Share the Joy --Constantly

When our younger daughter finished fifth grade, her teacher paid me a great compliment.

“Your children are two of the best readers that I have ever taught,” she said of Ilsa and her older brother, Jamie. “What have you done to make them love books so much?”

I am a book-loving nerd (as my children have kindly dubbed me) and have been determined that they would also know the joy of books and treasure them as I do.

I read to them at bedtime when they were little, of course, but here are some of my other tricks.

* READ AT BREAKFAST. I started doing this in self-defense. Our son is a morning person, chipper and energetic, while our daughter tends to be slow and grumpy. She makes an irresistible target, and the fighting between them could be unbearable. Her operatic screaming at 6:30 a.m. could make your eyebrows fall out. How to cope?

By reading aloud--actually performing. As my kids have munched their Cheerios over the years, I have read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, “The Jungle Book,” “Out of Africa” and “A Christmas Carol,” to name a few. I use different voices for the different characters and read with expression. Although Meryl Streep has no competition from me, my performances are captivating enough that I’ve had one or the other of the children rush off to the bathroom, only to leave the door ajar with the admonition: “Keep reading! I can hear you!”

* READ DURING A WAIT. I have been known to read to the kids while at the beach, in restaurants, in airports and on airplanes. While in public, I read in a whisper, their heads nearly touching mine.

Are they embarrassed? Occasionally, but they’ve gotten used to that because I am a very embarrassing mother, or so they constantly tell me. Yet they want to hear the ending; they want to solve the mystery. All of us endure waiting; reading makes it productive.

* KEEP READING ALOUD. One dark and stormy night our television cable went out. We started a fire in the fireplace, dimmed the lights, and I read “The Monkey’s Paw.” Even my husband enjoys hearing me read.

* PLAY BOOKS ON TAPE. We are very fond of car trips, but they are more interesting when we listen to books on tape. Traffic isn’t as irritating when you have a good story playing, and there’s a bonus: The children aren’t shrieking like howler monkeys.

“Charlotte’s Web,” “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon stories are some of our favorites. For younger children, Jim Weiss does some excellent tapes of Greek myths, stories of King Arthur, fairy tales and others. The Harry Potter books, read by Jim Dale, are also delightful.

* PUT MAGAZINES IN CAR. We have subscriptions to Muse, Odyssey, Cobblestone, Zillions and Dig. All kids enjoy interesting articles about science, nature and history, but the operative word is interesting. Schoolbooks contain general information (often deadly dull, in fact), but the magazines offer great photos and up-to-date information on new discoveries. We save many of the old issues, and they have been very valuable for the kids to use as sources for reports.

* PUSH LITERATURE. Emphasizing fine quality in children’s literature requires regular visits to the library or the local children’s bookstore. I prefer the bookstores because they tend to have knowledgeable and helpful employees. I don’t want my kids wasting their time on mediocre books.

My son was hooked on the Animorphs series for a while, so I made a deal with him. He could read the series, but he had to alternate with award-winning books. Look for those that have won the Newbery, Coretta Scott King or Caldecott (for illustrated books) awards and those listed as notable by the American Library Assn. The National Book Award also has a new category for young adult books.

* GIVE BOOKS AS GIFTS. Books are wonderful presents because you can always find one to suit a child’s interests and reading level. For every holiday that requires a gift, our children receive at least one book. This elevates the stature of books in their eyes.

* PLAN DAILY READING. This can be difficult given how busy everyone tends to be. Sports and homework often interfere with our good intentions. I make sure the kids have time to read on the weekends to make up for this, but my preference is to have them read daily.

The message is clear: Reading is as essential as brushing your teeth. It’s a skill that requires practice. I found that this was particularly important when the kids were in first through fifth grades. In later years, we have cut back on after-school activities to make sure that the kids had as much time as they needed for both homework and reading.

* CUT TELEVISION TIME. In our house we do not allow TV on school nights. The kids can watch it on weekends, but only if they’ve finished all chores and homework, and have done some reading. If the books are good enough, however, they often forget about watching TV. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

* HONOR THEIR LIKES. It gives them great pleasure to know that you value their opinions enough to take the time to read a book that they have recommended. The variety and quality of children’s books today is much greater than it was when we parents were young. An added benefit in this is getting to know your child very well through the books they love.

* VISIT MUSEUMS. What does this have to do with reading? Plenty. At the Gene Autry Museum, for instance, children can see a stagecoach, steamer trunks, glassware, iron skillets, toys and numerous other everyday items used by the pioneers. Then they can relate better to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, for example. They will have a different reading experience, one that is far richer and has much more significance for them. Our local harbor had a reproduction of one of Christopher Columbus’ ships available for tours one weekend. Touring that small, primitive ship enabled our children to truly understand the mutinous attitude of the crew and the pressures Columbus felt to find land. History lessons on Columbus have never been the same.

* TAKE THEM TO PLAYS. Plays are, in a sense, another way to have someone read to you or tell you a story. There is an enormous difference between seeing a play and watching a movie. The subtle interaction between audience and actor makes every performance unique, and every child should experience this. The logistics of changing scenery and costumes mean that the language and action of a play are carried in a way different from the way of a movie.

This became clear when we had two exchange students stay with us last year--a boy and a girl who spoke excellent English but used their free time to play video games or watch TV. We took them to see “West Side Story” at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. I sketched out the plot for them beforehand, but neither had been to a play and they were not enthusiastic about seeing this one. They were, however, transfixed by the show.

My efforts--and it has been hard work, at times--have paid big dividends. As excellent readers, our children are also excellent spellers, writers and students. They are able to entertain themselves and are interesting conversationalists. The activities I have used to encourage and enhance their reading have also provided us with quality family time. But the greatest reward, as the teacher’s comment shows, is that they have heard my message and taken it to heart.

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Small is a stay-at-home mother in Ventura who volunteered this article because she wanted to show educational experts how reading is done “in the trenches.” She is writing her first novel for young adults.