[Reading Parenting] Why "Reading Picture Books Aloud" Doesn't Always Lead to "Book-Loving Elementary Students"—How a 5 or 6-Year-Old's Detour Might Easily Take Away Their "Desire to Read"

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Stopping by a bookstore on a whim
The book I picked up while wandering
With its cover, texture, and scent
Still takes root in my heart, now and then
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Sparkling Seeds of the Heart for Reading Children

Hello to all the moms and dads who want to encourage their children to read. 😊 I am one of them.

Because we live in a digital society, I believe that for a child's stable emotions and flexible thinking skills, reading on paper is the best. It helps roots grow in the heart and nurtures strengths.

But how can I get them to read books?
I hope this can provide some hints for those of you. ✨


[Child's Reading] Series Recommended articles here ↓↓↓

・Why "Reading First" acts as a deterrent to digital addiction—What happened as a result of organizing the "order of encounters" ↓↓↓

・Practiced in our home! How to become a child who can read novels before you know it What is "not magic" book selection?

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"I read aloud so much, so why?"

While talking about books with a close mom friend, one day she suddenly said this to me.
"Hey, everyone in the media says 'reading picture books aloud is good,' so I read aloud a lot but my child stopped reading books entirely once they became an elementary student ...what was that time for?"

--When you hear that, you often hear voices saying, "Before I knew it, they were only playing games or watching videos lately." Just as often, you hear that "reading aloud is effective" for making children love books. My friend said, "I know it's too late, but I want to know what I should have done next and I want to tell my past self"... so I looked back on those days too.

A graduation called "I love Mom (Dad)'s lap, but from now on I'll read by myself"

I don't know if this applies to every family, and I'm sure there are children who transitioned smoothly from reading aloud to children's books.

However, my personal thought is that once they get off Mom or Dad's lap, the next step is for the child to become the one who "reads" books and "reads aloud" to their parents ...that is my realization.

In other words, children are "being read to" at first, but once they become interested in stories composed of text, they gradually start to "feel the story proactively" even while sitting on an adult's lap and so on. Getting excited about what happens next.

Then, at some point, they start to feel that "it's faster to read it myself than to have someone else read it or wait for their timing" (or so it should be). Children grow at a surprising speed every day, so if you continue one habit, at some point they will grow significantly. Is it like the image of water overflowing from a cup?

For a child, when a book is "something to get love and a sense of security by relying on an adult" "something that fulfills the desire to know interesting stories" when it is converted—I think that is what it means for a child to become a "reading child" through reading aloud.

After all, there are very few parents who can read an entire children's book aloud (I respect you!)... I couldn't do it. Even with shorter picture books, the rate of falling asleep together was 50% (lol).

And so, when the child themselves becomes interested and thinks "maybe I'll try reading it", what kind of action will they take if there are books on the bookshelf in front of them that they can choose themselves, suited to their tastes and age?

Once they get off your lap, the child becomes the one who "reads" books and "reads aloud" to their parents

Furthermore, once a child starts reading by themselves, from then on I think they can also exchange love through books as parent and child using words and heart.

If a child tells you "Hey, I'm reading this book now", it would be wonderful if the parent could then ask "What's it about?" and listen to the story.

Also, when the child is reading, you can take the timing to ask from the parent's side, "What part of that book is interesting?" I think that is the communication for the next step after reading aloud.

By outputting the content of the book in their own words, the child's vocabulary and expressive power will also be polished. They can also gain a sense of security by having you listen.

If this kind of habit is at the foundation, wouldn't children be able to naturally pick up and read familiar children's books? That is "the child's reading habit that is an extension of reading aloud" that I felt.

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--Yes, up to this point

was a story of an ideal!

In this day and age, reading ability is a skill that won't improve unless you pay attention to it

. Ideals are important, but reality isn't that simple, so from here on, I'll be talking about "what exactly hinders those ideals" (laughs).

If a child develops a strong interest in other things before they can build up the realization that reading books is fun, the result can be that they never acquired reading ability. Digital entertainment, in particular, is a powerful rival to reading compared to other hobbies. The reason is that both are things we unconsciously reach for during our "time to relax at home."...that's why.

There are some children who just don't take to reading, and I don't think this is the cause of everything, but I consider it a major theme.

Terror! The shadow of "detours" creeping up on families who (want to) love books

—So, what is the true identity of this terror? (laughs)
It is the various situations that arise in real-life parenting between the age of 5, when children graduate from picture books, and the lower grades of elementary school.
Titled "The terrifying shadow of detours creeping up on families who (want to) love books ~How the temptation of digital media easily steals the desire to read~"
(I'm not joking).

Crisis that keeps book-loving families away from reading (1)

Is the transition to children's books from around age 5 put on hold by "starting school"?

In the year before starting school, as children become seniors in kindergarten, more of them can read hiragana, so (as a guideline) I definitely recommend being conscious of building a bookshelf centered on children's books around this time.

The reason is that after this, the few months from entering elementary school until summer vacation are incredibly busy! Or rather, it's hectic, and you might lose the leeway to engage in reading at home.

For example, parents who hit the "first-grade wall" struggle with the "problem of what to do about the child's after-school time and work," while checking homework every day, reading notices, and thinking about school events. The child themselves might also lose their mental and physical balance due to the change in environment.
Or they might start lessons or make new friends, and before you know it, it's "summer vacation is almost here!"... In the end, if you start thinking about "what kind of children's books this child might like" around the autumn of their first year, there might be a gap of a whole year compared to starting from their senior year of kindergarten.

It would be great if you could effectively utilize the school library and reading time, but there will be many parts left to the child themselves. If you start your book-loving strategy before they start school, even in the midst of the busyness after enrollment, going to bookstores and libraries with your child can actually be a change of pace, and they might be able to quickly pick out their favorite books even in a short stay.

Crisis that keeps book-loving families away from reading (2)

Children are being given one computer each!

Since the country is now putting effort into ICT education, once they become elementary school students, almost every child is given one computer each. Since it's school, they teach them how to use it in moderation, but because of this, children start to feel "digital devices are extremely familiar." This is quite a turning point. If you had been trying not to let them touch the internet or games much at home, you might be surprised, thinking, "It came so suddenly!" (laughs). But it can't be helped.

So, that is that, and I hope you can talk properly to your child at home so that their interest in reading doesn't fade. In our home, we tried to teach them the goodness of books as much as possible, such as "reading is for developing the ability to read text," "you can be moved by reading," "it uses your own head and heart well," "it helps you acquire correct knowledge."

Crisis that keeps book-loving families away from reading (3)

They start saying things like "everyone else is doing it" (sweat)

As they get used to elementary school life, they start going to friends' houses to play, and their range of activity expands, so they become greatly influenced by the outside world that parents cannot perceive.

Then, children easily start saying things like "I want to play the game I played at my friend's house at our house too!" (bitter smile). Whether you say "no" or "just a little" is up to the parent, but if "entertainment other than digital" has not been established as a common understanding between parent and child as a way to spend time at home, it is difficult to convey "please refrain from games and videos for now" with persuasiveness.


There were quite a lot of children around me who started lightly here and had it become a habit all at once. Once that happens, the hurdles for promoting reading at home keep going up.

Crisis that keeps book-loving families away from reading (4)

Age-wise, the "time to do something alone" increases

Once they reach elementary school age, depending on the family, there are more situations where you might ask them to watch the house for a bit or tell them to 'go play by yourself' at home.
At these times, if children have digital entertainment options, they will easily reach for those. As they grow, the cleverness that allows them to operate games and smartphones on their own once handed to them, conversely, creates new worries for parents and children.
These are truly highly addictive, so how you spend your 'time at home' needs careful consideration. By the way, in our house, other than books, we enjoyed movies, anime, board games, puzzles, and so on. For their age, this was enough.

Even for adults, books are something you suddenly reach for during time spent lazing around at home. Being immersed in digital media all day is exhausting without you realizing it. That is why I believe the option of reading is something you don't want to lose during this period for many reasons.

The Crisis of Keeping Book-Loving Families Away from Reading (5)

Let's build a bond while they are still in the lower grades and can do things together!

Even so, while they are in the lower grades, many children will still follow the 'house rules' decided by parent and child, and will be happy to go to the library or bookstore with their parents. Therefore, this period is extremely important for 'building a bond between parent, child, and books'.

By the second half of second grade or once they reach third grade, their sense of self grows further, they are increasingly influenced by those around them, and by the time they are nearly 9 or 10, their interest in 'books recommended by parents' wanes, and by the time they are in the upper grades, they won't even look at them (tears).

That said, the memory that 'reading a book was fun' and the reading muscle itself that was built once does not disappear, so the rest becomes the parent's job of supporting book selection and watching over them, and they will ask, 'Buy me this book~' (← Is this something to be happy about?).

That is precisely why I want to think about the graduation period for reading aloud... 'What shall we read from now on?'

――So, regarding the relationship between children and books, I have been telling you that the 'time at home' between the ages of 5 and 7 is the key.

I don't want my child to become a 'bookworm'. I don't deny digital media either (they will learn it on their own eventually, and there are parts that will become necessary later).

However, in this world, I want them to become 'someone who can casually read one book'.
Because if you miss the period or timing, even just that becomes more difficult than you can imagine...

　I think childhood is a treasure in many ways. Cherish the time that soaks into their hearts and bodies.


　Thank you for reading until the end!

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For children to feel books are close
To pick them up and get excited
For that, it really has to be paper books
We can even sleep together
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・[Child's Reading] Series Because being able to read books doubles life's 'enjoyment' and 'options for thinking' and makes it harder to fall into despair, wishing for your happiness I taught you to read ↓↓↓

・[Child's Reading] Series There is a miracle that only happens by 'buying' books――Even if you borrow them at first, the amazing effect of 'buying if you like it' and 'having it at home'

・[Child's Reading] Series If you'd like, I want you to try this with your child: 'choosing 3 books out of 10' By repeating this, you can see not just 'favorite books' but 'the essence of what they like' ↓↓↓

・A story about how my first-year junior high school daughter getting a smartphone made me realize once again the importance of the foundation for reading during elementary school years↓↓↓

・A story about being surprised by the real reason my third-grade daughter just couldn't read Harry Potter↓↓↓

・Here is my self-introduction↓↓↓