Award-winning teacher and author Donalyn Miller outlines five habits of what she calls “wild readers,” those who are engaged, self-motivated, avid readers, gleaned from over 900 surveys from adult readers in her book, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, co-written with Susan Kelley. According to Miller and Kelley, avid readers:
Dedicate time to reading
Successfully self-select
Share books with others
Have reading plans
Validate and expand
During this time of social distancing, it might be easier than ever to dedicate time for reading, or to schedule blocks of reading into your children’s daily routines. But also think of ways to encourage reading in the in-between. Visiting a park to get out of the house? Pack a short story, a family favorite, or new book to read aloud during lunch or a water break on the side of the trail. Making a grocery trip or getting your kids out of your partner’s hair for a meeting? Listen to an audio book in the car, read (if you can!), or tell a creative story from your imagination.
Self-selection might be a bit more difficult during our Stay at Home orders, but maybe you have books at home you haven’t read, or that your kids haven’t read in a while. Pull together a “preview stack,” one of Miller’s tried and true strategies from her classroom teacher days, with a few books you’re interested in (or that match your child’s interests), and choose one. Reflect on why you chose that one compared to the other 3 or 4 in the stack. What drew your attention? How could you apply that to choosing books from the library catalog, or a store shelf?
Now is a great time to share books with others. Ask about what people have been reading while you’re gathering for a virtual meeting. Post pictures of what you’re reading (and where you’re reading it!) on social media or even just share with a few friends through text message or email. Remember—sharing about books is NOT the same as giving a book report, so as tough as it may be when talking about books with children, don’t ask them a litany of comprehension questions. Ask them which character they’d like to be in the book, what their favorite part was and why, or what they would change if it was their story. Sharing about books isn’t about “proving” you read it, it’s about connecting with the ideas and characters in the book and other people.
One of the tell-tale signs of an avid reader is that they’ve got plans. Do you know when your favorite author’s new book is going to be released? Have you ever begged a library staff member to check if our copy of a new release has been received? Do you rejoice when you find a new series to get into because you know your “to be read” list just filled up? Yes. Many avid readers use paper and pen to keep track of what they’ve read or are looking to read. Some use a dedicated reading journal. Others use sites like Goodreads to keep track of their reading, make plans, and connect with other readers. Whatever system works for you, keep making plans! Work with your children to set “challenges” they want to tackle. Maybe they want to read all the books in the Magic Tree House series in a year, or maybe they’re working their way through all of the WhoHQ titles. Maybe they want to read a picture book a day. Encourage them to get in the habit of keeping a record of what they read, too.
The last characteristic of avid readers is that they’re often opinionated. They have preferences they can express and will often devour books in their favorite genre, writing style, topic, or by their favorite author only based on that one thing. But avid readers are also open to suggestions, and willing to give things outside their preferences a try. So do some reflection. Mostly a biography reader? Think about looking for a fictional story set in the same time period as a person you enjoyed learning about. Read a book based on mythology or Shakespeare or a classic? Read the original work or something about it. Draw connections between what you know and enjoy and something a little outside your zone to expand your reading life. Validate your children's interests and preferences, but encourage them to pick up books outside their preferences by strewing, a technique that places specifically chosen items, like books, strategically in places for your children to “find.” It’s like an invitation. Maybe you put a few books about famous artists or books with characters who are artists by paper, crayons, and coloring books. Maybe it's just a basket of books they've never seen by their favorite chair. Choose read-alouds for family time based on genres that you or your kids tend to avoid. Librarians are happy to make age-appropriate recommendations to steer you toward books your kids might enjoy in genres they don’t read much.
By the time Stay at Home orders are modified or lifted, maybe you will be re-committed to your status as an avid reader. Perhaps you’ll be a brand-new, card-carrying member of the club. Welcome. We’re so happy you’re here.