Getting Young People to Read

 By Mark Higgins

If a child reads as much as one million words a year or 3,000 a day, will be in the top 2% on standardized reading tests, a 2019 report conducted by Ohio State University said.

On the contrary, if a child reads less than 8000 words a year, or 20 words a day, they will be in the bottom 2%, according to the Ohio State University study.  

Lynne Campbell, the children’s librarian at the Hanover public library since 2004, believes it is important for every child to read early and often to positively contribute to early literacy.

“I have worked at the library for almost 18 years and have seen children grow up from babies to high-schoolers,” Campbell said.

Creating a desire to read from a young age is very important, it is less about the child’s ability to read complex text at a young age and more about the child wanting to learn, Campbell said.

“Something I feel strongly about is letting older children read what appeals to them depending on their interest and not getting hung up on what ‘level’ they should be reading. I get parents insisting that they want me to show them the books for their child’s level, and I try to steer towards the idea of let’s find books that your child will enjoy,” Campbell said.

From the time children are born parents should constantly be reading to them and surrounding their children with both written and spoken words so that the children will become better natural readers themselves.

Parents may find more success in ‘teaching’ their children to read if they stick to simple methods rather than promoting complex lesson plans.

“I really don’t think in terms of parents consciously “teaching” their children to read. I just encourage people to read to and with children from the time they are born. When they get into school, the teachers will use sophisticated methods for reading instruction, but I feel parents will be successful if they keep things pretty simple,” Campbell said.

One key aspect to inspire children to read at a young age is to create a fun environment. If a child becomes excited to read, they will read more independently and increase their literacy as a result, Campbell said.  

“I do a baby story time every week that includes reading out loud, singing and movement, and a toddler time with more of the same. All of these things contribute to early literacy. I see my job as making reading part of a fun environment. In story times for little ones, I incorporate props like puppets to engage the children with the words we’re reading and singing,” Campbell said.

Campbell said the best method she found is to keep the interactions informal and low stress.

“I have attended plenty of workshops, meetings, and classes that encouraged specific "methods" like writing up on a board for parents to see what particular literacy skill is being highlighted in a storytime

. I think that is kind of too much, as far as my job is concerned. I like to keep things more informal and natural,” Campbell said.

Teachers should be the main source of education for a child on how to read but parents should instill an enjoyment and excitability that will lead the child to want to read, Campbell said.