Words matter: Raising the next generation of book worms
With UQP’s re-release of Megan Daley’s book Raising Readers, the award-winning teacher librarian shares insights on her passion for words in her introduction to the new, fully revised and updated edition.
I have loved books my whole life. I was fortunate to be raised in a home that valued words and literature, and my parents read to me throughout my childhood and beyond.
I vividly remember my father reading to me in my early teens -though, perhaps he was reading to my younger brothers and I was just part of the action. Regardless, I was hooked by the sound of words being recited by someone I loved and admired.
My mother, also a teacher librarian, filled our house with quality books. She introduced me to some of my all-time favourites, including Dicey’s Song (Cynthia Voigt), Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (Robin Klein) and John Marsden’s iconic So Much to Tell You, which blew my angsty teenage brain!
When I had my first child it came as something of a shock that others around me were not reading to their babies. At that time, in my role as national vice-president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, I was asked on several occasions by the media and parents about the “right age” to start reading to children.
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The answer seemed obvious to me – from birth, of course! I would tell people that books were an essential newborn accessory. But I also had to be mindful that not everyone had my upbringing or training or knowledge of childhood literacy.
On a personal level, fostering a love of reading in my children seemed to be the easiest part of parenting. I find being a parent a very hard job at times, and every stage of child-rearing seems to be filled with guilt. I do, however, feel confident that I will be able to look back and say, “But I read to them and gave them the joy of books”, and know that I did my best.
I know how beneficial it is for children to enter the education system bubbling with excitement about words, images and ideas
I have been a primary school teacher and teacher librarian for more than 20 years. As a parent and educator, I know how beneficial it is for children to enter the education system bubbling with excitement about words, images and ideas.
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Flashcards or early online reading programs won’t instil this joy in your little one, but gorgeous books will. Immersing your child in language in all forms – stories and songs and nursery rhymes – is one of the best ways you can give them a head start and help them to reach their academic potential.
We educators are always so grateful to the families who read to their children and support the education process in this way. It is possible to encourage the joy of recreational reading and still engage with crucial skill development plus meet the demands of the school curriculum and data requirements. But families are instrumental in helping us achieve this.
Raising Readers is a guide for parents and caregivers, and a resource for educators. Like all good non-fiction books (my teacher librarian hat is on now), you can dip into this book as needed or you can read it from start to finish.
I will walk you through each stage of a child’s literacy development – from birth to adolescence – and offer advice, connect you with the right books at the right times, share pieces of wisdom from my literary friends, as well as some tips and tricks to ensure your family’s or classroom’s reading journeys are as memorable and as engaging as they can be.
Throughout the book I refer to school libraries and library staff as if they exist in every school. I do this because they darned well should and the research supports this. I don’t believe good school libraries and quality teacher librarians and library staff are a thing of the past, but if you are in a school without a library or teacher librarian, I hope that this book offers you guidance.
We all have an invaluable part to play in ensuring the young people in our lives fall in love with books. It is a gift they will cherish forever.
Raising Readers: How to nurture a child’s love of books by Megan Daley, UQP, $34.99.