Blogging A to Z: Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors
For the past month, I’ve been telling you that you should find books that interest kids and keep giving them the things they like. And you should. But, there is also something to be said for reading outside the box. Reading something that you wouldn’t have necessarily picked up on your own. You see books contain power and a lot of it.
Books have the power to transport readers to different time periods, different worlds, to offer a chance to see what the world is like from a different perspective. All without leaving the comfort of your own space. And that is powerful. Studies have shown that people who read, fiction, in particular, have a higher level of empathy for others. Most likely it can be linked back to reading about the way other people live in the world.
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
If you’re fully entrenched in the world of children’s literature like I am, you are very familiar with the mother of multicultural children’s literature – Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. As a long-time educator and researcher, Bishop established a framework for evaluating diverse children’s literature and is an icon in the field. Her most popular quote comes from an article she published in 1990 and in the past ten years or so has become extremely popular as it resonates with teachers, librarians, and readers.
“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.”
Increase Diverse Books
Diverse books can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I think it’s important for children to read about different cultures, religions, and areas of the world. But, diversity can also include socioeconomic status, disability, and so much more. It’s kind of like social media. If you only follow and interact with people just like you, then you’ll never know how others think and feel. Books can give kids (and adults) those windows and sliding doors into someone else’s world.
So, encourage your reluctant reader to read what they love. But as they begin to find the joy in reading, help them to branch out to learn more about the world around them. If you like reading aloud, this would be a great opportunity to share a book together. Or try an audiobook in the car or while you’re making dinner together. Or try a graphic novel or novel in verse, something that isn’t too long or overwhelming. You’ll most likely even find the diversity in books your child learns to love. And that will only increase their compassion and empathy for others. And that’s a win-win.
For the month of April, I’ll be sharing tips for reaching reluctant readers as part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. There are dozens of reasons why a child might be considered a “reluctant reader.” As summer nears, continued reading practice helps students to keep the reading skills they learned while reading for fun. But, that’s not easy when a child doesn’t want to sit down and read. I’ll be sharing 26 tips to meet reluctant readers where they are. And hopefully find a way to make reading bearable, if not even something they want to do!
