Curriculum
Tim Bernau | Assistant Principal
Curriculum
Tim Bernau | Assistant Principal
Article by Dr Justin Coulson
For over 75 years, the Children’s Book Council of Australia has promoted Children’s Book Week®. Book week isn’t just about finding a costume for the parade (and hoping that this year your child doesn’t want to dress up as Captain Underpants again), it’s about celebrating books. Australian authors and illustrators are particularly celebrated, as classroom teachers and librarians in schools and public libraries create displays, run activities, and tell stories relating to each year’s theme.
This article isn’t about Book Week though. It’s about why books and reading are so important for our kids that we should be celebrating books every day, not just one week a year. In this article I’ll also describe how you can help your child to get more out of their reading. And lastly, I’ll give you some tips on what to do when your kids don’t seem to want to read.
It is never too early to start a habit of reading with your kids. A meta-analysis (a study that synthesises the results of lots of other studies, in this case 99 other studies) found that when children are exposed to book reading from an early age, it begins a ‘causal spiral’; being exposed to books stimulates language and reading development, and in turn children who are more proficient in comprehension and reading skills choose to read more. Significantly, this study looked at every age from preschool to university and found that the gap between readers and non-readers widened every year, culminating in greater academic success in university. There is also some evidence that people who read more live longer, and that reading fiction boosts social skills such as empathy.
Reading is good, regardless of how it’s done or what is read. But there are a few things we can do to help our children enjoy the benefits and satisfaction it offers. Here are three ideas:
Not everyone loves reading. However, kids who lack motivation for reading are usually struggling with a small handful of challenges. They either (i) have a reading disorder such as dyslexia, (ii) feel disconnected and want connection with someone, (iii) don’t feel competent, or (iv) are feeling controlled and want more choice in what they read. Each of these will reduce intrinsic desire to read. Our role as parents is to help them overcome those boundaries. We can do this by:
One more important point: never bribe your kids to read, unless the bribe for reading one book is the chance to choose another one!
Reading isn’t just about academics, just as Book Week isn’t just about winning the award for Best Dressed. Books provide a doorway to the world; through them our kids can climb mountains, experience new cultures, and travel through time and space. As Barack Obama once said…
"Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you."
Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au.