According to recent research, the number of children 0-17 years of age who read for fun has dramatically dropped over the last decade. Those who said they read for pleasure “every day” or “nearly every” day have plummeted from 38% to 25%. Experts attribute this drop to a variety of factors including: the rise of technology and digital entertainment, the decline in numbers of caregivers who read aloud to their children at home, and some schools who focus on the acquisition of reading “skills” which leads to students approaching reading as work rather than fun. Oak Knoll prides itself on being a community that bucks that trend and furnishes our students with a lifelong love of reading.
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Research shows that reading for pleasure is linked to higher achievement and can be a greater factor on academic success than a child’s family background, including where they were born, and their parents' education and income. Children who read for pleasure do better at school in all subjects, and can have a measurable impact on their career prospects as an adult.
That’s why Oak Knoll Lower School Librarian Betty Castello places such a high emphasis on the joy of reading. Here are six ways she maintains Oak Knoll ensures students enter middle school with a sense of enjoyment when it comes to the written word. Most of these can be reinforced at home by parents and caregivers.
Author Visits
Twice a year, Castello invites published authors to school to speak to students PK-6 about their work and perform live readings. She hand-picks authors who are not only age appropriate but well-known to many of the students.
Mystery Readers and Birthday Readers
On their birthday, and in some cases just for fun, students can expect a parent, caregiver, or relative to pop by and read a short story aloud to the class. Mystery readers can make appearances in any grade level in the Lower School.
Reading Out Loud and with Feeling
Experts agree that reading aloud to children is one of the best ways to promote reading for fun and improve comprehension. Parents and caregivers should make a habit of doing this regularly at home. Read with passion and animation. Try assigning special voices to characters and exaggerating emotion during descriptive scenes. Take turns reading as a family. Listen to audiobooks as well.
Align Books with Hobbies or Skills
If a child is reluctant to read or not reading for pleasure on a regular basis, look for content that aligns with their interests and skills — maybe it’s a sport, a hobby, even a mystery about a child who loves video games.
Avoid Dictating Content
Allow children to locate their own content and reading level. If they prefer graphic novels, support that interest. If they are reading at a level below their grade level, don’t discourage that but gently urge them to pair that content with something closer to their grade level.
Model Good Reading Behavior
The more children see adults in their community reading, the more likely they are to adopt it as a regular pastime. If children only see adults with technology, they will follow suit. Curl up with a good book on a regular basis.
These are just some of Castello’s tips for supporting reading as a pleasant pastime rather than a chore. As for her own experience in supporting her son’s reading growth and development, she says, “I never discouraged his choices. My son loved Captain Underpants and now he reads Russian literature for pleasure.”
