As promised, this month I am featuring THREE families who prioritize literacy in their homes! I hope you will find new ideas and encouragement as you prioritize literacy in your own home!
Josh and Laura’s family includes Kaeda (8), Kinzley (6) and Maeve (3)
Laura shares:
ROUTINE
We have made reading and literacy part of our routine. It started when our kids were babies. We read to them every night as part of the bedtime routine and also had numerous books/board books in a basket that was theirs to look at and play with as they wished. They all loved to page through them and look at the pictures at a very young age. When our kids started Kristyn's Learning to Read by Reading program, it was easy to build reading and book discussions into our day. Everyone just knew that we read daily and we all enjoy our time together. We also take turns listening to each child and asking the kids who they want to read with them if the whole family is home. We love chatting about the story, making inferences and comparing the story to our own experiences.
CHOICE
Reading is never forced, and our kids seem to enjoy it. We let Maeve be in control of what books she reads and how many (although we may try to influence her from time to time!) Our middle child went through a phase were she didn't want to read. We didn't push her, but encouraged her to consider it. We continued with our routine (her older sister would still read) and eventually the phase passed and Kinzley was back to reading. (It just had to be on her time I guess!)
PRIORITY
There are nights where it is very difficult to fit literacy in due to other commitments and activities. Even those nights the older girls read, and we ask Maeve to read a book or two.
WRITING
Our kids, thankfully influenced by Kristyn's program, have developed a passion for writing. They love to write stories or sticker stories (Maeve) and then share their writing with us or call family members to read it to them. When we will be in the car for awhile or attending something that kids will need something to do, we always bring pens/pencils/paper. We can ask the kids to write things for us, and most times they just start writing on their own. Giving them the tools they need, often leads them naturally to start these things all on their own when we have set it up on their environment.
LIBRARY VISITS
We build library visits into our schedule (more so in the summer.) We have found that our kids continue to be motivated by reading books of interest and those interests change frequently.
BUILDING LITERACY BACKGROUND
We also like playing games, so any game that requires word play, reading, etc is a fun way to build literacy into our life. We have kids help with dinners and recipes, read ingredients, etc. Our kids like to research things they have questions about, so we spend time researching these topics together.
Josh and Laura’s family includes Kaeda (8), Kinzley (6) and Maeve (3)
Laura shares:
ROUTINE
We have made reading and literacy part of our routine. It started when our kids were babies. We read to them every night as part of the bedtime routine and also had numerous books/board books in a basket that was theirs to look at and play with as they wished. They all loved to page through them and look at the pictures at a very young age. When our kids started Kristyn's Learning to Read by Reading program, it was easy to build reading and book discussions into our day. Everyone just knew that we read daily and we all enjoy our time together. We also take turns listening to each child and asking the kids who they want to read with them if the whole family is home. We love chatting about the story, making inferences and comparing the story to our own experiences.
CHOICE
Reading is never forced, and our kids seem to enjoy it. We let Maeve be in control of what books she reads and how many (although we may try to influence her from time to time!) Our middle child went through a phase were she didn't want to read. We didn't push her, but encouraged her to consider it. We continued with our routine (her older sister would still read) and eventually the phase passed and Kinzley was back to reading. (It just had to be on her time I guess!)
PRIORITY
There are nights where it is very difficult to fit literacy in due to other commitments and activities. Even those nights the older girls read, and we ask Maeve to read a book or two.
WRITING
Our kids, thankfully influenced by Kristyn's program, have developed a passion for writing. They love to write stories or sticker stories (Maeve) and then share their writing with us or call family members to read it to them. When we will be in the car for awhile or attending something that kids will need something to do, we always bring pens/pencils/paper. We can ask the kids to write things for us, and most times they just start writing on their own. Giving them the tools they need, often leads them naturally to start these things all on their own when we have set it up on their environment.
LIBRARY VISITS
We build library visits into our schedule (more so in the summer.) We have found that our kids continue to be motivated by reading books of interest and those interests change frequently.
BUILDING LITERACY BACKGROUND
We also like playing games, so any game that requires word play, reading, etc is a fun way to build literacy into our life. We have kids help with dinners and recipes, read ingredients, etc. Our kids like to research things they have questions about, so we spend time researching these topics together.
We have been fortunate to build literacy into our life easily
and we feel it has a positive impact on our kids.
and we feel it has a positive impact on our kids.
Paul and Sarah’s family includes Walter (5), Henry (3) and Lucy (1)
Sarah shares:
ROUTINE
Since we began the Learning to Read by Reading program with Walter, we have tried to keep a very consistent reading routine. This has helped Walter to understand what our expectations are of him as he participates in the program and ensures that all of us remain accountable. Each day, before Walter's nap (or now rest time), Walter and I will sit together on our couch and he will read 3 books with me. Our routine consists of the same time, same place, and same number of books! I have found that this is the best time for Walter and I to read together, because there are no other distractions (siblings are already napping.) Reading with just the two of us makes it feel like this is Walter's special "me time" when he's getting all the attention from Mom or Dad.
We have followed the same steps with Henry as he began the reading program. We had to find a different time for him to read. He reads after his little sister goes to bed, but before his own bedtime. We still try to keep it as his special "me time."
CHOICE
I have always tried to pay special attention to how working through the reading program is affecting Walter. His dad and I know the importance of reading and enjoy working with Walter and challenging him, but we have never wanted Walter to feel as though
he is being forced to participate in something he does not enjoy or want to do. I try to keep Walter from feeling this way by being sensitive to any cues that he may give that show he is not enjoying what he's doing. If he tells me one day that he is too tired to read or that he simply doesn't want to, I will never force him to read.
ENCOURAGEMENT
I also try to build as much excitement around the program as I can so that he feels that as well. We make a big deal out of getting a package of books in the mail and being able to open it up and see all the new titles he has to choose from! I try to give as much encouragement and praise as possible so that Walter can feel as proud of his accomplishments as we do. We let him know how important reading is, and how amazing it is that he is reading so well at his age! And, of course, he knows that when he reaches the 1,000/2,000 books milestone there is a big incentive waiting for him!
READ ALOUD
One other activity I include daily for all our children is read-aloud. I feel it is just as important for them to listen to stories being read as it is for them to be reading aloud to me. We read 3 books (I get the same number as them!) before their nap/rest time each day. They enjoy listening to the stories and are subconsciously learning other aspects of reading, like inflection or enthusiasm, that I may not specifically ask them to do when they read. Sometimes they will even ask me to point to my words like they do! I also notice that they pick up on other parts of writing like punctuation when I do read alouds. Walter will frequently ask me about marks that look different to him like hyphens, quotation marks, or ellipses which he may not notice or see when he is reading his own books.
We have been truly amazed at how naturally Walter and Henry
have learned to read through the Learning to Read by Reading program.
They both love books and reading!
have learned to read through the Learning to Read by Reading program.
They both love books and reading!
Walter reading Koalas for the first time.
Ryan and Laura’s family includes Anna (7), Clara (5) and Ben (3)
Laura shares:
LIBRARY VISITS
We provide and constantly bring in new reading materials of interest to our children. We do this by visiting the library every 1-2 weeks (at a minimum), bringing our children with us to the library, allowing our children to choose 25-40 books each time we visit the library, placing our library books on a shelf where they are accessible to our children and reading from the library shelf (in our living room) every day. We usually read the library books aloud to our children. Sometimes, the children read the books to us.
INDIVIDUALIZED READING
We provide our children with books at an appropriate reading level for their reading ability and exchange the books as our children learn. We do this by participating in the Learning to Read by Reading program. The program provides us with a bag of books for each child. We also put together a reading folder for each child. In each child’s folder we keep reading checklists and book lists (also provided by the program) to monitor reading progress and accomplishments. We keep the materials for the reading program in a box on the same shelf we use for library books. The books, which we exchange through the program, help us motivate our children because our children are proud to have books they can read confidently. We listen to our children read these books and encourage them to re-read the books to each other, friends, teachers and relatives.
WRITING
We provide lots of writing and drawing materials for our children. We give our children journals (with and without writing prompts), cards for writing notes, stickers and paper. We also encourage our children to make their own books. We help our children practice spelling words.
CELEBRATING LITERACY
We celebrate literature! We do this by allowing our children to read to people who visit our home (our children love to show off their reading skills to grandparents, friends, aunts and uncles), planning celebrations when reading goals are met (sometimes this involves baking special treats), attending story hour where our children can celebrate literature with local librarians and peers, attending plays based on books, participating in reading programs through our children’s schools, participating in reading programs through our local library and by visiting special bookstores.
Literature rich activities have become such a vital part of our daily routine that
our children never allow a day to pass without reading or listening to books.
our children never allow a day to pass without reading or listening to books.
Clara helping Ben with one of his first books from the Learning to Read by Reading program.
Clara choosing books to bring home from the library.
Anna choosing a book from the shelf in our living room where we organize
library books and materials for the Learning to Read by Reading program.
library books and materials for the Learning to Read by Reading program.