[Reading Parenting] Beyond 'Reading Comprehension,' Let's Make 'Reading-Through Ability' a Habit: It's Amazing Not to Be Intimidated by Blocks of Text (1)

How can I get my child to love books?

The world of books is something you realize is infinitely vast once you step into it.
Bookstores and libraries are overflowing with interesting books, and the media is full of recommendations for good reads. However, for children (or parents) who are distant from books, the reality might be that they simply don't know which ones they would enjoy reading,or they don't read at all even when I pick out various books for them...

I see stories every day in some form of media about how children's reading comprehension and Japanese language skills are declining, and there is no doubt that accumulating reading experience is the best way to nurture these skills.

However, I think this:
Right now, children probably lack the ability to 'read through' a whole book first. Or perhaps I should say, the opportunity to read through one.

Between being busy with this and that, and being accustomed to fast-paced, highly stimulating entertainment, they probably can't even imagine themselves reading.

Because they can read through it, they can comprehend it.

--I am thinking about what that means.

1. The challenge is 'reading text' rather than 'books'

Perhaps what is important first is 'being able to read text without finding it troublesome'.

You might think, 'Well, most people can read text, right?'

But for those who are not good at reading, general novels with almost no illustrations or newspaper articles are just vague blocks of text that are a hassle to read.
Children especially are quick to say, 'Ugh, this is such a hassle...'
But being able to read through long texts without stress and understand them in your own way is, I believe, the first important 'reading ability'.

After all, manga and magazines are books too, so when a parent says, 'Go read a book!' and the child shows them a manga saying, 'I am reading,' the parent has no further response (for the time being).
Isn't what they really want to say this?


'Learn to read text properly and understand it' --Having the ability to read text. More specifically, having the 'ability to read through' it. Let's think from this point (by the way, this is not to say manga and magazines are bad. It's just that they are different things).

2. Why continuing to read aloud to children doesn't necessarily make them book-loving elementary students

Being able to read one book (a longer text) and not feeling it is a hassle. I believe that 'reading' stories that are interesting from childhood is essential to cultivating that ability and sensibility.

Not 'watching' or 'viewing,' or 'having it read to you,' but 'reading' it yourself.

Stories are effective for cultivating reading ability because, above all, you can feel the fun.
You get absorbed because you want to know what happens next--you get excited. You read to the end and have your own child-like reaction, like 'So that's what happened!' or 'I'm glad it turned out this way!' Because your heart is moved, you seek out the next book.For the child, the goal is to know the story, not to build reading ability. That's fine. As a result, they acquire reading ability.

--Basically, I think this is the cycle.

But what concerns me here is the many voices of parents saying, 'I've been reading aloud to them since they were babies, but since they started elementary school, they've been obsessed with games and watching videos...'

Even just looking at my own surroundings, there are quite a number of families like this.
In addition to that, despite the abundance of information saying 'read aloud to make your child love books,' there are also many 'parents worried about their child's digital addiction.' I can't help but think about this imbalance.

I think it means that just continuing to read aloud might not necessarily make them love books (of course, it is very important as an expression of love).

3. 'Having it read to you' and 'reading it yourself' are completely different things

Why is that?--Perhaps it is because the act of proactively and actively 'reading text' is fundamentally different from the act of 'having it read to you on an adult's lap.'
Reading aloud fosters attachment and can be a trigger for loving books, but
it is not the deciding factor for the continuation and development of 'continuing to read thereafter'...probably.

For example, if there is an elementary student who actively enjoys books (mostly text), that child must have at some stage experienced a 'self-driven experience' where they thought 'it was interesting when I tried reading it'.

So, what specific methods are there? (Some children love books even if left alone, but I think they are in the minority, so I won't mention them here.)

For example, there is the method of using the library several times to carefully determine the tendency of books your child likes... I personally think this is effective, and it is something I have practiced with my own child, but beyond that, what is essential as a specific method to polish 'reading ability' is 'trying to read it properly to the end yourself' and 'repeating that'.

--Try reading to the end? Repeat it? ...I'm sorry if you think that's too obvious.

But this is exactly the entrance to having a 'drawer of book-loving' in your own heart, accompanied by the realization of 'a sense of accomplishment' and 'the joy of reading'.

Once you taste the sense of accomplishment of reading it yourself, you will no longer want others to read it to you (the number of times you think so will decrease).

4. The meaning of using precious childhood time to 'read through'

For example, a first-grade elementary student. If it's difficult to read a children's book of over 100 pages all at once, it's fine to start with a short-short story of about 5 pages or a short story of less than 30 pages.
Children's books are released into the world by professionals like authors and publishers who have carefully considered what is age-appropriate, so I want them to try reading through it without giving up.
Even if it takes time at first, if you try hard and read to the end, you will understand, 'Oh, so that's what the story was.'

--If you read through it, you will gain some kind of knowledge.
It's okay if you can't put it into words well. Reading comprehension can come later.

If you were able to read through it, next you can try choosing and handing them a book with a little more text or one that has stepped up in content (if such book selection is difficult, there is also the option of just deciding that any interesting children's book is fine).

As a book lover, it's obvious, but the basic thing is that any book, story, or article conveys the writer's intent and interest by reading to the end.

Of course, it might be wonderful if you are drawn in from the first page, but the structure where the excitement increases as you read 10 or 20 pages, and you become immersed in it is common.

Even among adults, I sometimes hear from people who are not used to reading that 'I could only read the novel halfway through...', but when I check where they gave up, I sometimes feel sorry, thinking, 'They were just a little bit away from the interesting part.'

So, please try reading to the end no matter what.
Especially since children have plenty of time.
When you become an adult, you understand well how luxurious the time given to you in childhood was.

Reading is not a special ability or hobby. It is a fairly basic way to kill time and a source of knowledge and entertainment. However, by the time I realized that, I was already an adult, and I have met several people who regret that they should have read more in their childhood... (of course, if you feel like it, you can read and enjoy it at any age).

5. Rather than expecting them to 'love books', first focus on 'reading ability' as a basic skill

There is a saying, 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?'... and I have felt something similar from a long time ago.
People who don't read thick books easily might think of those who do, 'They must have developed the ability to read long texts because they love books,' but in reality, I think 'because they have the ability to read text, they can also come to love books'...there are cases like that.

What I mean is, ' instead of expecting children to love books from the start, why not first help them acquire reading ability as a skill? '.

I'll be persistent, but just keep repeating the act of 'reading through' during childhood.
It is better to make an effort to avoid giving up saying 'I've had enough...' than to do nothing at all. For example, start with short stories, choose books that seem to interest them as much as possible, choose series, if they seem to be losing momentum, try reading together with them, or read while talking about your impressions of each scene... and so on.
However, before that, if habits like playing games or watching videos are already established, or if the environment is noisy and they cannot concentrate, I think the hurdle will be higher. While considering those factors, just keep repeating the act of 'reading through'.

Even with short stories, if you 'read through' them, gradually the confidence that 'I can read through this' will well up, and 'it was interesting when I tried reading it' is a realization that is worth something only when experienced firsthand. It is not something given by others.

At first, it's okay if they don't have any profound impressions. Even if they can't come up with the right words, if they read through it, there should be at least a tiny bit of 'so that's how it was' for the child.

The accumulation of this 'tiny bit' leads to reading ability.
Once it becomes a habit, reading will become a daily entertainment for the child.

--What happens when that becomes the case?
They will be able to read text without thinking.
Once they get used to it, they will realize that reading is not a big deal.

Reading ability is a skill, a technique to be acquired.
Some might think calling it a technique is an exaggeration, but I think technique is ultimately a type of 'habituation'. So, get them used to it, the children. And the speed at which children get used to something exceeds an adult's imagination. I think the only problem is whether or not they engage with it.

6. What always helps you when reading 'text you are not interested in'

Just as most people can ride a bicycle without thinking about it, and as people who have learned piano find their fingers moving naturally when they see a musical score, having the skill of 'reading text' as a sense ingrained in your body is useful for many things.
Unlike advanced lessons, it is something that can be done at home, so it is better to acquire it during childhood.

It's fine for those who simply 'love books' or find 'reading novels' to be entertainment, but I would like to talk here about how 'reading ability' is useful even for those who don't.

For example, when reading a book (a longer text), two main driving forces are required.

(1) Reading ability. The ability to read through.
(2) Interest in the content. The inherent interest of the text itself.

--First, if these two are present, you will likely be able to read anything smoothly.
This is the state when a book lover chooses a book they want to read and is immersed in it, sometimes forgetting to eat or sleep while chasing the ending.

Then, what about when you have (1) 'reading ability/ability to read through', but (2) 'no interest'?
Even so, if there is a necessity to read for work or study, you can read it. Because it is acquired as a skill. And if you read through it, you will gain something.

Then, what about when (1) 'reading ability/ability to read through' is lacking, but (2) you are 'interested' or find it 'interesting'.
This will take a certain amount of time and effort, but you will likely be able to read it.

Then, what about when you lack (1) 'reading ability/ability to read through', and (2) you have 'no interest' or find it 'not interesting'?

The difficult part is this, and you might think 'then you just shouldn't read it,' but in reality, there are many times when you are forced to read documents you are not interested in for study or work, and furthermore, there are times when you 'must read, understand, and apply it to your actions.' Once you reach this stage, if you feel stress in 'reading through' before even 'reading to understand,' the subsequent steps will likely become quite difficult.

7. 'If I think I can read it, I can' helps you and creates opportunities

Let's talk a little more about the driving force to keep reading... 'reading ability/ability to read through' and 'interest/being interesting'.
As I wrote earlier, even when the degree of 'interest/being interesting' is low, I think having the ability to 'read if I think I can' is full of possibilities to broaden your horizons.

It might be self-serving, but my 6th-grade daughter has a decent amount of reading ability for now.
When I tried showing her the front page of a newspaper and asked, 'What would you say if you were told to read the whole thing?', she replied, '...It looks difficult and doesn't look interesting, but if I read it as study, I can read it.'
Reading the whole front page is tough, so I limited it to having her read a current affairs column, but I don't know if she understood even half of the politics or current affairs topics. Even so, the fact that she 'read through to the end' is important, and I think she still gained some kind of knowledge.

Even if you don't particularly like it, the ability to "read if you want to" is important.
"If I want to" might be a passive ability in a sense, but isn't it similar to daily chores or cooking? I don't like it, but I can use a kitchen knife, and I can make simple dishes. So I make them. This is completely different from not being able to make them; it is one of the life skills.

By the way, for children who have acquired the ability to "read if they want to," it is easier to recommend books by saying, "Try reading this."
Even if they aren't very interested at first, there are miracles where, as a result of trying it out or "pretending they were tricked," they say, "It was incredibly interesting" or "I want to read more books by this author."

8. From "Being Able to Finish Reading" to "Being Able to Comprehend"... This Important Order

I don't think there is a need to overly demand reading comprehension at the stage where a child is making the effort to "finish reading." Of course, it's better to have reading comprehension, and if a child comes up and says, "You know, this book...", I want to listen to them with a smile, but just being able to enjoy reading is a treasure-like time in itself. There's no point in thinking, "Comprehend it, comprehend it..."

However, repeating the act of "finishing reading" naturally makes reading faster.

If the text is simple, rather than "reading," there are times when you can "see" a block of two or three lines and almost understand the content, and eventually, you will be able to read a children's book with ease, and you will be able to read in your "spare time" or for a "change of pace."

As the number of books read increases, inevitably it becomes easier to encounter moving works for yourself, and since you will understand "your favorite authors and genre tendencies," your book selection will also improve.
A virtuous cycle is born.

Once this cycle begins, children will often choose and borrow books themselves from the school library, and when they see books introduced in the media, their antenna will suddenly pop up saying "I want to read that." When you go to a bookstore or library, they might walk smoothly down the aisles of bookshelves with their eyes shining and looking around.

It's fine for parents to worry about book selection and provide "good books" or "bestsellers" in search of reading comprehension, but I would like you to try accumulating "experiences of finishing reading" with familiar books first as a method.

I think reading comprehension is a story for after that.
Because you finish reading, you can comprehend.

Since reading is an experience, children will eventually think while reading, "Books have messages from the author," "The first half and the second half were connected like this," "I hope the protagonist becomes happy"... and so on.
And I think vocabulary, writing ability, expressive power, concentration, and imagination... will soak into their bodies.

Continues in the second half ↓[Children and Books] Before "Reading Comprehension," Build the Habit of "Reading-Something Ability" ~It's Amazing Not to Be Intimidated by Blocks of Text~ (2) | Emi Suzuhara (note.com)

(Second half content)
9. The fear of the "disadvantages of not polishing" language sense and literacy
10. If you miss the "time when children are children," book selection might become difficult
11. Even though we went to the bookstore as a parent and child, the most disappointing behavior is...
12. Not being able to finish reading that book isn't because "the content is difficult"
13. The reason why I think it's hard to create "book lovers" with only compulsory education Japanese language classes
14. If you had "reading ability" as a basic skill like multiplication tables, even if you didn't like it
15. Not being intimidated by blocks of text is a very fun thing