Raising a Reader

From “Raising Kids Who Read”, a YMCA booklet.

 

You don’t have to look very far to find the most important job in the world. It’s being the parent or primary caregiver of a child. It’s doing one’s best to give kids what it takes to be healthy and happy.

 

For parents and others who love and live with kids between the ages of 5 and 10, this booklet supports your efforts to build assets and raise readers. It links literacy – the ability to read and write – to the 40 developmental assets (see the back cover) that children need to thrive. Reading is the most important skill they must  master  if they are to succeed in school and later in life. Raising a leader requires raising a reader.

 

By focusing on children’s developmental needs, you can tap into and build upon the uniqueness of your kids. Here are the 8 basic developmental needs, based on the 40 developmental assets, which all children need from adults taking care of them:

Support – Parents who show that they love their children and will stand by them, no matter what.

Empowerment – Parents who make it clear that children, especially their own, are valuable for who they truly are.

Boundaries & Expectations – Parents who have high yet realistic expectations for their children, and who set and uphold clear limits for their behavior.

Constructive Use of Time – Parents who help their children balance school, activities, time with friends, and time at home.

Commitment to Learning – Parents who encourage and model a love of learning.

Positive Values – Parents who talk about and model basic values such as honesty, trust, and responsibility.

Social Competencies – Parents who instill in their children an interest in and comfort with other people, and who help them develop strong skills to relate respectfully to everyone and show consideration for the rights of others.

Positive Identity – Parents who nurture their children’s self-esteem, feeling of control over their own lives, and sense of hope.

 

In these pages, you will explore each of these eight developmental needs through the lens of children’s stories. You’ll find what you need to encourage your school-age child. Each category highlights a set of books that are too terrific to miss. Great attention has been given to including books that reflect the diversity of Canada. There are helpful answers to the repeated question, “What can I do to raise a reader?” and other questions for you to ask yourself about how you’re doing at this all-important job. Charts and checklists offer an easy way to translate sound advice into effective action.

 

Dive in!

 

Copyright © 2004 by YMCA Canada