earn a cool cinch sack. Soon he’ll be in the drawing for a laptop computer. Lately, I’ve been finding him reading in the mornings next to my husband. Both my kids have learned to put holds on books. They anticipate the email that tells them their book has arrived. We dash to the library and they eagerly search for the paper tab with their name on it sticking out from their book. I watch this summer routine with joy. As their beloved teacher once said, “See, you’re becoming big, fat READERS!” And they are!
-posted by Donna Detweiler, who feels that being in the middle of a good book enhances the quality of life.
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