Further Reading/Sources/Special Thanks

If you have a JSTOR account, check out these articles about reading with children. 
http://ezproxy.missouriwestern.edu:2100/stable/27764607
http://ezproxy.missouriwestern.edu:2100/stable/23255724
http://ezproxy.missouriwestern.edu:2100/stable/4151760
http://ezproxy.missouriwestern.edu:2100/stable/canajeducrevucan.37.2.03
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.missouristate.edu/stable/20462724

If you are still interested in ways you can better learn about reading with children, check out these links!
https://www.getsmartoregon.org/strategies-for-reading-aloud-with-children/
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/parent/reading-with-children.html
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/reading.html

I would also like to thank Mrs. Debbie Kunz for her interview on child development earlier this year (February). She answered a lot of my questions and filled many gaps in my research about reading with children. 

Early Elementary

Reading With Parents:
I am one of the top readers in my class. I am starting to read chapter books on my own now. I love the stories and I love learning. My parents don't always know how to answer my questions, but Mom and Dad always take me to the library to get books so I can find the answers. They still read to me at night, and they teach me the morals the books teach, too. Last night, we read a book about a brother and a sister who got in a big fight, but they made up. I hope that I can fix problems like that with my siblings, too. I've learned so much from reading, and I love that my parents help me so much. Someday, I'll be able to read without any help! 

Not Reading With Parents:
I get so far behind in reading in my class. My friends are already reading chapter books, but I don't like them. The letters don't make any sense to me, and reading isn't fun. I want to read like my classmates, but I don't know how. My parents tell me I just need to read on my own and I'll get better. We've tried that, though. It doesn't work. Since Mom and Dad don't read, I guess I don't need to read, either. It's not worth learning if I don't have to read books outside of my classes. 

Kindergarten

Reading With Parents:
I'm learning to read on my own now. I love reading, and I love reading to my parents. Sometimes, we take turns reading out loud together. When I find a word I don't know, they help me sound it out. They ask me questions about the story, and I love giving them the right answer. Even if I mess up sometimes, they still help me figure out why I messed up and what I can do better at next time. Mom reads with me in the mornings before school, and I help. Dad reads with me at night before bed, and I get pick out the story. We have so much fun together, and I hope we can do this forever!

Not Reading With Parents:
I can read some words without help now, but I'm not learning all of them as quickly as some of my friends. I feel like I'm missing something important, but I'm not sure what. My parents are worried because I'm behind in my reading, but they don't know how to help. They try to read with me, but I don't learn anything. I've tried to read to them, but they get annoyed when I mess up a word. I don't  like reading anymore. I like the stories my teacher reads to me, but I can't do it on my own. I guess I don't really need to, because I don't see my parents reading, either. 

Preschool

Reading With Parents:
I love that Mom and Dad read with me because it helps me know what to do in class. I already know all the letters because my parents show me them in the books they read with me. I can even help my friends who don't know them as well, yet. It's fun to read with my parents because it helps me spend time with them. I like seeing Mom smile when I point at a word I know, and I like hearing Dad's laugh when I add sound effects to the story. Sometimes, they even let me make up my own story to go along with the pictures I see. 

Not Reading With Parents:
The beginning of preschool was hard because I didn't know the letters as well as some of my classmates. I'm learning quickly, but I wish Mom and Dad would help me more. They read with me sometimes, and I love that, but they aren't very good at explaining what everything means. I don't know all my words yet, and they just read through those words like I do know them. They think I learn it all at preschool, but my teacher doesn't have enough time to help all of us with everything. 

Toddler

Reading With Parents:
I love reading with my parents. Mom read me a story about a mouse this morning, and Dad read me one about bugs after we got home from daycare. I liked looking at the pictures of the different colored bugs, and Dad helped me count them. We counted ten bugs on the last page! Before I went to bed, they read me another book with a lot of pictures of animals. I was able to name all but one. I love seeing all the pictures and colors and shapes. Reading is so much fun, and I get to learn so much!


Not Reading With Parents:
I got Mom and Dad to read with me today. They like to read with me, but I think they just get too busy sometimes. When I gave Dad my favorite book, he picked it up and read, but he didn't let me turn the pages. I like looking at the colors and pictures, and I like learning what it all means. I still don't know what everything is, but Mom won't answer my questions. She rolls her eyes when I ask "Why?" and says "Because that's the way it is." I know she knows, but she doesn't like to explain things. 

Infant

Reading With Parents:
Mom read to me today! We had a lot of fun together. I got to sit in her lap and look at pictures of birds and trucks. Mom showed me the colors, too. Dad helped me point at the animals when he read to me. He told me that a cow says "moo" and a cat says "meow." He made silly noises, and he made me smile big. I love reading with my mom and dad because it means they cuddle with me and teach me new words. Someday, they tell me I'll be able to say and read the words with them. I hope they're right. Reading is so much fun! 



Not Reading With Parents:
I get so excited when my mom and dad hold me because it means I can see their face clearly. I like laying in my swing, but everything is so far away. I can't see anything very well. Looking at pictures is so much fun. If Mom and Dad read to me even more, I would be able to see all the pictures and colors. When I was first born, I only could see basic, black and white pictures. As I get older, I can see colors and shapes. Maybe Mom and Dad don't know I can see these now. 

Reading With Your Children

Few will dispute the importance of parents reading with their children. Reading, starting at a very young age, helps improve vocabulary, oral and literacy skills, reading comprehension, and even social skills. In fact, a child's early reading habits can predict future success in this area. However, simply reading the words on a page is not always enough. Children will not receive these benefits if they do not understand what is going on in the story or other form of literature. Teachers alone cannot provide every need a child has in this category. Many parents understand the importance of reading with their children daily. On the other hand, many do not. Parents must take care in pointing at pictures and words and asking and answering questions during the reading process. Many children learn best when interacting with the story itself rather than just listening to a jumble of words. 
I will cover how each age can be best influenced by reading with their parents. I have broken them up into five basic categories: infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary (approximately 1st-3rd grades). Each age group will include two "diary entries" from the child's perspective. One entry will be from the perspective of a child who actively reads with his or her parents, and the other will be from the perspective of a child who is not influenced by reading with parents whether it's because the reading is not engaging or because the parents simply neglect to read with their child. I hope everyone enjoys these entries and benefits from my posts!