How to Create a Reading Culture in Your Home

Reading opens doors to adventure, opportunities and brighter futures. Aside from sheer joy books can bring to the reader, it works the imagination. Reading for pleasure improves literacy, social skills, health and learning outcomes.

"Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will need to read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. They will need literacy to cope with the flood of information they will find everywhere they turn. They will need literacy to feed their imaginations, so they can create the world of the future. In a complex, and sometimes dangerous world, the ability to read can be crucial."
— International Reading Association, (Moore et al, 1999, p. 3 as cited by Clark & Rumbold, 2006)

Tips for how to create a reading culture in your home

1. Make time for reading aloud – reading to your child every night or once a week.

A recent study (Merga, M. K. (2017) Interactive reading opportunities beyond the early years: What educators need to consider. Australian Journal of Education) uncovered that parents will often stop reading aloud to their child once their child learns to read on their own. However children still enjoy and gain benefits from being read aloud to. Finding time to read aloud to your child will greatly improve their reading skills and create personal connections.

2. Giving Choice in what they read- allowing your child to select the book they are reading helps promote a positive attitude towards reading. Giving recommendations are highly encouraged though.

3. Visit a library often – students have access to the school library every week however they are not allowed to take books home over the school holidays. Instead of going without books visit the Brisbane City Council library (Fairfield is the closet library to school) and borrow books for free.

4. Set aside time to read- carving time out of your busy life for silent reading/ reading aloud is extremely important. Allowing your child time to read will help encourage them to pick up a book outside of this designated time.

5. Be a reader yourself- leading by example will help promote the importance of reading to your child.

6. Talk about reading- let your child talk to you about what they are reading, what they think might be coming up in the story, what they liked/didn’t like. Allowing your child to discuss their reading helps establish excitement and develops their literacy skills.