Reading What Your Child is Reading

Children reading books is such a joyous site. Hearing them reading aloud puts a smile on your face. They are having so much fun. Parents can get into the fun, too. Read what your child is reading.

There are so many advantages to reading the books your child likes. You get to talk to them about it. Over dinner discuss the surprise cliff-hanger at the end of chapter seven. Get into a discussion about how tricky one character and why another did such a noble act. This is a perfect bonding time for parents and children. It gives you something in common to talk about.

Another excellent reason for reading what your child is reading is to be prepared. What if your child comes up after reading a chapter in an assigned book for school to ask a question? Are you ready to explain a scene or why a character said what they did? If you have never read the book your child is reading, you will not be able to adequately explain it. Find out what your child has to read for school. If you are homeschooling, take a look at their lesson plans. If they are in public schools, talk to their teachers and get a list. Check the book out of the library and get started reading before your child is ready to pick up the book. Be prepared. 

Reading what your child is reading keeps you in the loop as to what they are taking in. Some assigned books for school might raise questions that you are not ready to answer. Maybe a book is assigned that you feel is highly inappropriate. Your reading the book lets you know exactly what your child is exposed to. You will be prepared to help explain things and to redirect the learning path by having a discussion with the teacher.

This also goes beyond school reading. What is the latest book series children are reading? Have you heard all sorts of things about it? The best thing to do is to read the book yourself. See if the rumors are true about the content. Determine if the book is appropriate. Is the material suitable for your child? Is it something that you will like to read and discuss with them?

Reading what your child is reading makes a well-informed parent. The education of a child with parents who are up to speed on their children’s lives can soar to unbelievable heights. Pick up your child’s books and see what lies between the pages.