“ Diversity in children’s books helps young
leaders develop pride in themselves as well
as empathy and appreciation for people who
may have different lived experiences.”
—Tora Burns, program coordinator for
reading programs at the DC Public Library
READING RESOURCES
From Your Community Libraries
Tora Burns, program coordinator for reading programs at the DC
Public Library, says that all parents can get more information
pertaining to reading and book recommendations by visiting
their public library in person or online. For the DC Public Library
webpage, visit dclibrary.org. For age-appropriate readings lists,
visit dclibrary.org/kids/booklists.

Find information about library card registration and children’s
reading resources for Montgomery County Public Libraries at
montgomerycountymd.gov/library/for-you/kids.html. Arlington Public Library offers reading recommendations and
information about registering for library cards on its website
library.arlingtonva.us. n
32 Washington FAMILY MARCH 2022
Bogoni adds that reading opens children to
a world of ideas, concepts and knowledge
that will allow them to perform better on
standardized tests.

Read Diverse Books
Reading as a standalone concept is vital
for children, but so is what children read.

“Ideally, every child should be able to
find a book that resonates with them,”
says Burns. “Diversity in children’s
books helps young leaders develop pride
in themselves as well as empathy and
appreciation for people who may have
different lived experiences.”
Strittmatter agrees. “Media of all
types, including books, should provide
opportunities for people to see themselves
reflected in some way.” Unfortunately,
she notes, while books are “a primary
way children learn about and connect
to the world,” more children’s books
featuring animals as main characters exist
compared to children’s books published
that feature non-white main characters,
according to statistics compiled by the
Cooperative Children’s Book Center,
School of Education, University of
Wisconsin-Madison. “When (children) can’t find themselves
in those books, they’re hearing a message
JNEMCHINOVA/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
“The research shows that children who
are not reading on grade level by the time
they complete third grade are significantly
less likely to graduate high school on
time and therefore less likely to move
on to college and get a postsecondary
credential of some kind.” Schools, she
adds, are set up to teach children how to
read up through third grade. After third
grade, instruction shifts from teaching the
“skill” of reading to practicing reading and
using reading to access content.

“When children are not on grade level
with their reading, it doesn’t just hinder
their English participation in class. It
hinders their math, science, history
and everything else,” explains Bogoni.

Reading is an important “gateway skill,”
and reading often strengthens a child’s
reading ability, much like practicing
is key to becoming a good pianist.




that they don’t matter in that world,”
Strittmatter says. “For white children only
seeing characters that look like themselves,
the message may be that ‘only they matter.’”
This point underscores the importance of
encouraging children to read diverse books.

“Diverse books provide an opportunity for
children to see value in themselves and value in
others who may not look like them,” she adds.

Read Together
What can parents do to help raise strong
readers among their children?
“The first thing a parent can do is actually
model a reading household,” explains
Bogoni. Parents should “have books of
their own, show enjoyment around reading,
make reading something that kids want to
do,” she says. When reading with children,
parents should stop to ask questions. “What
does this remind you of in our life?” “Have
you experienced anything like this?” “What
do you see on this page?” These questions
engage children and build language alongside
connection and joy.

“Reading can become linked to schoolwork
and homework when our children go to school,”
Burns notes. Therefore, she emphasizes,
parents need to help their children remember
that reading is also a pleasure.

“When reading is seen as fun and continues
as a leisure activity, children have more
confidence in learning new information from
the written word,” Burns explains. To help
build a love of reading outside the classroom,
Burns encourages parents to embrace all forms
of reading — reading online, reading picture
books and reading graphic novels — to allow
children to discuss their reading, explain what
they’ve learned from a story and read what they
love to read.

Like Bogoni, Burns echoes the point about
modeling good reading habits. “Children have a
knack for repeating and emulating the behavior
they see adults do,” she says. “Let your child
choose the books they want to read. Choice
will empower them to take ownership of their
reading journey.”
Reading, adds Strittmatter, doesn’t have to
be limited to books.

She encourages parents to read the news to
their children, watch subtitled movies together
and play video games with text and logic
problems or board games with instructions. “To
raise an avid reader, read!” she declares. T
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