Recently, a parent calling to enquire about our summer writing camps commented that her younger daughter – not yet old enough for Centauri Arts Camp- was not a reader like her older sister, and that they were struggling to find ways to encourage her to read. Did we have any thoughts we could share, after years as camp directors? Well, it so happens that we have. Young people sometimes become avid readers with little intervention from parents. Others require more encouragement. Here are some of the ways we encourage reading at camp, and ways you can do so at home:
1. Read aloud together. Tell stories. Share stories. Make this a family and community activity.
At camp, our counsellors read aloud to campers at bed time. Even for the oldest teens, this is a special part of the day. Everyone gathers together in pajamas to hear stories and talk about them. Relaxing, stillness, contemplation and shared experiences are essential in today’s hectic world.
2. Make quiet time for reading.
At camp, there are no TVs, computers or cell phones to distract from the act of reading. Campers tend to spend free time reading or talking together. At home, it’s important to set aside a quiet time in each day for reading and discussing… all too often, technology crowds out these activities.
3. Celebrate stories and literature in the activities you share.
A family trip to the library or bookstore, or a discussion about a book you have read, helps to encourage young people to read. At camp, we have theme suppers and festivals based around books. In the last couple of years camp activities have celebrated ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and the Narnia books, as well as folk stories and mythology that is at the root of so much literature.
4. Talk about books!
When parents, older siblings or camp counsellors talk together about books they have read, younger children are inspired to join in. Literature is as much a part of dorm discussions at camp as films or music. Our Writing programs all include shared reading, to widen the campers’ experience of books. It is important to make young people aware of the benefits of reading. Praise children when their vocabulary or topics of discussion widen because of their reading. Make sure they are aware of how they are benefiting.
5. Set an example yourself
When children see parents and role models enjoying literature, they are more likely to read themselves. When books are prominent in the camp cabin or the family home, children are more predisposed to read them.
6. Make the right books available
For ‘reluctant readers’ the right book is any book at all that the child expresses an interest in, or that promotes an interest they already have. Books about hockey. Fantasy. Whatever. If children struggle with their reading, it is important that the books presented to them are simple for them to read – or they may become discouraged. For more sophisticated readers, a challenge is essential. A bright teenager presented only with ‘books for young adults’ may become as discouraged as a child presented with books too complex for them. Most young people over the age of 14 or so are perfectly capable of enjoying most adult novels (provided the content is appropriate). Encouraging them to move beyond novels marketed to their age group and into the wider realm of books opens so many new doors!
7. Play with words and enjoy them.
Word games are great for younger children. Any game or activity which promotes an appreciation of language is likely to lead to an interest in reading.
8. Provide opportunities, where possible, for young readers to meet and interact with their favorite authors.
Many book festivals and reading series have components for young readers. Hearing favorite authors read and discuss their books – or even attending workshops in creative writing they may offer – is one way to make reading an integral part of our leisure time. The process of reading becomes interactive – readers discover their response to what they read actually matters. There are also opportunities for young readers to interact with favorite authors online – but the advantage of face-to-face events is that readers are presented with a community of people who enjoy what they enjoy. It’s a process of validation.
Most summers at Centauri, we have guest writers offering readings on site for the benefit of our campers. Often our young writers may read at the same events the guests read at – learning there is no real distinction between the work of published writers and their own. Even more importantly, our writing instructors bring examples of their published work for our writers and other campers to enjoy. This sets up a dialogue between writers and young readers, who become more than passive consumers of culture, as a result.
9. Enjoy related arts activities.
All of the arts are interconnected. A child who is introduced to dance, visits art galleries, plays an instrument or tackles a character on the stage is more likely to read as well… and the chances are, they will have more frames of references to bring to their reading, too.
10. Encourage a child to be inquisitive about the world…
… and to look for answers in books
Who discovered the earth was round? Which is the most lethal snake? Where is the best place in Canada to hunt for buried treasure? When a child asks questions, there’s a great opportunity to encourage reading… and to allow them to discover for themselves the rewards. Google has its place, but let’s make sure young people know how to satisfy their curiosity using books, too.
By Julie Hartley
Director, Centauri Summer Arts Camp
Julie Hartley is one of the directors of Centauri Summer Arts Camp (www.centauriartscamp.com). Centauri is an overnight camp in the Niagara Region of Ontario, offering intensive arts training in 40 different arts specialties for youth aged 9-18. For permission to use this article in part or whole, please contact Julie at
julie@ centauriartscamp.com
Craig Hartley
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp & Centauri Arts Academy, Toronto
+1 416 766 7124