Jumpstart Your Child's Brain with a Book
Okay, as promised, here’s the first of some practical thoughts for getting kids into the reading habit:
This one’s courtesy of a friend of mine & Sue’s. It came up over dinner at their house the other night. Get your kids a good reading lamp, either battery-powered or plug-in, and institute a new rule: They can stay up an hour (or more or less) past their usual bedtime if, and only if, they spend it reading. I don’t know about your kids, but in my experience nothing seems special to kids like having permission to stay up later than usual. Why not have them start associating reading with this special-ness?
Wanted to mention a couple other things, too.
One is that I really enjoy your comments on the blog here. Please keep them coming and I’ll try to respond to some of you as we go along.
The other is that as this gift-season approaches, I’d be remiss to not remember that a lot of kids don’t have adults like us out there working to help them become readers. To that end, if you're thinking of making any charitable gifts this season, I’d like to point out that First Book—whose mission is to get books into the hands of kids who have never had one before—has a deal going where for every dollar you give through the end of the year, they'll get at least one entire book into the hands of an underprivileged child. Anyhow, just a thought.
Happy reading,
JP
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Jumpstart Your Child's Brain with a Book.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://jamespatterson.ivillage.com/system/mt-tb.cgi/5055
I love that idea! I remember the feeling of "secretly" reading in bed with a flashlight way past my bedtime when I was kid!
In the Summer I can stay up as late as I want, as long as I'm not crabby in the morning and spend the time reading.
I think this is a great idea. As a child (and to this day) I spend hours reading into the night. I remember my father saying I needed to get outside and get sunshine so I would take a book and climb in our tree house and read away. Anything to encourage a child to read is a positive step! I always read books to my daughter from her birth and she too loves to read!
Happy Holidays JP, I just finished Double Cross, wow that Kyle sure has a way of getting around. I loved the book. My question is when are you going to write again about the wolf??? Keep up the mind boggling. Thanks again,
Cindy
I love this tip - my mother used it, and I still cannot get to sleep without reading first! Now my 3 kids all read before bedtime, and I can already see the joy it brings my youngest, as he falls asleep, cuddling his book with the light still on each night!
Hi James, I am Swede, and have just visited my daughter who is married to an American, and live in Utah. On my way back to Sweden I found your book "Suzanne´s Diary for Nicholas", at the airport in Las Vegas. I couldn´t stop reading during my flight, and I loved the story! Has anyone translated it into Swedish? I would love to do that! Next thing -children and books: Your idea sounds good, but if you open up your brain by reading right before you go to bed, it is very hard to go to sleep.
But I agree, it´s awful for those kids who have no books!
Kindley
Cherstin Juhlin
Sweden
cherstin@telia.com
Hi James, I just can't imagine not having a book to read all the time. I have loved reading since i have been little and yet my younger brother wants nothing to do with reading...again i always have a book in my hand. I will say that my generation wants to stay up and do other things instead of read but i believe that if the parents want there kids to start reading this is an awesome way to do it. Oh and by the way i just finished reading double cross and i loved it...you just amaze me by the way you always keep me wanting more. I cant wait for you next book.
have a wonderful day!!!!
Mr P:
I read alot as a child; a calming "warm milk" kinda thing before bedtime, and a great way to unwind in order to sleep as a working adult. Double Cross is on my reading table and I look forward to set-aside time each day to read it. My son and I have read together at bedtime since he was old enough to understand the spoken "word" - and pictures. He now can write wonderfully about his experiences and I attribute it to his love for reading and visualizing what he reads. I will take your advice and contribute to books. A former boss has now become a published mystery writer; and, I keep finding people entering my life who write or who need to receive books. Seems like I'm surrounded by that kind of joy. Thanks for adding to that joy!
My children have books scattered across their beds and the floor next to their beds. My daughter (6, and still just learning to read) insists she can*not* go to sleep without a book (emphasis hers); in fact she gripes at me if I limit her to just one. My son (8) has large fact/information volumes packed around him (Marvel heroes dictionary, how-to books, etc.). Thank you for giving validation to a practice I sometimes feel guilty about.
Lovely ideas, specially the one of giving away books for the underprivileged child. I also spend a lot of time reading myself so I can show my son how wonderful is reading. This year I've asked my parents to give him books as Christmas presents.By the way, can you give me some advice on how to help him with his handwriting skills? Thanks a lot and Merry Christmas to all
I think your idea is great! I have two grade school boys that I have to fight with everynight to read on their own. I don't understand why they feel this way because I enjoy reading and I think it is a perfect way to end your day. I can't wait until they are old enough for me to introduce them to your wonderful books. You have such a knack of grabbing the attention of your readers from page 1. When I get started on one I can't put it down until I get to the end! Keep up the great work! We love You!
When my daughters were young I read in an article that the best gift a parent can leave their children is the gift of reading. I made it a point to read to my daughters every night a good book that they chose whch looked interesting to them. As my oldest began to read she would read to us at night, and when the youngest was old enough to participate she did. We had to patient with her but it all worked well. Both of my daughters did well in school, one is in her third year Medical School and the other is in honors classed with straight A's. It does work.
I, too, remember the flashlight after "lights out"- poor Dad, he never could figure out why his batteries were always dead. I have passed on a love of reading to my 2 girls, and they will inherit my whole collection when the time comes- in the meantime, it is available to them whenever they want- they still prefer my reading to them, though!
I do this with my children who are 3 and 5, right now and will do it with my third one when he gets a little older, he is only 6mo. They think it's great to get to stay up a little later to read and is a good quiet time for them, it allows them to relax after a long day of playing before lights out. I love reading to them too, they all crawl up in my lap and it's our special time!!