As an avid reader, I'm heartbroken to see children turn up their noses at books. But many do. They can read but won't except to complete a school assignment. The trick to encouraging reluctant young readers is to make it an exploration, not a dreaded chore. "Grandparents are in a good position to do this," says Jon Scieszka, author of playful children's books, most recently Smash! Crash! (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2008). "They don't have to follow a curriculum or prepare for what's on a test."
Fairies, Sharks, Volcanoes
Take your grandchildren to the library, bookstore, or magazine rack and let their natural interests guide their reading picks. "Kids often don't get to read up on things they enjoy learning about, so there's no motivation," says Scieszka. "Give them reading material that will thrill them. If they love sharks or volcanoes, let them read about sharks and volcanoes."
Younger children will delight in reading about themselves and their families. Wanda White, a grandmother from New South Wales, Australia, says her grandsons Arwen, 4, and Jett, 2, were thrilled when she presented each of them with a book of short stories that she wrote about the boys, their friends, families, and interests. "They like having one of the stories read to them every night," she says. "As they learn to read, I plan to write more stories that will grow with them."
Engage Them Fully
When Judy Walters and her husband, Bill Kester, retired teachers from California, scoop up their grandsons Seth, 6, and Sammy, 3, for reading time, Kester draws on his theater-arts experience to create special voices for each storybook character. "The grandkids just love it!" says Walters.
Make the words on the page come alive by inviting your grandchildren to pick story characters they'd like to act out. Further engage them by asking, "What do you think will happen next?" or "What would you do?"
Read to Them, With Them, Beside Them
Children are natural mimes. Take advantage of this early on by going through the same stories together regularly. Encourage your grandchildren to "read" aloud by pointing out a word on the page or imagining what's going to happen. As they get older, read with them, prodding them to take on a few of the recognizable words as you cover most of the narrative. When they're ready, gently nudge them to read to you.
Let your grandchildren see you read. Pauline Bannan, a Long Island, N.Y. grandmother, remembers her daughter Karen watching her dad read the newspaper and wanting to follow suit. To help Karen learn vocabulary, her dad printed easy words from the paper into a notebook for her. Today, Bannan reads to Karen's 4-year-old daughter, Katelyn, buys her books, and encourages her to spot common words on street signs, cereal boxes, and wherever else they appear. "She can already read simple books," brags Grandma.
Reward Your Grandchild's Reading Efforts
It's not bribery. It just makes good sense to give your grandchildren money to buy books or to let them stay up past bedtime if they'd like to pore over teen fiction page-turners. Consult a popular children's reading list, such as Oprah's Kids Reading List, and suggest to your grandchild the idea of starting a book club. Offer to provide a special prize to the club member who's first to read all the books on the list. Or, surprise your grandchild with a subscription to Highlights, KIDS Discover, National Geographic Kids, or Sports Illustrated Kids magazines. "Reading creates informed citizens," says Scieszka. "Our country needs an informed citizenry."
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