"Auntie, that's so good you are studying Nepali!"

“Auntie, that’s so good you are studying Nepali!”

When my little six year old friend, Salwyn, in Pune said this to me it reminded me of how important it is for our children and students to see us studying and reading for our own sakes. Over and over again, I have seen that when teachers and parents read their children more readily do the same. Here I don’t mean reading aloud to a child (though this too is important) or helping with homework but reading for your own pleasure and needs.

So as I sat on the couch reading my beginning Nepali book, Salwyn sat next to me studying his English spelling words. He actually studied with a smile on his face as he glanced over once in awhile to see if I continued to study.

I see this in classrooms when teachers read silently as their whole class reads. They do not read children’s books but material that interests them: newspapers, magazines, recipe books, etc. When the whole classroom reads silently each day (and the teacher is not evaluating, filing etc but also reading) reading becomes an important and enjoyable part of the classroom.
I encourage families, too, to have a time in the evening where the entire family reads in silence for 15-20 minutes. This includes two year olds who can flip through hard cardboard books just for them. After you could even discuss what each member read! When you do this consistently reading and the joy of reading becomes part of your family culture.

Yes, turn the television off and read just for fun!!