Following the joyful road (back) to reading

It starts with more than a book

Most children enjoy being read to—stories are engaging and learning about new people and things is fun. Reading one-on-one to a child is a great relationship-builder.  A parent or caregiver and child give each other their undivided attention and strengthen their connection instantly. A teacher and group of children participating in a read-aloud together share the experience of learning about something or someone new. They build shared knowledge and develop a sense of community.

And then…

As young children move from reading with others to reading on their own, their experiences with books change. In the elementary and middle school years, reading becomes a more independent, individual activity. Without the relationship- and community-building components, do children still find joy and pleasure in books? 

The answer used to be yes. But over the past 40 years, and most dramatically in the last 10, the number of children choosing to read daily in their free time has dropped significantly. According to a self-report survey administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 35% of 13-year-olds read almost every day in their free time in 1984. By 2023, only 14% said they did. During the same years, the percentage of 13-year-olds who said they never chose to read for fun nearly quadrupled, from only 8% of those surveyed in 1984 to nearly a third (31%) of those surveyed in 2023. 

In Anna North’s recent Kids Today article, America’s literacy crisis isn’t what you think, Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Catherine Snow notes that, for better or worse, basic literacy skills haven’t changed much over the years, even with the dip in scores following the pandemic. However, the vocabulary, background knowledge, and critical thinking skills associated with reading have declined, making students less prepared to understand what they read and recognize if sources are reliable. 

Hanging onto the joy

The hours children spend in school are limited and the demands on that time are high. How can we use our school-day hours to foster a joy of reading that children carry with them into out-of-school time? If we can support our children in hanging onto that joy, we can reverse the turn away from reading and better prepare the next generation of young people to extract beauty and meaning from books, think critically about what they read, and build the knowledge they need to navigate the world successfully.

Tools starts here

In Tools classrooms, children have lots of opportunities to enjoy books, on their own and with peers. Several times each week, PreK children choose books to read (or look at) with a buddy in Buddy Reading. Children excitedly select books to share with a friend. They pick what they are interested in; it is naturally motivating. And then they carry on with the familiar activity of shared reading, now without the guidance or participation of an adult. Tools PreK children begin to take ownership of their reading here.

Tools kindergarten children take that independence a step further, using the PowerTools app to get supported reading practice. This activity continues to put children in the driver’s seat of their own learning. Sometimes, they continue to work with a buddy; other times, they make their way through chosen books on their own. The books they choose from focus on science topics they are already learning about through classroom play themes. If they get stuck, PowerTools provides a toolbox of strategies they can choose from to help. 

Tools kindergarteners also participate in Interactive Read Alouds. Focused on science content and vocabulary, these interactive book experiences help children to talk and think through science concepts with their peers to build background knowledge and deepen their understanding. This kind of reading expands their learning in new ways.

Through activities like these, Tools children learn to initiate their own learning through books, setting them well on their way to becoming empowered, self-directed learners and readers-by-choice. 

Young children thrill at the excitement of doing things themselves. Let’s jump in on that enthusiasm and support our children in recognizing the joy, excitement, knowledge, and connections they gain from their experiences with books. Together, we will make reading irresistible!