Why Kids Need to See Dad Reading
The Power of a Father’s Example
When I was a boy, I saw my father reading constantly. Upon its release, he dutifully bought every new Stephen King novel and had an entire bookcase dedicated to the famed horror author. He had a years-long subscription to Newsweek magazine to stay informed of issues of national importance and kept abreast of local news by reading the city newspaper at the table every morning. I would not say my father was a literary person, but he knew the value of reading and did it for pleasure, both as a means of escape and to stay informed about the world around him.
A Boyhood Shaped by Books—and a Reading Dad
In retrospect, I am very happy my father modeled reading to me from an early age. My mother modeled reading as well—in fact, she taught me to read as a young boy. However, I think it was particularly important to see my dad reading, or else I might have grown up thinking of reading as a “woman’s hobby” and kept my distance. My dad’s proud collection of Stephen King books and my memories of him donning reading glasses with a book in his lap helped me to perceive reading as a universal human endeavor.
Why Modeling Reading Matters
As a father, I, too, have tried to model reading for my kids. If I want my kids to be life-long readers who are comfortable with books, it’s important for me to model that in my own household. Sure, right now I have the leverage to compel my kids to read for school, but if I want them to continue their literary development after the school age years wind down, I have to model a literary lifestyle for them. They may otherwise come to view reading as something to be done under compulsion and not leisure.
The Decline of Leisure Reading in a Digital Age
Indeed, this seems to be a real danger in society today. Recent data from the NEA suggests that only 37% of adults read novels or short stories for leisure in a given year. The numbers are worse for teens. The same study says that only 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun every day—and that’s of any genre. Part of this is undoubtedly due to technology replacing books as a means of entertainment for children. With more and more kids attached to smartphones and tablets, less time is devoted to reading. But I also think these discouraging numbers come back to adults’ failure to model a literary life to their children. It is hard enough as it is for kids to resist the pull of the screen. How much harder will that be if we don’t offer them an alternative model of behavior to emulate?
When Screens Replace Books: What Kids See Matters
One interesting point to consider—while my dad got the news from newspapers and magazines, today, we get it from our phones. We may still be reading the news, but kids used to see their parents reading the newspaper and know they were reading the news. This is no longer the case. When you read the news on your phone, from the child’s perspective, you are just staring at your phone. For all they know, you’re playing Wordle.
Non-Digital Reading: Let Them See You Read
It is essential, therefore, not only to read but to model reading in non-digital formats. What sorts of adjustments can fathers make to be good reading role models for their children? Here’s a list of ideas (shout out to Ryan Billingsley of the Dad Suggests blog, who came up with this list):
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Subscribe to the local newspaper and read it at the table, porch, or other conspicuous location.
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Continue to subscribe to magazines on favorite topics.
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Reading aloud isn’t just for toddlers; continue reading aloud to your kids until they leave the house.
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Read physical copies of novels while the kids are awake. Don’t always wait until they’re asleep or always use the Kindle app.
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Tell your kids more about what you are reading and why you like it.
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Deliberately choose books as an option while traveling. These long chunks of boring time our society is constantly filling up with screens and Netflix are the perfect opportunities for positive modeling.
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Study more How-To books. If you are interested in wood working or chess or guitar, pick up a book on how to do it. Let your kids see you with your nose stuck in a book as you try to master a new hobby.
Fathers’ Unique Role in Shaping Literacy Habits
A while back, I wrote an article on why fathers should read to children (see “Why Dads Should Read to Their Children“). In that article, I talked about the unique advantages children receive when fathers engage in read alouds. While we certainly don’t want to take away from mothers’ very special role in child-rearing, research attests to fathers’ special influence on their childrens’ attitudes and habits. This is true not only in reading aloud to children, but in the overall literacy habits modeled to kids in the household, especially boys.
The Call to Intentional Fatherhood in a Screen-Filled World
As we continue to deal with the ramifications of the digital revolution, fathers need to be more deliberate than ever in modeling wholesome reading habits to their children. Even small shifts—like picking up a novel instead of your phone or reading aloud a few pages at bedtime—can have a powerful ripple effect. So go forth, dads: read more, scroll less, and raise kids who see books not as burdens but as companions for life.
What would you like to add to this conversation? To share your tips, experiences, and questions, you can join me and other homeschoolers in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group. I would love to hear from you!
