Get Your Children to Read
- Make a field trip to the library. "Make a big deal about getting a library card!" Oprah says.
- Try to get children hooked on a favorite author or series. Oprah loved Lois Lenski while growing up.
- According to the July 2000 issue of Good Housekeeping, 77 percent of elementary school students return to school with a reading level below or at the level they had when they left the previous year. Make sure you have books available at home to read.
- Have your child read aloud so you can gauge their progress.
- Set a good example. Children need to see you reading, too!
- Teach kids that reading is about pleasure. Don't measure their progress by the number of books read, but the time spent reading.
- Help designate a special reading spot just for your child. Joke books, comics, newspapers, magazines and maps make good reading, too.
- Read the same book along with your child—let them recommend a book to you!
From The New York Times Book Review on Children's Books and Oprah's Book Club.