The month of January families move activities indoors. Cold weather coupled with short daylight invites us to enjoy being together within our homes in a cozy warm setting. This is the month to capitalize on spending quality time with our children and grandchildren. January is the perfect time to foster a love of reading in children of all ages.
Perhaps the most valuable skill that is taught to our children is the ability to read. The reading skill is a starting point. If you foster a love of reading within the children in your life, you are providing a lifelong gift. It is through reading that they will develop interests, learn new things and let their imagination take flight.
Establish a reading habit
The love of reading begins in early childhood when together you look at picture books, recite rhymes and identify letters.
Determine a reading time to create a reading habit. Children observing their parents reading are provided with a model which states reading is an important part of our day. Typically, parents read to babies and young children, but do not continue to reserve time as children grow older. Instead of watching television and texting friends, encourage the habit of reading for pleasure.
When visiting grandparents come into town, bring a book for the grandchild. This doubles the pleasure of being together and becomes a cherished tradition during your visit. Grandparents can read with a young child and can discuss the book with older child. Associating a grandparent’s visit with a book to add to child’s collection fosters the love for reading.
Start a multi-generational book group
Suggest starting a book group for middle and junior high school youth. Today, book groups are popular among adults of all ages. For those who enjoy participating in a book group, initiate a group for the youth in your life. Invite a group of your friends to bring with them their child/grandchild to a book discussion. The preceding month, select an age-appropriate book for the youth and both children and adults will read and discuss this book. This fun activity fosters a love of reading.
Photo credit: Joan Wyler
Visit the public library
A trip to the library offers, at no cost, an enriching day activity followed by a week of reading material. Make visiting your public library a regular activity. The library is a wonderful resource for inspiring reading. Libraries are set up to encourage children to explore books. Library displays may focus on holidays or special interests. There will be suggested books on display to entice patrons to check the library’s collection. Librarians are a wonderful resource for patrons of all ages. They can suggest books for different age groups and locate specific subjects. Library visits can include walking to your closest neighborhood library or taking an excursion to a downtown main branch library.
In addition to an onsite visit to the library, take advantage of going to their website. The website contains “Staff Picks for Kids,” which is updated weekly. Previous weeks can be accessed on the website. Recommendations during winter of 2025 included: “Winter Fun,” “For the Birds” and “Crafts for Cold Days.”
Public libraries provide the opportunity for the child to choose his own books and magazines. The library shelves offer books on a vast array of subjects. Allow the child to select several books to take home. This will provide many hours of reading material. An extra bonus is that the books are available to the public at no fee. Further information is available at Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library website.
The PJ Library Program
The PJ Library is an international non-profit organization that, free of charge, sends a monthly age-appropriate book to children up to 12 years of age having at least one Jewish parent. The Mayerson JCC is the local partner of the PJLibrary. Books start with board and picture books for parents to read to young children, and continue with books appropriate for elementary school-age children. The selected books incorporate Jewish life, values, holidays and activities. Through PJ Our Way, children nine to twelve years old are able to choose their own books each month from a safe, kid-friendly website. The four monthly PJ Our Way books have been reviewed by other children, thus encouraging youth to share their reading insights. To learn more and sign-up contact: MayersonJCC.org/PJLibrary.
Photo credit: Joan Wyler
The Friends Warehouse Used Bookstore
The Friends of Cincinnati Hamilton County Library organization run a Warehouse used bookstore with proceeds benefiting the public library. This warehouse, located in Hartwell on Vine Street, is an excellent excursion to take youth to purchase children’s books. The Warehouse both accepts donations and sells books that have been donated by the public and discarded from the main branch library. Children will be wide eyed as they delight in selecting books from this very large collection of slightly used books. Books are typically sold under three dollars and Friends members receive a 10% discount. This is an excellent inexpensive source of books for children to build their own library.
Joan welcomes your comments and ideas.
parentingplus@americanisraelite.com
