Just a few years ago , I would have |
that I was on the way to becoming |
laughed if anyone had told me that people |
someone who hated reading . My mother , |
might no longer read literature in a couple |
however , in addition to reading to me , |
of generations . I ' m not laughing anymore . |
went over the reading lesson from school |
As a high school teacher , I see it even with |
with me every day , so that essentially we |
some students in honors and advanced |
were reading to each other--a good |
placement classes , and they will cheerfully |
variation on reading to me , and one you |
admit to it : they don ' t like to read . If they |
can consider as soon as your child begins |
can get away with it , when given a reading |
to read . The process took time , but |
assignment , they will read the Spark Notes |
eventually I caught up with other |
or watch one of the movie versions . Some |
students , then moved beyond many of |
students are resentful if they are assigned |
them--and I began to love reading , |
to read something for which there is no |
because I was good at it . For example , out |
alternative . |
of curiosity I read the Quran when still in |
elementary school , and I was tackling | |
Oh , even the reading haters still read . |
Dante ' s Divine Comedy in middle school . |
They read 140 character tweets . They |
My growth as a reader was largely the |
read relatively short posts on Facebook |
result of my parents giving me the right |
( which , at least in my experience , tends to |
kind of beginning . |
crash if the post gets too long ). They read | |
text messages from friends . Don ' t get me |
Second , to the extent that you can , limit |
wrong ; social media does have its virtues . |
TV and social media interactions . ( The |
Promoting sustained reading efforts is not |
latter is hard if , as is often the case , your |
one of them . |
son or daughter also has legitimate |
homework to do on the computer .) Okay , | |
True , there are longer chunks of reading |
let ' s be honest . Starting this kind of policy |
on the Internet , but from watching my |
with teenagers is almost impossible unless |
students , I would say that if there is a long |
you have an iron will and more free time |
article online , many students will read a |
than most parents are likely to have . Start |
very small piece and then click away to |
when your son or daughter is young , so |
something else , or keep clicking back and |
that he or she will be used to it before any |
forth . The article may ultimately get read |
possible teenage rebellion sets in , and |
by some , but I can ' t imagine they absorb |
before he or she is really using social |
what they should from it or are especially |
media . A good rule of thumb is to limit TV |
intellectually stimulated by it . |
viewing so that your son or daughter |
spends at least as many hours a day | |
I ' m not a television hater any more than I |
reading as watching TV . If you start this |
am a social media hater , but certainly |
practice when your child is young , your |
television has played a role in reducing |
son or daughter may still complain at |
adolescent attention spans , while the |
some point , but he or she will not be as |
Internet has made wandering away from |
resistant as if you had waited until later to |
a task when one ' s attention is waning so |
introduce the practice . |
much easier . A few of my students won ' t | |
work at a computer unless they have to , |
Third , try to read with your son or |
for the simple reason that , once they are |
daughter , at least through the high school |
on the computer , they know their |
years . In other words , read the literary |
attention will get pulled in a hundred |
works he or she is reading as assignments |
different directions , and the assignment |
for English , book reports , and other |
will never get done . |
occasions , and then discuss the reading |
with him or her . Yes , I know this | |
Those of you who are parents are |
suggestion could be very time-consuming |
probably thinking , " What can I do to |
to implement , and maybe you can ' t do it |
make my child a real reader , someone |
with every book , but at least try to do it |
who enjoys reading and actually gets |
with some . ( If you are reading Reader ' s |
something out of it ?" As you might |
Rock in the first place , you are probably a |
imagine , I have a few suggestions . |
reader yourself , so at least tackling the |
books won ' t be painful !) Some of my most | |
First , read to your children when he or |
successful students are involved in almost |
she is young . The more you have time to |
daily literature discussions with at least |
do , the better . You are both modeling |
one parent , and I have seen more than one |
correct behavior for your child and |
marginal reader improve remarkably |
helping him or her to associate reading |
through this practice . |
with something they already like-- | |
spending time with you . This practice is |
We could be part of the last generation of |
also invaluable to reduce the likelihood |
true readers , but we don ' t have to be . As |
that your child will have problems |
parents , you can help ensure that society-- |
acquiring reading skills . When I was first |
and particularly your own children--avoid |
learning how to read , I was not very |
this fate . |
successful , at best a halting reader with | |
limited comprehension . We tend to dislike | |
things we aren ' t good at , so my guess is | |