Sometimes as adults we don't realize where being a "reader" really begins. There are times that we need to sit back and reflect on our own lives and try to figure out at what point did we decide that reading was important? When did we decide that books can be not only a source of information, but also entertainment? Well, in doing so, Emily Manning, sits down with mothers of her book club, who wanted guidance in selecting books for their children. She used the book, What Should I Read Aloud? by Nancy A. Anderson, which is a book in which she has compiled a list of children's picture books that have made the all-time best-selling list. Through their talk, the book club discusses that the picture books mentioned were most likely selected because they are stories that kids can relate to in their own lives. They also discussed that books that have a good flow, or are repetitive are also good for young readers. Kids want to be able to "read" as much as they can even before the actual decoding of words is taking place within their minds. They enjoy reading books that evoke emotions, like silly books that can make them laugh. After listening to the podcast, I feel like one way to help solve the "young reluctant reader problem" is in knowing what kinds of books to present to kids. If you can tap into their interest and follow the suggestions from the book club listed above, you are much more likely to get their attention with the book, which then in turn could lead to them actually enjoying the reading. If they continue to have good experiences early on with reading, they are more likely to then want to continue to be a reader. Emily also sat down with best-selling, award-winning author Jane Yolen. In this interview Yolen mentions that she thinks that literacy begins "in the crib". She goes on to say that even if you as a parent are not completely comfortable with reading, you should still read to your children to help them create that love for reading. In conclusion, I believe that it is never too early to try to start reaching out to young children and getting books into their hands. Through careful selection and modeling, the avenue to creating passionate readers can be opened wide. If we start early, the opportunity for a child to become reluctant about reading can be minimized, therefore creating a lesser amount of reluctant readers.
Here is the link to the podcast: Episode 18 What Should I Read Aloud?, a bookchat podcast led by Emily Manning, featuring Jane Yolen
(This podcast was found on the Website: www.Read, Write, Think.org, key word search: podcast reading. Result I chose was hit number 10.)
