Why we're not reading to our kids: SouthFlorida.com

It's already 8:45 p.m. and you have a long way to go.

At least the kids have already taken their baths and are in their pj's, but there's still teeth to brush, hair to comb, trips back to the bathroom and, of course, a stuffed animal or two that needs tracking down for cuddling. Your children's bedtime routine would challenge an army drill sergeant.

But forget the time. There's one more thing that you simply must fit in tonight: reading with your kids.

The National Center for Educational Statistics reported in February 2000 that only 53 percent of children ages 3 to 5 are read to daily by a family member. So if you haven't opened a book before bedtime, it's your last chance! It's time we overcome the obstacles to getting this important part of our parenting job done.

What's the big deal anyway?

"Principals can tell on the very first day of school if a child attended a quality preschool program or comes from a household where reading is valued," says literacy specialist Sandra Trinidad of the Community for Quality Early Learning and Literacy, a pilot literacy program of Family Central.

"There are plenty of things parents can do to help get their kids ready to read," says Mary Laura Openshaw, director of Just Read, Florida. And, fortunately for today's busy parents, it's not only about sitting down with a book every day, though it is about daily reading. "Cereal boxes, the outsides of fast-food kids' meals and calendars all provide opportunities for engaging children in the written word," Openshaw says. Even storytelling, reciting poems and playing rhyming word games provide vocabulary-building skills that will help children to become more proficient readers.

Greg Stikeleather, CEO of Headsprout, a developer of online education software, says parents often believe that learning to read is a natural process that just happens on its own. "No it doesn't!" he counters. "For all but a few children, learning to read requires explicit instruction." Research now indicates that the 4-to-6-year-old age range is the "sweet spot" for teaching reading. "Beyond the age of 6 or 7, teaching a child to read is simply a game of catch-up," Stikeleather says.

It is ideal for children to come into kindergarten ready to learn to read, with some familiarity with letter names and sounds, says Shan Goff, director of the Office of Early Learning for the Florida Department of Education. Particularly "since 75 percent of kids who are still struggling with reading by age 9 will continue to struggle with it throughout high school." Trinidad says that the value of parents reading to their child cannot be emphasized enough. "But, it begins to sound preachy and parents have a lot of legitimate reasons and excuses, so we need to give them other options so they can slowly incorporate reading into their daily ritual," she says. Obviously reading to your child daily would be optimum, but three to four times a week is certainly better than nothing.

What's stopping you?

Even if you believe in the importance of reading to your children, the obstacles are still there, every single day. Kathy Doyle Thomas, vice president of Half Price Books, lists time, money, illiteracy and lack of desire as the common reasons parents don't read to their kids. Doyle Thomas herself is a working mother of three. "With a little effort, parents can overcome these obstacles pretty easily," she says.

The No.1 reason parents don't read to kids is simply a lack of time, since it is often difficult to free up a chunk of time to sit down and read every day. The way around that is to stop thinking of reading as an item to check off a list. "It is perfectly OK to incorporate short periods of reading time into the day," Doyle Thomas says.

"On really hectic days, I do have some tricks to sneak reading in," Doyle Thomas says. She'll ask her kids about things on the cereal box at breakfast, or encourage an older child to read to the younger ones.

Next comes the "money obstacle." Reading doesn't need to be expensive. Circle certain letters or words in a newspaper or tell a story about the pictures in the paper. Use the library or the Internet. Read signs or play rhyming games. Jon Bower, CEO of Lexia Learning Systems, a maker of reading skills development software, notes that young children do not require much variety. "They are perfectly happy to hear the same stories night after night. Just get a few inexpensive used books and use them often," he says.

He advises parents not to worry if they don't read very well. "Your children won't know the difference, and listening to you try will inspire them."

How can you keep going?

Having the right books for the right age makes it more interesting for all involved. For instance, babies love colorful small books they can handle and even put in their mouth. "When parents have the right tools and are excited about the books, they seem to use them more frequently," says Nancy Berman, spokeswoman for Reach Out and Read.

For bored parents who just can't read Runaway Bunny for the 50th time, Bower suggests buying children's books with CDs or cassette tapes to play when you don't have the patience.

Also, as your children grow, you can have them read to you. Don't worry about a few mistakes along the way. "Your praise is much more important than your corrections," Bower says. "Try to pass the story-telling task over to your child."

Maybe the best trick of all comes from Bower: "Make reading the exception to house rules." Let children stay up late to read, let them read instead of helping with the dishes on occasion, make it a prize they compete for. The first one to get into their pajamas and brush their teeth gets to pick the first book to read. It gets children to move faster and makes reading a prize worth battling for.

So as your child's first teacher it's up to you. It might be going on 10 p.m., but it's never too late to do some cuddling. Drop the excuses, forget the myths, and pick up a book, and a child, tonight.

Linda Kozlowski is a freelance writer and a full-time mother of two boys. She has worked in communications for over 15 years, is active in local parenting groups, and is currently the co-director of Mom's Place in Lombard, Ill. She resides in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Overcome these excuses
� There's no time to read together.
� There's no money for books.
� I'm not a good reader, so I can't help my child.
� It's not interesting to my baby.
� It's too boring for me!

More Information
C-Quell
A literacy pilot program
run by Family Central Inc.
www.familycentral.org

Just Read Florida "Just Read Families" and "Families Building Better Readers" links offer age-appropriate book suggestions, tips for parents, workshop information and more www.justreadflorida.com