KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Studies show literacy can play a big role in your child's future success both in and out of the classroom. That impact has led a Knox County mother and former teacher to raise awareness on the importance of keeping children engaged with reading over summer break.
Erin Pate was a third-grade teacher for 10 years and now dedicates herself to raising two young daughters. She also runs an Instagram account called Books and Smiles in which she shares how you can encourage your kids to read over the summer.
"There is so much brain development that goes on and, in the summer, we want to focus on that too," Pate stressed. "These tips and suggestions would work for... no matter what your summer looks like."
The former educator told 10News that parents should start thinking of reading as playing.
"A lot of times parents of young kids really focus on reading as a routine," she commented. "It is part of their naptime or bedtime routine, but offer it up as an activity you can do throughout the day as fun."
Pate explained that means having books accessible and visible for your children around the house. She said if the kids cannot reach the books or even see them, it is not going to be something they go to for playtime.
"And if you see your child reach for a book, whether it is a baby, preschooler or toddler and they are kind of reading it to themselves, allow them to do that," Pate added. "Do not step in immediately and try to read because they are building really good pre-reading skills by reading to themselves. I say reading loosely, but flipping the pages and using their imagination."
Pate also encouraged parents to pair a book with an activity. For example, if you are going on a family picnic, you should have your children read a book about picnics and then go to the picnic. Another example: If you are going to the pool this summer, your kids should read a swimming-related book and then go to the pool.
"The more text-to-self connections that we can provide for our kids, the more background knowledge they are acquiring and that background knowledge is going to help them later on down the road in their reading comprehension," she explained. "So it is really huge and it is something so simple that we can do. I guarantee you if you went to the library with this thought in mind, books would just jump out at you on the shelves of ideas."
Speaking of the library, Pate said parents should prioritize spending time at the library this summer. She recognized, though, that it can feel intimidating to some parents.
"It can feel intimidating, I think, for parents of young kids, because, when we think of a library, we think of quiet calm and when we think of babies, preschoolers, toddlers, we do not always think quiet and calm," the former teacher pointed out. "But the library is such a great place for our young kids to be immersed and surrounded by books, for them to be able to pick out books."
Pate also recommends visiting the local Storybook Trails around East Tennessee. They are stories that are installed along accessible paths in local parks.
"You read the pages of the book and then, at the bottom, there is some sort of activity or a question that you can discuss with the people that you are with and then you kind of move along the trail," she explained. "It is so fun because it gets us outside, moving and reading, which we know are three things that are so important for our kids."
Pate pointed out many parents tend to stress out over possible regressions during the summer, but she said you should not be too concerned. She added it is all about being intentional with reading.
"It does not always have to look like a stringent list," she explained. "Let it be fun because, when we put parameters around reading in that way, I think it kind of takes away the fun for kids."