There are many ways we can pass on our heritage to our
kids. One of my favorites from my own
family has been passing on my heritage of reading. As I was growing up, my mom taught all of us
to read before we went to school. She
had 11 kids, but somehow she found the time to teach all of us this important
skill. And we went to the library
regularly to check out books to read. And probably most important was the fact that
our home was filled with books of every kind, from fiction to textbooks.
My dad's mom was also a big part of the reason I love to
read. In a life history that she wrote
about herself, she says, " Reading was always just there; I'm not sure
when I learned." To me, that
describes the legacy she passed on---that reading is just there, just a part of
life for us. It's almost as basic as
breathing or walking. She bought us
books quite often, and her home was filled with books and magazines in
practically every room. There was never
a shortage of reading material.
This is something I have decided to pass on to my own
kids. I've always felt that once you've
learned to read, you can learn anything in the world. So to me, giving your kids the gift of
reading is like giving them the world.
So, I've compiled a list of ways that I have tried to do
this. And without further ado, here are
5 ways you can give your kids the world by passing on a love of reading.
# 1: Teach your kids
reading skills. So far, I've been
successful at teaching each of kids to read before they go to school, and I've
been very grateful for this. One reason
is that some of my kids are extremely distract-able, and most classrooms are
really busy environments. I've always
been afraid that they might not ever learn to read if they had to do it in such
a distraction-filled environment. But
even for those who don't take such a huge role in teaching, I think it's
important for parents to help their kids learn new words and practice reading
skills with them.
#2: Take them to the
library and/or fill your house with books.
One of the most important things in helping kids become successful
readers is to give them enough reading material. I remember first reading the Chronicles of
Narnia at my grandma's house during the summer, and it was a wonderful way she
passed her love of good literature to us--by having good books around for us to
read. Our own home also had plenty of
good books. I have continued this
tradition with a library in our house. I
have made sure to have plenty of good fiction, and I also have plenty of
nonfiction: biographies, textbooks, etc.
#3: Read to your
children. My mom regularly read to
us even after we were old enough to read for ourselves. I can remember clearly hearing her read Ten Kids, No Pets, The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever, and Cheaper By the Dozen. On long road trips, I have kept this
tradition up by reading the Harry Potter books aloud for hours until my voice
gives out.
#4: Let your kids
catch you reading. Nothing teaches
like example, so let your kids see you reading.
Choose good books because, take it from me, they will eventually want to
read whatever you are reading. That is
how my kids got interested in Harry
Potter, Narnia, and Fablehaven---from
seeing me read the books. And I wanted
to read A Girl of the Limberlost and The Work and The Glory series because I
saw my mom reading them.
#5: Read the
scriptures with them. If you want
your kids vocabulary skills to grow, read the scriptures with them. I have found nothing that improves kids'
vocabulary more quickly than introducing them to the words of the
scriptures. Of course, there are other
benefits as well, but this is one that might be the most unexpected.
I want to close with a quote about my ancestor William
Flint. "He was an avid reader, and
read everything he could find or buy to read.
He knew the Bible almost by heart.
He read biographies, history, and
the classics. He subscribed to and read
four newspapers." This is the type
of person I aspire to be and the legacy I want to give to my children.
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