What Makes a Student 'Smart' #5

This is the time of year when I get anxious questions from the parents of rising juniors. Their child has taken the SAT for the first time, and reality has hit at best, sheer panic at worst. College is on the horizon and their child’s first SAT scores are a cold shock. The race is on for a summer full of expensive cram courses; everyone is unhappy and feeling pressured.

Yes, these courses can be helpful, but if reading had been a happy, significant part of Suzy or Johnny’s life since they could sit in their parent’s lap, this unhappy scenario could have been avoided. Students who read for pleasure usually do better in school and on standardized testing verbal sections than students who never read other than homework. This is a documented, proven fact over and over again!

So how does a parent get their child to read?

1. Make reading a family value. No time you say? First look at your family schedule and it will tell you what you value. Perhaps an activity can be cut out. Does your child have to do three activities a week? Second, look at how your family relaxes. Perhaps a good book instead of so much time spent with electronics. Third, stand back and look at time spent pursuing that “fulfilling” social life. Could there be some cutbacks to enable some quiet time at home reading? Final analysis – pursue the ever-challenging task of balance. Look at the end product of what you want for your child and then plan backwards. If you want your child to go to a competitive college, then time has to be planned towards that goal.

2. It is never too late for your child to start reading for enjoyment. The best scenario is to start reading to your toddler with enthusiasm, and not stopping to facilitate reading ever. Sadly many parents stop reading to their child as soon as they can read. This is where the ball gets dropped! Keep reading to your child at bed time, or have them read to you and be so proud of them! No matter how old your child is, model reading yourself. Remember it is not what we say as parents, but what we do. Facilitate your child’s reading by allowing (planning) for reading and books. Make books the sought after commodity in your family, they are valued as sources of conversation and stimulation. They can be a shared interest like shopping, a sport, or social interest.

3. Summer is the best time for reading, especially for teenagers who have less time during the school year. This is why I started the Summer Reading Challenge (watch the Darlington website for more information coming soon), to provide a positive experience for students to enjoy reading and build skills. Summer is the perfect visual of reading in the hammock or by the pool AND (the part people don’t think about) building vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills. This is where those higher SAT verbal scores get developed.

If you need help developing a plan to set your child up to enjoy reading this summer, contact me at jbonnyman@darlingtonschool.org.