Helping Children Discover Joy In Reading
“Reading a book opens up your outlook on life, opens up your perspective and helps you create a whole new dimension of creativity and innovation.”-Dr. Artika Tyner
At its very core, joy is about positive connections. It helps reinforce important relationships. Literacy, which is vital to the health and well-being of individuals and communities, is one of those important relationships. Often, literacy is discussed in terms of competencies. However, underneath each measurable competency lies an immeasurable relationship that can either ignite and sustain growth or diminish and restrict it. When only 31% of Minnesota’s Black students are proficient in reading, there’s an opportunity to improve the quality of that underlying relationship.
That is where joy comes in.
Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute and its partnering social enterprise Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore are committed to that end. Over 8,000 children worldwide have developed a positive relationship to reading and writing as a result of the Black literacy nonprofit’s commitment to helping children discover joy in reading. By centering and engaging Black children’s joy, they are seizing an opportunity to create a strong culture of literacy that will endure over a lifetime.
Here is how they do it.
RELATABLE BOOKS
A book can change a life. It can spark creativity. It can encourage the exploration of cultures, traditions, and histories that expand awareness and understanding of the world. Its characters can inspire. Each one, with its unique qualities and experiences, can contribute to personal growth and development.
Books that deliver positive messaging and feature relatable characters that engage readers in personal ways. Children are more likely to read books when they can identify with the characters. Having their identities and lived experiences represented in the books they read, children develop a positive relationship to reading. This connection helps children imagine new possibilities and find a sense of belonging, both of which contribute to joy.
However, for far too many Black children that is not their experience. They are more likely to see a black bear or black dog on the cover of a book than a Black girl or Black boy and are unlikely to find their story reflected in the narrative. This contributes to a lack of joy when it comes to reading and may help explain why over 5 million Black students in the U.S. are struggling to read.
The founder of PPGJLI, Dr. Artika Tyner, has strategically designed a way to change that and plant seeds of change for the Black community. Her model, aimed at serving underrepresented communities around the world, focuses on creating, publishing, and sharing diverse books that foster leadership development. The books explore and celebrate history and culture across the African Diaspora with topics such as arts, geography, and science. To date, over 39,000 of these diverse books have been donated.
Here are some fun ways to discover and collect diverse books:
● Visit libraries regularly
● Create a home library together
● Frequent local bookstores
● Encourage exploration of topics and genres
● Ensure and prioritize choice
As the pages of books reflect positive representations of themselves, children become motivated and find joy in reading.
THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE
Dialogue nurtures literacy. It is how we identify, understand, interpret, create, and communicate with one another. In this digital age, engaging children in dialogue is more important than ever. Thoughtful dialogue can foster inquiry, deep thinking, and problem-solving. Because children are masterful questioners, they are naturally well-suited for this and it offers another way to center their joy.
Read-alouds are great opportunities to dialogue thoughtfully with children. Asking questions like “What do you think will happen next?” engages them in the reading process. When children think about something, tap into their open and unstructured perspectives, and express it to others, enthusiasm soars.
That is what inspired PPGJLI to create a free monthly Leaders are Readers event where local Black authors share their books and host a spelling bee. As children participate and become a part of the narrative, they develop a deeper connection to the book and are more likely to discover joy in reading it. Children find themselves surrounded by family and caring adults, or First Educators, and begin to relate books to a sense of belonging.
Here are a few more ways to engage children in thoughtful dialogue.
● Ask them to compare books or characters
● Inspire them with open-ended questions
● Help them connect the story to their lives
● Encourage them to predict what will happen
● Invite them to share their opinions
The more children interact with books, the more they realize the joy and possibilities they offer.
MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES
What could be more meaningful than telling your own story? It provides opportunities for reading, writing, and creating, and lets children express themselves. They feel seen. When children are seen, they shine. Storytelling taps into their creativity and motivates them to find joy in reading while also promoting socio-emotional growth, encouraging critical thinking skills, and strengthening communication skills.
PPGLI initiated its Write for Justice program to provide children with opportunities to tell their stories and help them discover joy in reading. As emerging young authors, they hold book signings at local bookstores and see themselves as leaders in their communities. Children as young as 8 years old are invited to create, re-imagine, and build a more just and inclusive world through the transformative and healing power of storytelling. This sends a message that their ideas are valuable and they are capable of creating positive change no matter their age.
Any activity that includes togetherness, positive attention, and books creates lasting memories for children. Because 80% of the brain develops before 3 years of age, it’s never too early to spend quality time reading together. Centering the child in the activities is a vital aspect of creating meaning.
Here are a few other meaningful activities to consider:
● Enjoy some book-inspired cooking
● Plan a regular book-sharing night
● Dedicate a daily time for reading together
● Organize book-themed crafts
● Create a homemade book together
Any book-related activity that offers an opportunity to bond or gain the attention of a caring adult, will be meaningful to children.
BECOME A PART OF HELPING CHILDREN DISCOVER JOY IN READING
Join PPGJLI’s Difference Maker Circle: Support PPGJLI in their programming which brings author read-alouds to communities and encourages new writers of all ages to tell their stories. Your monthly donation will ensure children discover joy in reading!
Host a Children’s Book Drive: Whether virtual or in person, book drives bring the community together and can center PPGJ’s diverse books that help children discover joy in reading. Yourtime and efforts will create great impact!
Start a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser: You can ask friends and family on Facebook to donate to PPGJLI for your birthday. All funds raised will be used to put books into the hands of children that will foster joy in reading and help them reach their limitless potential!
You can learn more about how to help children discover joy in reading by exploring PPGJLI’s YouTube channel or by following them on Facebook or Instagram.