How I Did It

When it comes to cultivating a love for reading among young children, sixth-grade teacher Donalyn Miller (http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/) compares the exercise to toothbrushing. “With young children, if you have always done it, it is just a routine for them. It is on the list of things you always do, and the younger you can cultivate the habit, the better you are.”

Miller, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child, is said to have a gift: She can help turn even the most reluctant reader into a book lover.

Through her experience, Miller has developed a few insider tips on how to light the spark that will turn a child into a book-lover. She says one key action that works with her own 10-year-old daughter is letting the child pick out what books they want to read. “We want them to develop that love of reading, and often that means carving out their preferences so that they can decide what they like.”

As a teacher, Miller says it is important to discuss your personal relationship with books and how reading influences and improves your own life. “Reading role modeling is key,” she says. “The teacher should share what he or she finds meaningful about reading and model what a reading-life looks like in a live person.” She adds it is important that the teacher conveys to the parents how important the at-home aspect can be to developing the love of reading in a child.

One tip to share with students’ parents takes a creative twist on reading: Miller says to sometimes leave the television on when at home, but also turn on the closed captioning, so that they can read the dialogue.

Terry Doherty, another reading advocate, agrees that with a little creativity, you can make ordinary activities a reading opportunity. “Think outside the book,” she urges. Doherty is the executive director of a non-profit called The Reading Tub, whose mission is to encourage families to read together.

Doherty reviews children’s books at TheReadingTub.com, with the objective of finding good books to read to young children—especially young children who are having trouble falling in love with reading. She recommends that when searching for books that will appeal to particularly reluctant or “dormant” readers, there are certain qualities to look for. “It’s going to be bright pictures and bright colors and a lot of white space around the words,” she says. “Look for short chapters, wide margins, bigger type, and lots of action. Generally, they are not going to be drawn to books that develop a character and what that person is thinking. They are going to want action.”

If captivating their attention is still an issue, Doherty says to consider the computer. She says that by getting them to research online, you are still getting them to develop the habit of reading, even if it is in a less traditional manner.

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