8 Ways to Foster WILD Reading at Home
By: Donalyn Miller
1. Model daily reading habits. As literacy expert Stephen
Krashen reminds us, “Children read more when they see other
people reading.” Talk with children about what you are reading
and why you find reading personally interesting and meaningful.
2. Set aside time for daily reading. If we value reading, we
must make time for it. Children who read at least 20 minutes a
day score in the top range on reading tests and express more
motivation and interest in reading. Even short blocks of time
every day are better than bursts of reading on a occasional basis.
3. Carry a book with you everywhere. When packing for trips
or running errands, throw books and magazines into the suitcase
or back seat. Carrying something to read helps ward off “reading
emergencies”—those times when you are stuck waiting without
anything to do. The number one way adult readers rack up
reading time is stealing short reading breaks in between other
obligations. Carrying a book with you shows children how to steal
this reading time.
4. Provide a wide variety of reading material. Fiction and
nonfiction, print and online magazines, graphic novels and
comics—children need access to lots of texts that match their
interests and reading ability. You never know what book or topic
might engage a child with reading.
5. Read aloud with children. Sharing books with children--
even teenagers—reinforces that reading is important and
something you find personally rewarding. Through reading aloud,
you send pleasure messages about reading and can share books
with children that they might not be able to read on their own.
With older children, reading together can provide a launching
point for discussions and help you connect on a regular basis.
Burdened with homework and after school activities, many teens
stop reading for pleasure. Reading together can keep them invested.
6. Visit the library often. Beyond free access to thousands of
books, libraries offer qualified librarians and staff who can help
match reading material to your child’s interest and locate online
and print resources to support children’s needs. Most libraries
host reading events and programs like summer reading clubs, too.
7. Celebrate all reading. Children read more when they are
given choices in what they read. When reading for pleasure,
children should control their own book selection with your
personal limits on content and topics the only restrictions. Do not
push children to read harder books, abandon picture books and
comics, or limit their choices by reading levels when selecting
pleasure reading books at the library or bookstore.
8. Limit screen time. The more time children spend using
electronic devices and watching television, the less they read.
While children need digital literacy skills, reading websites and
surfing online don’t provide the same vocabulary development or
reading stamina that reading books and magazines do. If
children read e-books on electronic devices, turn off Internet access.