I remember a time, not so long ago, when Maddy, Owen, and Cora would talk to me for (what seemed to be) hours upon end about things. Just anything. Books, ideas, dolls, bugs, colors, toys, you name it.
And some days they still do. Some days, they’re hit with something and they’ll go on and on and on and on about. . . you name it. Anything. Just like the old days.
But now, as they get older, as they want more playdates with buddies (which I know are important), more sports and classes (also important), more time with electronics (also important, in smaller doses), and more time to themselves (also very important), the time we spend actually talking about things seems to be waning.
Which makes me nervous.
I know that it’s more important than ever for me to keep the lines of communication open for Maddy, Owen, and Cora from here on out. I also know that if I continue to play a role in their education now–their learning, reading, homework, and games–that it will be easier for me to do so down the road, when school gets more challenging and when they may really need support.
Getting most kids to talk about things that genuinely interest them is easy–or easier than getting them to talk about less interesting things, perhaps–but getting kids to talk about other things, like books they’re reading–isn’t always so easy.
So after some considerable thought and research on the topic, I’ve come up with three ways that any parent can use to get their children to talk to them about the books they’re reading. They’re things that I’ve used with my kids for some time, and they’re things that should give you a foot in the door.
Here’s the skinny. . .
- 3 Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Books: We want our kids to read. And we want them to choose books that are a good fit for their abilities. And if we can talk to our kiddos about the books they read, it’s a total win-win.
Take a look:
And that’s it. . . just three simple ways to get your kids to talk to you about what they’re reading. Three ways that will (hopefully) open the door for more regular conversation between you and your children about books and three ways for your children to see that you recognize the importance of their reading and you want to learn more.
When kids talk about what they read, they’re more likely to remember what they read, to continue reading, and to think more deeply about the topic. So go ahead, start the conversation!
And if you have another great way of getting kids to talk about the books they’re reading, share it in the comments! Want more read-aloud learning ideas, be sure to check out my other posts on Learning During Read-Alouds.
