It happens to all of us at one point or another: we let reading shift in our kids’ lives from being principally about joy and delight into something that needs to be done for school. A lot of us notice a significant drop in how much our kids are reading for pleasure once the school year is well underway. This is a problem. According to the National Literacy Trust, those who enjoy reading are better, more confident readers who spend less time online, and are more motivated by interest and achievement. (source) In fact, we know that no single literacy activity has a more positive effect ton comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, writing ability, or overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading. (source) Not assigned reading. Not reading done for school. Free voluntary reading. I want to sit on this for a moment because the emphasis here is on reading for pleasure. Simply being ABLE to read or reading because you are told to does not confer the same benefits as reading for pleasure. So then it becomes obvious why it’s a red flag when reading starts to feel like school. In fact, it’s a red flag if the bulk of reading your child does is school-related. The bulk of the reading they do should be their own free, voluntary reading. That's what we're tackling today on the podcast. We also get to hear from one of my favorite authors about his newest book release! In this episode, I'm breaking down: * How less can actually be more when it comes to your child's reading life* Why we want our kids to be friendly and affectionate with the books they're reading * A list of books that are just plain fun-- my recommended reads if reading has hit a slump in your house (or if you're just ready for a good time!) Click the play button below to start listening: I talk about... 1:39Enjoying books makes better readers3:13What is our goal?5:58Feeling 'friendly, even affectionate' toward books8:15Less is more10:26Audiobooks instead14:08Invite delight16:09'The Book Whisperer'18:56'less titles, less pressure, less expectations'21:00'Willa the Wisp' (and a new series!)25:25'The Fabled Stables'26:19A series for many ages31:48 A prequel to 'Peter Nimble'34:07Let the Kids Speak More free resources and booklists Get the best episodes and reources from the Read-Aloud Revival Keep an eye on your inbox! We'll keep you posted whenever we have a new podcast episode or a great free booklist or resource for you. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Address I'd like to receive the free email course. Yes! Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form.ck_minimal { /* divider image */ background: #f9f9f9; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border: solid 1px #d1d...