All parents hope that their child will develop an extensive vocabulary, the ability to read closely, understand nuance, the ability speak persuasively, and possess exquisite writing skills. While each is a skill set that takes time, coaching, and hard work to develop, there is a way to help your child move more quickly toward these goals. It is a tried and true strategy that has been rigorously studied and has stood the test of time. Better, even though it provides all of these salutary benefits, it is not like spinach, something that you know is good for you that you simply must choke down; instead, it is often one of the day’s great pleasures….READING.

 

Reading is one of the most researched activities and is closely linked to the development of vocabulary, improved reading comprehension, and writing skill development. In this sense it is the “super food” of intellectual capacity development, metaphorically having all of the antioxidant properties of blueberries, broccoli, and spinach rolled into one. Statistically speaking, this makes sense; children who read 30 minutes to an hour daily over the course of just a few years will experience millions of more words when compared to the child who “only does her homework.”

 

During adolescence, the launched pleasure reader through daily exposure develops a better feel for the possibilities of self-expression as well as an essential, but intangible, “feel” for how well-constructed sentences should sound. Moreover, this day-in and day-out practice leads over time to children’s ability to read more closely and understand more intimately an author’s meaning.

 

Reading also has a social skill development benefit that is underappreciated. If a child is a voracious reader, she gets the opportunity to experience myriad social and problem-solving situations second hand. She gets to “witness” the protagonist’s twists and turns, decision-making steps as well as missteps along the road to resolution.

 

This shadow practice can be helpful to our children as they take their own “hero’s journey” through adolescence. I sometimes feel that homework should have a warning label, “Don’t be deceived. Doing this homework is important, but it is not a replacement for on-going pleasure reading.” Sure, students do reading for their various subjects, but this alone is not enough to maximize potential.

 

This is why CA is adamant about encouraging students to always have a pleasure book handy. It is also why we have a Sixth Grade free reading period every day, have book clubs during the school year, have librarian-led book talks, and encourage children to routinely go to the library to peruse our collection.

 

The statistics for launched pleasure readers in the United States are discouraging, and research indicates that it is during the Middle School years that some students, particularly boys, stop reading for fun. On these trends, CA wants to be distinctly counter-cultural by doing all that it can to support students to read, read, read.