By Wendy Hinote Lanier

A common phrase among educators a few years ago was “Readers are Leaders.” We still hear it often. And it’s been used so much; it has almost become cliché. But the fact is, as a former teacher, I can testify to the truth of that statement. Readers really do excel. They really do become leaders. And I can also attest to the fact that, while being mathematically minded is a good thing, it IS possible to be successful without being especially talented in that area. (I resemble that remark I assure you.)

Reading opens doors and encourages learning. It’s your child’s ticket to a successful school experience. What’s more, I’m convinced readers are developed…not born. The activities listed below are things you can do to inspire a genuine love for reading while helping to overcome any difficulties your kids may be having in acquiring this skill.  

• Show that you value reading by letting your kids SEE you read. If you are always insisting that THEY read, but they never see YOU reading, your actions will speak louder than your words. Make sure there are print materials in your home. Model being a reader for your kids, and they are more likely to be readers, too.
• Read to your kids! Start with books you like and enjoy reading aloud. When they are young, choose books with rhythm and a predictable pattern. Set aside a time for reading aloud to them on a regular basis. Have fun with it, and they will, too. Even if they are no longer toddlers, your kids will love the time you spend reading to them. And, I promise, this activity will foster a love of reading that will carry over to the school age years and beyond.
• Write notes and letters to your kids. Everything from love and appreciation notes to directions on folding the laundry or where you’ll be at a certain time are opportunities for your child to practice reading and comprehension. Sticky notes are great for this, and they come in all shapes and sizes. An actual letter, written in your own handwriting, will very likely become a treasured keepsake. No matter how long or short, make note writing a normal part of your family’s routine. The best part is—at some point you’ll start getting notes from THEM.
• Create a small library in your home. It might be just one bookshelf, if that’s all you have room for, or it might be several. Again, this signals to your kids that books and reading have value. We must have done a really good job of modeling this one. By the time she moved out, our youngest daughter had three to four bookcases packed with books in her room. I was amazed at how large that room actually was once we got all her stuff out of it!
• Make trips to the library a regular outing. When I was a kid, I had a library card to almost every library in our county. (That was before you had to pay fees, I’ll grant you.) It was a common thing for my parents and me to visit at least one library a week. I have great memories of those times. Even if your schedule won’t allow visits quite that often, make it a goal to visit your library with your kids on a regular basis.
• If you’re out shopping with your kids and you’ve decided to treat them, why not make it a book? Instead of adding to the ever-growing number of toys they never play with again, allow them to choose a new book instead. When your home library gets out of hand, let the kids help you select books they no longer want to donate to a shelter, daycare, or school.
• Keep books in mind as Christmas and birthday gifts. Maybe you’ve heard the rule of three with regard to buying gifts for your kids: something they want, something they need, and something to wear. (Or some version of this.) To this list I would add: something to read. In Iceland people give each other books as gifts on Christmas Eve, then spend the whole night reading them. Although their population is only 329,000 people, the country can legitimately boast more writers, more books published, and more books read per person than anywhere else in the world.
• If reading is proving to be a problem for your child, just know there are ways you can help beyond the list provided above. Sight word flash cards, online reading programs, games, or phonics programs can be implemented at home. Many of them are fun and easy to do. Try to determine whether your child is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. This will help you choose what kind of programs will work best.
• And finally, the single most important thing for your child to read is the Word. They need to see YOU read it, and they need to have opportunities to read it together with you. Make sure your child owns a version they can read easily for themselves. Teach them about the different translations and encourage them to read passages in more than one version. Memorizing scripture has fallen out of favor these days but teaching them to hide God’s Word in their hearts is one way you can “train them in the way they should go.” Reading a single chapter or verse each night as part of a nighttime ritual plants seeds that will grow in ways you can never imagine. From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)

 A love of reading is foundational to so many other things in life. And raising readers doesn’t have to be hard. The most important things are to value reading, model it for your kids, and provide help and support if your child encounters difficulties. By doing this you set them up to succeed and to have the confidence to keep trying when they don’t. Reading really is fundamental.

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Wendy Hinote Lanier is a former elementary teacher, writer, speaker, and native Texan who writes and speaks for children and adults on a variety of topics. She is the author of more than 45 nonfiction books for children and co-author of Puppy Dog Devotions: 75 Fun Fido Facts, Bible Truths, and More! (along with Michelle Medlock Adams) due out in May 2021. Her first picture book, Too Many Pigs in the Pool, is scheduled for release spring 2022. She can be reached through her website: www.wendyhinotelanier.com