Walking down the library aisles immerses you in endless stories. Every book that you stroll by is meticulously crafted by an author with an important story to tell. The late literary critic and professor Harold Bloom regularly lamented that there simply was not enough time to read all the books that he wanted to. Works of fiction offer us not only a brief escape from reality but also contextualize our existence. That is why when you read a story to your young child, they recognize the familiar objects within the book, such as a cat or a rocking chair. Children are making connections in their own lives to the story that is being read to them. In addition, nonfiction offers the chance to learn something new and helps us better understand the world. It is unquestionable the significance of having children develop a lifelong love of reading.
There are seemingly endless pressures placed on both parents and their children. For the parents, we wrestle with time management, getting enough sleep, going to work, and a host of other commitments. For children, they have school, sports, and many other activities, all while navigating a world that is still new to them. Regardless of its importance, each task can feel more like a chore than something meaningful and productive. Scrolling endlessly on our phones, playing video games, or watching television shows are easy ways to escape our day-to-day responsibilities. In all honesty, they are not the worst outlets to have because we need moments in our day when our brains are not put on overload. They just cannot be our only, or even our main, outlet.
Encouraging our children to become regular, lifelong readers is a way to help establish healthy outlets. A way to do this is to present book reading as a normal daily activity. If reading is viewed as a burden, then that is how children will view their books. Modeling behavior will help motivate children to mimic what they see. If they are raised in a home where parents are avid readers, a familial standard will automatically be set. A great activity is to read a book as a family and then watch the television/movie version of the book together. Then, after watching the show, discuss with your children the differences they noticed between the book and the film versions. This interactive hobby not only encourages your child to read but is also a way to spend quality time together as a family.
What we understand now about human development is that factors outside of the home play a major role in helping to shape our children. Therefore, looking beyond just the family home to inspire our children to become lifelong readers is imperative. An easy but often overlooked way to do this is to become familiar with your local library. Many libraries offer a wide variety of events for little ones. Event calendars for local libraries are consistently full and provide free activities for your children to partake in. Familiarizing your children with their library encourages a love of reading and teaches them ways to be involved with their community. Not every activity hosted by a library is centered around reading either. Having your kids take part in these non-reading activities will naturally present the opportunity for them to check out a book while they are there.
If reading books is presented the same way as a chore, then a negative connotation will be attached. But if books are presented positively, and the parents lead by example, then that will also encourage your child to want to read. Family outings to your library will further help your child to view reading as a fun activity. A child seeing the near-endless number of stories they can choose from can invigorate a love for books. It is more work to take your child to the library than to hand them an iPad or turn on the television. However, the reward that your child will obtain from these short adventures will positively impact them for the rest of their lives. The goal is not to make your child only want to read books. But rather to provide the opportunity for them to see books as a consistent option in their lives. Rose Horowitch, writing for The Atlantic, and speaking with 33 Ivy League professors, reported that their students struggle with reading entire books. Reading books as a regular activity will help build the necessary foundations for your child and their future.
Harold Bloom reminisced that his older sisters helped carry his books from the library back to their home when he was a child. He said that these were some of the fondest memories he had as a child. Regarding reading, Bloom talked about the magic of getting lost in the storylines of an imaginary world that was written down on the pages of books. Reading allowed him to think about the world in a different, unique light. Books not only guided him, but they also inspired him. Approaching literature as a family normalizes books for your children. From this, they are likely to gravitate towards reading without being prompted. Reading books opens their own perspectives on the world, rather than having a television craft that narrative for them.
Below are links to library events happening around Oregon:
https://www.beavertonlibrary.org/#
https://www.deschuteslibrary.org/about/libraries/downtownbend
https://www.eugene-or.gov/1005/Events
https://multcolib.org/events-classes
Alex is a devoted husband and father born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is a professional artist, author, and advisor for both Yale and Harvard University’s arts departments. His book, ‘Selling Leonardo: The Art World’s Greatest Scandal’ is available wherever books are sold.