Kindergarten graduation happened last Friday at the school I worked for, and what most surprised me about the event was how my 5- and 6-year old friends actually sat still and quiet during the presenters’ talks and waited patiently as the other classes were called up before them. Don’t get me wrong, many times during the last weeks of school I was frustrated and puzzled by the inability of these same kids to make and keep a straight line (argh!) but they had figured some things out over 9 months.
One of the things I didn’t appreciate before working in a kindergarten classroom is the trajectory that learning takes for true beginners. They don’t know how to be in a line, they don’t know how to be in a group, many of them don’t know how to hold scissors (I’m not kidding!) and on top of that, they’re meant to learn reading and arithmetic in 9 months (minus holiday breaks)?! Teaching literacy, in particular, was fascinating to participate in. For some kids the concepts clicked easily (often the kids whose adults had been reading to them already). For others, it was more difficult to identify letters, understand the sounds that letters make, sound out words, write letters, learn the rules of phonics… it’s a lot! And it’s not something humans acquire passively like learning to walk or talk — our brains have to be trained for it (see this short video for a quick visual explanation).
While some of the kindergarten kids ended the year ready to dabble in chapter books (The Magic Treehouse, Ivy & Bean) others were just starting to reliably sound out words. I worry for them over summer break — will anyone read to them? There are so many excellent picture books that they’re on the brink of being able to read on their own, with beautiful and engaging illustrations to spark their imaginations… but they need adults to access them and a little coaching on deciphering the words. My heart sank when I encouraged the kids to “read a lot of books this summer!” and some of them said, “But I can’t read!” or “I don’t have any books at my house!”
If you’re reading this, I don’t have to defend reading to you. Still, in case you need to convince anyone else, know that there’s a lot of scientific research out there that links reading to many benefits for health and wellness, from increasing intelligence to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. For our little friends learning to read, it can have far reaching impacts from social bonding to increased odds of graduating from school. It makes sense: school is very reading-focused. Kids who have an easier time reading are less frustrated and enjoy school more.
Even if you don’t have a little kid in your home (my kids are in high school), if you have little kids in your life please offer to read to them. Or take them to the library! Work through a summer reading program with them! I think people assume that kids just want to watch videos and play online games, but my experience at work this year was that even kids who regularly reported unlimited screen time as “what I got to do this weekend” would also sit and listen raptly as I read them a “Pete the Cat” book (and “Pete the Cat” isn’t even close to the best of what’s available in kidlit these days).
Q: I Don’t Know What Little Kids Like – How Can I Find Engaging Books For Them?
- Ask the librarian in the kids’ section of your public library. They see all of the latest releases and interact with kids all day — they know what’s working. (Don’t have a library card? No problem – most libraries just require a photo ID to get you signed up in minutes.)
- Go with the classics: there’s a reason Dr. Seuss is still getting printed, not to mention the Little Critter and Berenstain Bears books. Richard Scarry’s “Busytown” books are silly fun.
- There are millions of bloggers reviewing kids’ books — Google is your friend here.
Q: Do I have to “do the voices” if I read to little kids?
No, you don’t have to. But you probably will, eventually, because it’s fun to make kids laugh and they are easily amused. Even by terrible “acting.”
Q: What else does the library have going for it?
I’m so glad you asked! In my area, the library also offers FREE PASSES to fun experiences you can enjoy with your little friends (they call it a Culture Pass here). They have a Summer Reading Program that rewards participants with a free book when they join, plus coupons for free admission to an amusement park or free food when they finish. Denver Public Libraries lends State Parks passes and sewing machines (I mean, that could be a whole other fun summer experiment with kids!)
Please email me about the books that are resonating with your kids!
Related: Creepy Books for Adults and Kids 7-12
What I’m reading: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
What my 16-year old is re-reading for nostalgia (originally read when she was nine): The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Jen Boehler
I made a note to read this the other day when you posted about it, and now just getting to it! Very insightful, as always!