Podcast: Raising Readers
Posted in Podcast on 08. Mar, 2010
Julie Temple Stan & family
We all know “reading is fundamental.” But can we also make it fun? We’re joined by Julie Temple Stan, editorial director of Early Moments Book Club, who shares tips for helping kids embrace (and maybe even enjoy?) reading!
Links mentioned: Early Moments Book Club | How to make reading an everyday activity | Reading is Fundamental
Listen: iTunes | Zune | RSS | MP3
Just wanted to share my experience. My son loved to read all through elementary school. When he entered junior high, his interest in reading declined. Now he’s in high school, and he only reads the books required at school. This seems to be common among boys. So keep encouraging your kids to read even when they get older.
Loved the podcast about raising readers! I am an avid reader, and I hope to instill that love of reading in my kids. I loved the comment about modeling reading to your kids. They see us reading the paper and magazines regularly. Of course we also read to the kids every day. My daughter (18 months) loves books more than any other toy right now, but I hope that continues. Reading really is so fundamental!
Regarding the issue of motivating kids for good behavior and completing tasks, I highly recommend a book “Drive” by Daniel Pink.
Hi, just listened to your podcast last night and hopefully I remember all the comments I wanted to make. I listen while breastfeeding my daughter during the night so no access to email at that hour.
Anyway the modelling books is oh so true… from being a teacher and also a mother I can see how right this is. Even if one of you is not a reader hopefully they see you reading the paper or a magazine to do with sport (not just the tv guide). They need to see reading is a pleasurable activity to encourage them to do the same. I am constantly reading around my children and it is great pleasure for me to see my 2 1/2 and 1 year old pick up books. My son (2 1/2) is starting to show evidence of early reading, looking at pictures, saying things as he flicks through the pages and looking at the pictures. Looking and studying the pictures is a great form of early literacy.
My other comment is I so felt you were talking about me when you were saying how we cannot compare children to their peers. My son has an expressive language delay which we are hoping with time and therapy will correct itself. My dr says most boys are language delayed but none of them around here seem to be. The ones my sons age or younger seem to be talking up a storm and my son is still in the stage of one word comments, occasionally we get two words or even three together but usually it is “doggy” or “mumma” not “Look at the dog” . “Or “where are you mumma?” *sigh* hopefully we will get there but when you were talking about the girl pointing out dinosaurs and using their proper names and your son just saying roar I thought yup that’s me!
Thanks for the great podcasts, they get me through those long nights when I need to get up with my daughter. She slept through one night and I remember waking up and thinking when will I listen to manic mommies now. She hasn’t done it since and so I continue to listen to you in the dark hours. Thanks for bringing light to them!
When my daughter was around 7, she told me she was “too active” to read! I knew she loved hearing stories and enjoyed the illustrations, but just wasn’t ready to sit still for long periods of time. So, she listened to books on tape instead while drawing, playing with her toys or even jumping rope! Her comprehension was fine and we had lots of good discussions about what she had listened to. We also had family read aloud night once a week for years and took turns reading. If I hadn’t been open-minded about ‘reading activities’ we would have had a power struggle on our hands.
I have a suggestion for your Wii time managment. Kind of like your child’s red, yellow and green cards break them up into 30 minute increments. Using a popsicle stick or something tangible, write 30 or 15 minutes on each stick. At the beginning of the week, they start with all thier sticks. Depending on how you want to take time away for work not being completed, getting in trouble at school, etc… a stick is removed as a consequence. If they do something extraordinary they can earn thier sticks back as a reward. But not if they do stuff they are already SUPPOSED to do. At the end of the school week they can “cash in” thier sticks to use the Wii.
This way everyone knows where they are at with thier behavior all week long. Hope this helps.
Debbie – in Okinawa, Japan