By Kids Book Author Denise Turney
Books build confidence in kids. Even more, books open kids up to new worlds. Reading is akin to gaining a ticket to travel. Senegal, Madagascar, Spain, Italy, Ghana, Samoa, Peru, Japan, New Zealand and Iceland are a few of the places that children learn about, exploring historic sites, beautiful natural landscapes and cultural traditions – all while reading a book.
More Books for More Kids
Yet, many children do not have access to books outside of school. In fact, Literacy Trust reports that 1 in 8 underserved children in the United Kingdom do not have a book in their home. Scholastic shares that, “Children in middle-income neighborhoods had multiple opportunities to observe, use, and purchase books (approximately 13 titles per child); few opportunities were available for low-income children who, in contrast, had approximately one title per 300 children.”1
Therefore, a first step toward allowing books to help build kids’ confidence and encourage kids to return to school with a positive outlook is to get books to more kids. The importance of that is far reaching.
According to Science Daily, “Young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to, a new study found.”2 If the gap only widens as children age, by the time both sets of kids reach adulthood, the gap could be so wide and that it would take years, perhaps decades, to close the gap.
What You Can Do
Here’s a glimpse of that gap in action. Regis College and ProLiteracy share that, “Children of adults with low literacy skills are 72% more likely to be at a low reading level in school.”Let this continue for generations and an entire community, city or town will start to experience the effects.3
Fortunately, there are ways to close and reduce the gap. Donating books to libraries, thrift stores and bookstores, especially libraries, thrift stores and bookstores in under-served communities, is one way to help get more kids books to young readers. Volunteering at organizations like First Book, Reading is Fundamental, Book Aid International, Books for Africa and Reading Partners are other ways to support efforts to get books to kids in under-served areas.
You could also mentor children through illiteracy and education programs. Reading fun, educational books to the children in your life is a definite huge forward step. However, don’t just get books to kids and read books to children, choose fun, engaging books.
Choosing Kids Books
A great way to choose books that help build confidence and encourage kids to return to school with a fun and positive outlook is to let children select books they want to read themselves. When my son was a child, it was the Bernstein Bears stories. For me, it was books like Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the Pippi Longstocking books.
These books teach working together as a family, courage, confidence, facing tough situations, making friends and trying new things. As much as the stories, it’s the characters who motivate kids to read.
Consider it this way. What motivates your kids to watch certain cartoons or movies? It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that it’s the characters in these cartoons and movies. The same applies with video games that your kids like (if they play video games).
Favorite Kids Book Characters
So, whether you are donating books or picking books for your kids to read, consider the characters. Are the characters funny, lively or caring? Furthermore, are the characters outgoing, do they love to explore, are they nature lovers or is there a sport or art that they’re fond of?
If the characters love to explore, there’s a good chance your kids might learn about science, different landscapes, amazing cultures or a fun range of foods. Also, kids’ books that showcase people with different personalities interacting can help build confidence in kids who feel left out, which brings up another point.
Should your children be shy, try choosing books that have at least one shy character in them. To build your kid’s confidence, make sure these books show shy kids facing fear and going on to do what they love. The same applies to choosing books with characters who have a learning disability, whose body functions differently from other kids (i.e., child in a wheelchair, child on crutches).
Finding Really Good Kids Books
Don’t worry if you don’t find books with these types of diverse characters. Authors promote and sell books directly from their websites. All it takes is a bit of time on a search engine to discover these authors and the children’s books they write.
Other actions that you can take to use books to build confidence and encourage your kids to be excited about school include reading to your children and letting your kids see you reading books. To get the most from books, start reading to kids early.
This means that you start reading to kids when they are a few months old. No. Your child won’t understand the words you speak, but bright, fun pictures in the books will grab your child’s attention, so will the exciting tone in your voice.
Books Really Are Fun
Additionally, when kids are at your house, set aside time for the kids to pick a book to have run reading as a group. In other words, do things that make reading books fun. For example, you could ask your kids to tell you about their favorite book characters.
Another action that you could take is to let your kids hear you talking with your friends about books you’re reading. Choose books that spotlight characters preparing to go to school and you could show your kids how other students are concerned about returning to school.
Books that show kids doing fun things at school (i.e., acting in school plays, building science projects, participating in sports) can help kids see school as more than a place to sit still in a chair, do math equations and listen to instructors. To repeat, consider letting kids pick out books they want to read. As it regards using books to build confidence, this single choice empowers kids.
Make reading books about more than school-based learning, completing homework and earning certain school grades. Let reading be fun! Combining fun with diverse characters, diverse personalities, characters who exhibit courage, new environments and outdoor exploration could help your kids to become lifelong book lovers and book readers. Should this happen, your kids could grow up and donate books to organizations that support young readers in under-served communities, not to mention passing along the love of reading kids books to their own children.
Resources:
- Access-to-books.pdf (scholastic.com)
- A ‘million word gap’ for children who aren’t read to at home: That’s how many fewer words some may hear by kindergarten — ScienceDaily
- Child Illiteracy in America: Statistics, Facts, and Resources | Regis College
