Start a family book club

重慶市大足第一中學 周幫釗

培養孩子閱讀興趣的方式有很多種，家庭讀書俱樂部便是其中一種。如何創立家庭讀書俱樂部，引導孩子愛上閱讀呢？ 讀完這篇文章，我們心中自有答案。

體裁說明文文章詞數 建議用時約480 9分鐘

難詞探意

1. empathy /'emp?θi/ n. 同感；共鳴

2. nuance /'nju?ɑ?ns/ n. 細微差別

Reading together as a family encourages all the usual literacy skills: comprehension, reasoning,language skills, etc. But a family book club can also foster self-expression, creative thinking, andempathyin kids. Plus, a recent study suggests that children from book-oriented homes develop higher reading, math, and technological skills that can benefit them later in life. “Home reading helps improve concentration, imagination, and confidence,” said Patricia Edwards, professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University.“And it relaxes the body and calms the mind.”

Choosing the book is the first step to start a family club. To ease kids into the club, start with favorite books that kids have already read; once they're hooked, start selecting books new to everyone. And don't underestimate those books for beginning readers. Though subtle, many picture books have character development, tension, and plot twists. Even non-readers can join the family book club. “Choose a wordless picture book, or let them retell a story based on the illustrations,” Edwards says.

After the book is chosen, let children set the pace, choosing to read to each other as a family, in pairs, or alone. Let them decide when to meet, but schedule it once or twice a month at the most. Plan for an hour or less, even with older children. Before you meet, choose a leader to run the discussion,and make sure older children have a turn. The leader can then decide on an informal outline to keep the conversations moving. For example, the outline might include two questions to encourage discussion: a theme focusing on a character, storytelling style, or the ending; and a quick vote on whether the book deserves a second read.

Children new to a book club might be shy or unsure about expressing thoughts; they might even confuse it with doing a book report. To make them more comfortable, encourage thoughts and analysis appropriate for their age and skills instead of pushing or demanding deeper answers. Help them by asking open-ended questions that start with why, what if, and how. For example, you might ask, “Why didn't the character listen?” or “What if the dog didn't follow the girl?” Kids will surprise you with their in-depth thoughts.

Older children can explore thenuancesof characters, like their virtues and flaws, how they change, or what they learn throughout the story. Parents can help encourage this thinking by providing fuller answers and descriptions. For example, you might say things such as, “I like this character because...” or “I'm curious to find out what happens if...” You can also build confidence with phrases like “Excellent point”, or “I hadn't thought of that”.

Don't worry if the conversations spark some disagreement—that's OK. Debate in book club is vital, and allowing children to express different opinions builds confidence.

Reading Check

1. Why is Patricia Edwards mentioned in the first paragraph?

A. To introduce some technological skills.

B. To make some suggestions about reading.

C. To illustrate the importance of creative thinking.

D. To stress the benefit of home reading.

2. What should be done first to start a family club?

A. Letting children read to each other.

B. Choosing an appropriate book.

C. Collecting enough picture books.

D. Choosing a leader after reading.

3. What can we learn about the debate in book club?

A. It harms the relationship between children.

B. It makes children lose interest in reading.

C. It helps children build confidence.

D. It lets children fall in love with novels.