Now that the excitement of the holidays has abated and we settle back into our normal routines, we have an opportunity to re-establish the daily reading practices we might have cast aside during the pressure-packed social season.
Parents ask me about creating a reading climate in the home—an invaluable asset for personal and intellectual growth. Although there is not one tried and true approach, I can offer some suggestions that will assist you in fostering and, in some cases, re-kindling (pardon the pun) your child’s interest in reading.
I have mentioned in previous posts that it is imperative to begin by focusing on your child’s passions. If your son or daughter is an avid hockey fan, for example, you can start with the Sports section of The Gazette. You can share with your child articles that you find interesting, whether they be Red Fisher’s “Red Line” on Saturdays or Stephanie Myles’ daily column that gleans entertaining items from other sources. You may want to give your child a subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids, Sports Illustrated or Hockey News. Sports biographies and autobiographies are also excellent resources for stimulating young fans’ interest in reading. Of course, I am referring only to the world of hockey. However, you can find print material and online resources for any hobby or activity your child finds fascinating.
To adapt Ernest Hemingway’s famous phrase, all one needs is a “clean, well-lighted place” to cozy up with a good book, magazine, newspaper or e-reader. In fact, you don’t even need light if you have an Apple iPad. Create attractive spaces in your home away from the television where you and your children can read either alone or together. As reading is usually a private act, reading nooks tend to be the most desirable areas for snuggling up on a cold winter’s evening to enjoy the pleasures of an alluring story. In any event, a comfortable chair or sofa and light are the bare necessities.
As e-readers become more popular, books and bookshelves may eventually disappear. Although this reality makes me sad, as I am an avowed bibliophile with a personal library of about two thousand books, I realize that technologies change. After all, we are no longer reading papyrus scrolls. However, creating a home library over time is a wonderful way to foster reading. Not only is a wall of books attractive, but it also contains millions of words and ideas that may be absorbed by your family. A library is a sanctuary, a physical space that cannot be replaced by an electronic screen.
Finally, show your children that reading is a worthwhile activity. Once they are beyond the age of bedtime stories, continue to model good reading habits. Read on a daily basis. Talk about the books you are reading. Leave good books lying around for your children to pick up in a casual way. Take your children to the local library and bookstore. Above all, show them that reading is a positive, fun activity. Readers tend not to be bored or lonely, as they can always find stimulation and companionship in the printed word. In the immortal words of Groucho Marx, “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” — Brian Moore, Department Head: English Language Arts, Communications Studies and Literacy Programs
Cette semaine était aussi magnifique que la précédente. Dimanche, j’ai visité le Château de Chantilly avec la famille de Pierre. C’était très intéressant et le château était vraiment beau. L’école est maintenant plus ou moins ordinaire. Les professeurs sont très gentils et si j’ai des problèmes, il y a toujours quelqu’un pour m’aider. Paris était formidable, encore. Nous sommes allés à la tour Eiffel et nous sommes montés jusqu’au deuxième étage. Vous pouvez voir toute la ville autour de vous. J’aime beaucoup les monuments et les statues qui sont à Paris. C’est vraiment une métropole culturelle et de patrimoniale. J’ai aussi vu la place de la Concorde, l’église de la Madeleine et j’ai marché sur les Champs-Élysées. Demain, j’irai à Bruges (Brugge), en Belgique. Il y a aussi les classes de conversation qui sont très sympas, les parents qui les animent sont excellents et je trouve que mon français s’améliore de jour en jour. Cela fait déjà 2 semaines, le temps passe rapidement quand tu t’amuses.—Samuel Ergina ‘12
