Motivate Your Young Readers

Do you need reading advice? Call on expert Jennifer Turner.

Photo of Jennifer Turner
by John T. Consoli

At age 3, Jennifer Turner had memorized "Green Eggs and Ham" well enough that adults thought she was reading the Dr. Seuss classic. She never lost her appreciation for a good book.

Now an assistant professor in the College of Education, Turner works with teachers-in-training on reading issues, including urban literacy and effective reading instruction for African-American students and those from non-English-speaking families.

Dear Sarah,

Many of us are familiar with the 4 Cs of diamonds: color, cut, clarity and carat. There are also 4 Cs to developing "diamond" readers-kids who derive pleasure from reading, love talking about books and think critically about what they read.

CHOICE: Kids love to choose their own reading materials. Sometimes homework is such a chore because kids are required to read particular textbooks or novels. Parents can foster choice by giving kids the opportunity to browse through the library or bookstores and select books that interest them. Keep a wide variety of reading materials at home: recipes, magazines, newspapers and comic books all make excellent reading choices.

I also encourage my kids to make choices about when they will read. They play several sports, so bedtime is often rushed with little time for reading. My older son typically reads in the car on the way to practice, while my younger son enjoys reading at breakfast on the weekends. I also keep baskets of books in the dining room, family room and bathroom.

CONTENT: Kids know what they like about books. Books with characters that seem real to kids, have humor or adventure and tell a good story are always winners. That's why series like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "The Magic Treehouse," "Goosebumps" and "Nancy Drew" are so popular.

But don't forget that kids also like reading nonfiction and informational texts. The "American Girl" books can pique girls' interest in history. If your children play sports, consider biographies on popular athletes. Science books are always great for kids who are curious about the world around them.

CHATTING: Adults know there's nothing like having a conversation about a good book. Most kids really enjoy talking about books they read, too. Make time to read the books your kids read so you can talk about them together. I realized that to connect with my older son, I needed to know Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and other characters in books he enjoys. In talking about battles between good and evil that the characters face, I have learned how he sees himself and what he thinks about the world. Books also help us with sensitive conversations. My son read "Twilight," and we talk quite a bit now about dating, love and relationships-things I never thought would interest my son at his age.

COOL: When the "cool" factor is present, kids are more motivated to read. "Twilight," like "Harry Potter," is a very cool book right now. But not every cool book is appropriate, and I strongly believe parents need to make that judgment call. In my case, my husband and I read "Twilight" and decided it was OK for our son.

Thankfully, cool doesn't always mean controversial. My younger son loves reading Nickelodeon's magazine, and we read books based on popular movies. They may not be "classic" literature, but they beat video games!

Reading online is also cool to many kids, so check out Web sites such as National Geographic-Kids and Time for Kids, which have interesting informational articles. There are also some great e-books out there. The International Children's Digital Library offers opportunities for kids to read and listen to picture books from around the world.

I hope these 4Cs help you to develop your own "diamond" readers.

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