Parenting

A Love Of Reading Leads To A Lifetime Of Learning

Posted: 2/18/2011

One way to nurture a child’s love of reading is with a trip to the library.

(NAPSI) - Helping your children to future academic success can start with something as simple as taking the time to read with them.

Studies show that reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a critical milestone on the path to graduation. This is the time when children make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. To reach this milestone, children need the help of parents and caring adults who are willing to read with them, in addition to age-appropriate books.

What’s Being Done

To make sure parents, caring adults and children get the reading tools and resources they need, organizations such as Target and First Book, which are committed to promoting childhood literacy, provide new books to children from low-income communities.

What You Can Do

In addition, Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book, offers these answers anyone can use to help nurture a child’s love of reading:

Q. How can parents inspire a love of reading?

A. Make reading fun. Attend story time readings at the library, arrange a weekly reading hour in a park with friends or even host family reading nights complete with props to help make books come to life. The most important thing is to read to kids as much as you can.

Q. What if parents lack access to books?

A. One of the biggest factors affecting literacy is access to books. Visiting your child’s school library is an easy way to find books but parents can also start a neighborhood book exchange or order books online. Programs that serve kids from low-income families can also register with First Book to access brand-new books.

Q. How can parents integrate reading into their lives?

A. Reading to kids every day is incredibly important. One of the easiest ways for parents to find time to read with their children is to integrate reading activities into their daily routine. For example, parents can read an extra book or two before bedtime, play audio books in the car on the way to school or even ask their children to retell their favorite story during dinner.

Q. How can people without children make a difference?

A. Anyone can make a difference in the life of a child by reading with them. An easy way to inspire a love of reading is by volunteering at a nearby school or library or researching volunteer opportunities on websites such as www.VolunteerMatch.org.

Learn More

For more information, visit hereforgood.target.com or www.FirstBook.org.