Life at home can impact a kids reading habit
“There’s no such thing as a non-reader. There’s just a kid who hasn’t found the right book yet,” said Summer Reading program director at the Idaho Falls Public Library, Ryan Congdon.
With such a busy world around us and things constantly fighting for our attention, picking up a book to read sometimes isn’t our first choice, especially for kids.
“I don’t read all the time because, TV, Video games, I do that sometimes,” said library visitor, Garrison.
However, choosing to read is still a choice kid’s are making.
“I really like books because they’re kind of exciting, and they’re more interesting than movies because they have more details and all that sort of thing.”
For Garrison, it’s a joy he found first in his home.
“We have a lot of books at our house.”
For other families, reading isn’t actively encouraged.
“Across all spectrum of the community, there are lower income families where just reading isn’t important, and there are upper-income families where reading isn’t important. They’re just doing other things.”
When it’s not something they’ve been taught to find joy in, it can make a kid more reluctant to pick up a book in the first place.
At the Idaho Falls Public Library, programs are in place to help kids discover the adventures a book can take them on.
There are also reading programs for parents as well.
“A lot of parents, just, they didn’t have that growing up maybe and now they want to offer it to their kids, but they don’t know where to start. We’re here as the library to offer these programs completely free of charge.”
While kids are in school, picking up a book is much more likely, but during the summer they get distracted with so many other great activities that the books tend to stay on the shelf.
Except at the Idaho Falls Public Library, “Summer reading is always our busiest time of the year. We have thousands of people who sign up for our summer reading programs.”
In case you’re wondering why it’s so important that your kid finds joy in flipping the pages, Garrison says. “It makes you sort of smarter, and you use reading or writing for every job that you have. Reading helps you learn new words that can help.”
You can sign up for a summer reading program at the Idaho Falls Public Library here.
