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Parents and carers as reading role models
Guest blog – Parents and carers as reading role models
Research has shown that the presence of 500 books in a home increases the level of education children will attain by approximately 3.2 years; and is a factor more influential than their parents’ income, nationality, or level of education.
Importantly, the same research showed that having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on a child’s ascent to a higher level of education. (M Evans et al 2010).
There’s so much to explore here, but a key feature is that parents and caregivers are a child’s first and most influential role models and play a pivotal role in their reading journey.
But there must be more to it than just living in a house full of books; a feat seemingly impossible for many, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis.
Here’s five tips to help you not just get books into your home, but to become a reading role model and your child/ren’s biggest reading champion.
1. Read together
Role models showcase positive behaviours and habits. Reading with your child is one of the best habits you can cultivate together to promote a love of reading.
From being tiny babies, being read to benefits a child’s emotional development, vocabulary development and their connection with their caregiver.
Books are a great way to engage toddlers in talk – repeating words, using alliteration and rhyme and exploring the fun of interactive stories together.
As they grow, picture books and longer stories are fantastic for engaging children in storytelling, enjoying a giggle together, encouraging those special interests – from dinosaurs to dancers – and for supporting emotional literacy.
Most importantly, don’t stop reading together when children can read themselves. Continue to share chapter books, stories and non-fiction above the level of their own reading or, if they’re not keen on being read to any more, share audio stories in the car or start a family book club: recommend reads to each other or both read the same book and make time to talk about it together.
2. Creating a positive reading environment
Let your home help you be a role model for reading. And you definitely don’t need 500 books to do this!
A carefully placed box/basket of books on the living room floor, perhaps with a teddy or a blanket, is a great invitation to read or making a reading den is a great rainy day activity.
Why not have some books in the bathroom to share when potty training or at bathtime? Or pop a linked book alongside your child’s favourite toys. Even if they don’t pick them up, you can guarantee that children see books and reading are valued.
Another myth to bust is that children should be sitting still and listening to stories. Some children love nothing more than the connection of cuddling up with a caregiver, but if it works better for you, read aloud as children play or provide sand or another sensory activity for them to use as you read. If there’s a frog in the story – leap about together or read a couple of pages and take a break.
3. Let them see you read
How often do you read in front of your children? I get it – it’s hard to even sit down, let alone read, and I’m pretty certain that even if you do, it won’t be a relaxing experience.
But, trying to make your reading visible is great for promoting yourself as a reading role model as it shows it is a priority for you.
You could pick up a book with a cup of tea (even if you only read a sentence) have an audio book on whilst preparing dinner, or just talk to others about what you are reading when children are in earshot.
4. Visit libraries
A brilliant (and free) way to both fill your home with books and be a reading role model is to take a weekly or monthly trip to your local library. They are such welcoming and wonderful spaces with so much more than books to offer, such as story times and challenges alongside an incredible knowledge of their catalogue.
Borrowing books means your home library can change with your children’s tastes, it keeps story time fresh for them and you, there’s always the excitement of ‘the new,’ and it gives children choice and ownership over their reading – proved to increase engagement.
5. Reading slumps
Even avid readers go through periods of time when they read less, or not at all. If you are experiencing reluctance with your children, be patient, accept this and talk about it as one aspect of normal reading behaviours.
To reignite a love of reading as their role models, you could try: magazines or comics, audio books, a voucher or visit to the bookshop to choose a new title or asking them to choose recipes for dinner from cookbooks.
Ultimately, the number of books you own or borrow is just a number. The joy of reading, the celebration of books, the special bond that is built reading together, all requires a key caregiver – YOU – as a positive role model to build the readers of the future.
“Role models showcase positive behaviours and habits. Reading with your child is one of the best habits you can cultivate together to promote a love of reading”.
About Esther
Esther Brown has taught across the primary age range and in different primary school settings for almost 20 years and has spent much of that time leading English.
She has always had a passion for books and believes in the power of reading for pleasure for investing in children’s futures.
Alongside her teaching role, she creates educational resources for publishers and shares her love for books on her Instagram blog @mrsbrownsbookbox.
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