Reading a great bonding activity for dads, kids
Shared experiences equal connections, and for fathers and children reading together not only brings them closer but offers teaching moments, too. “Parents are most often the first person that reads a book to a child starting at birth. If you read aloud early and often — and keep it going throughout childhood — you are providing reading as a powerful experience,” said David Allender, editorial director of Scholastic Reading Club. “We live in a fast-paced world and taking the time to read together is about shared time together. We know that kids love how books connect them with their parents and find ways to talk about topics or concerns they may not be able to express.”
The sound of dad’s voice is one of his child’s favorite things on earth, so reading aloud can always be fun for that reason alone, Allender said.
“Reading aloud is a chance for a dad to let out his inner actor. Do funny voices. Add actions to illustrate the story. Anything to add magic to the moment together,” he said. “Asking questions is a great way to also keep the child involved. ‘Did you see that squirrel? ‘How do you think that kid is feeling right now?’ ‘What do you think will happen next?’ These are questions teachers ask in read-alouds and parents can, too.”
Reading aloud is also a great way to build vocabulary.
“Ask your child if he or she knows a word or can guess what it means in context. Keep a dictionary handy — you may not always be sure yourself! And, yes, dictionaries are better than searching on your phone during reading time. Going online can be a very distracting experience and interrupt the closeness of the moment together,” Allender said.
Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report showed that both kids and parents “just want a good story” (42 percent) and a similar percentage want books that “make kids laugh” — something that can engage even the most reluctant reader.
“The most common complaint is that dads in books are portrayed as clueless bumblers. That’s really because dads are traditionally authority figures in children’s literature, so it makes them a target for comedy. But there are wonderful dads and father figures in books,” Allender said.
Some of Allender’s favorite dads in children’s literature:
Picture books
• “A Brave Bear” by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Emily Hughes. A wonderful depiction of a dad’s loving support of his child’s efforts to try something new.
• “Dad’s First Day” by Mike Wohnoutka. A sweet dad has first-day-of-school jitters in this funny story.
• “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr. A father and daughter explore the natural magic of the winter world at night.
• “Papa Get the Moon for Me” by Eric Carle. From a master of the picture book as art form, a lovely tale and a lesson about the lunar cycle, too.
• “Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?” by Martin Waddell. Big Bear takes Little Bear for a stroll outside at night in this bedtime classic.
Longer stories
• The “Harry Potter” series by JK Rowling. Albus Dumbledore is one of the great father figures in children’s literature. Read the latest in the saga, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” to see how Harry copes with being a dad himself.
• “Danny the Champion of the World” by
Roald Dahl. A father and son are the heroes in this chapter book.
• “Ramona and her Father” by Beverly Cleary. A dad loses his job — and his 7-year-old daughter, Ramona Quimby, tries to help.
• “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo. An award-winning story about a girl, a lost dog and a great father. For more information on how kids like to read and their reading choices, check out Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report: www.scholastic.com/readingreport