It’s late October and I am chilled to the bone in a drafty gymnasium pen and paper in hand awaiting Frankenstein. (Not the Frankenstein you would expect to hear about so close to Halloween!) The very savvy Diane Frankenstein author of Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read
and a reading expert with over 20 years of experience was at a nearby elementary school to share her thoughts about raising children who love to read. [Photo credit: http://audreyblissful.blogspot.com. Copyright 2009]

Of all the gems of wisdom she imparted that night, the piece of advice that I immediately implemented was this:

“Don’t just read to your children at bedtime.”

It is so simple and seemingly obvious but I needed to hear it. I realized that books could replace television in our home to get us through the late afternoon when my 5 year old Wiley usually started asking to turn it on.

The next afternoon, instead of television, we went to his room and pulled a few books from his shelf and began reading together. Wiley bounced around on his bed, his little sister crawled over the covers in search of a new toy to ogle. We passed the time not just reading a fun story but also talking about it.

This “talking about it” was some more of Frankenstein’s advice:

“Read a book and ask a question.”

Again, it was so simple and intuitive, but I needed a reminder. “Children come into the world breathing out questions,” Frankenstein said. (So true!) “When reading ask your child a personal, open-ended question, like: ‘Is there a character in the story that you would like to be friends with?’ ‘What did you think about xyz?’ ‘What did you notice?’ Avoid ‘ambusing’ them with comprehension questions or yes-no queries that force them into a corner, such as ‘did you like the book?’

“When children talk about a book, we build their confidence” she explained. “Kids will remember the story better if they talk about it and children who have these stories in their repertoire will develop a love of reading and learning. It’s not about how many books they have, but how many conversations they have had about them.”

That leads me to my new favorite quote that Frankenstein shared that evening:

“What good are books without pictures and conversations?” – Alice in Wonderland

Frankenstein didn’t mince words when it came to television and technology. They are no substitute for the interaction between a child and his peers or a child and her parent or caregivers. She offered Jane Healey’s Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think And What We Can Do About It
as recommended reading to parents who wanted to explore the topic further. It looks like a great book, but at this point I am sure it will just confirm what I know—we have got to turn off the television and just read more. Or play more. I can’t let “I’m bored” send me into a panic, afterall:

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” – Dorothy Parker

So I credit Diane Frankenstein for helping me get back on track with making reading and conversations replace idle time in front of the tv. Since we’ve cut afternoon tv time out, and spend most weekday afternoons in his room, I have also been inspired to update the room a bit to create a “book nook” or a reading area. I want it to be a cozy comfortable little corner of his room. Right now we read together, but I hope he will also find this activity so enjoyable, he’ll retreat there on his own when he wants to unwind.

How do you create a haven for your young reader?

I am such a visual person, I immediately went to Flickr and scrolled through hundred of photos of classrooms, nurseries, playrooms to find inspiration. I have compiled a gallery on Flickr with photos that inspired me. What really impressed me was that I didn’t need to go buy anything special, just by adding a lamp, some low shelves and a some floor pillows, we have all that we need.

Do you have a haven in your home?

I’d love to see it! Or perhaps, like me, you found inspiration on the Internet! If you have an inspiration you’d like to share, include the URL in your comments below. Or include your email address and I’ll contact you. Then you can email the photo back to me as an attachment.

Giveaway!

I’ll be giving away one copy of:

Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (Hardcover), Jon Scieszka (Author), Mary Blair (Illustrator)

To enter:

Leave a comment below (1 entry)
Include a link to your ideal reading haven (2 entries)
Send me a photo of your reading haven (2 entries)

Contest will close at 11:59 pm PT November 19, 2009. Winner will be posted here and notified on Friday, November 20.

Suggested Reading:

• Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read
  Diane Frankenstein
• Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think And What We Can Do About It Jane Healy
• Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
  Jon Scieszka (Author), Mary Blair (Illustrator)
• The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition Lewis Carrol (Martin Gardner, Editor)

More Inspiration:

• Audrey Blissful: New Reading Nook
• OohdeeDoh: Children’s book area in a bedroom
• Flickr: Book Look Gallery

Filed under: education, favorite read, picture book