by Maggie McGuire
As December comes to a close, I am, like most of us, taking a moment to reflect on what 2014 represented, what was accomplished and what inspiration was set into motion that can be carried into the new year. From my Scholastic desk, it’s been a year of fantastic and continued momentum toward our goals of helping every child learn to read – and inspiring their love of reading. Here are the six big takeaways for parents in 2014 when it comes to opening kid’s worlds to the joys, pleasures and real life successes that reading can bring.
1.) Last January, we kicked off our 2014 New Year’s resolution right out the gate with families with the Scholastic “Get Book Fit” campaign. The Olympics were in full swing and it was a perfect time to encourage kids and families to build their reading power and fitness by reading more! Just as any athlete needs to practice a sport in order to get better, kids need to read a lot to keep their brains sharp and become better and better readers. The New Year is a great time to start new, healthy habits and getting "Book Fit" was a perfect way to remind kids and families that reading is part of having a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out our article titled, “10 Tips for Getting Book Fit in 2014” . And guess what – this resolution never goes out of style – so put it on the top of your 2015 list, too!
2.) Ready for one, big, proud parenting moment of 2014? Drum roll, please! This year, parents and kids across the country joined Scholastic for our Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge and joined children and families worldwide to set a new world record for summer reading by logging 304,749,681 million minutes of reading in the 8th annual Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge (between May 5, 2014 and September 5, 2014), breaking the 2013 world record of 176,438,473reading minutes. Thousands and thousands of teachers, kids and families from across all 50 states and 29 countries, participated and helped set the new world record. As we move into a new year – Scholastic can’t wait to join parents, teachers and kids as they move the dial forward on reading around the world. Parents are the #1 reading role models for their kids. Modeling the love and joy of reading and helping their kids find just the right books will keep the reading spark alive. It sure did in Summer 2014.
3.) We couldn’t have been more excited when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization representing more than 62,000 pediatricians nationwide, announced a new policy recommending parents read aloud to their children from birth. You know those well baby visits where your child is weighed, and your pediatrician provides insights on your babies’ development? Well now, as part of that check-up, pediatricians will advise parents to read to their newborn infants under new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Reading to children from birth is critical to building foundational language, literacy and cognitive skills. And reading together is a wonderful way for parents to bond with their babies and begin to set their children up to be lifetime readers and learners. Reading to your baby from birth is a lifelong gift parents can give. This was a big announcement that will hopefully give all parents the tools and information they need to set their littlest ones up for the joys and real-world benefits of learning, and loving, to read.
4.) Universal Pre-K was big news in 2014. It’s been long known that the positive effects of preschool on a child’s long term learning trajectory are HUGE. Preschool attendance is linked with significant gains in language, literacy, math skills, and more. This year, 30 states moved forward with preschool-for-all initiatives. San Antonio launched “Pre-K 4 SA,” one of the nation’s most comprehensive programs. New York City’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, pledged to place 73,000 4-year-olds in full-day classes. And the 2014 federal budget gave Head Start a $1 billion boost. This is just the beginning and there’s definitely still a lot of work to do…but this was a big step forward for kids and families that we can all look forward to supporting as we move into 2015.
5.) In September, parents across the globe celebrated the importance of reading for fun and sharing the joy and love of reading with their kids as Scholastic launched the Open a World of Possible initiative. Parents actively joined the conversation across social media outlets and across the web and shared the books that they loved as kids that hooked them on reading – and shared why they love to read with their kids at home. The initiative called parents to share ideas and advice about simple ways to incorporate reading into busy days and family time. Check out what parents had to say via social media channels using the hashtag #SharePossible, on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page and online at scholastic.com/worldofpossible.
BONUS:
As a parent myself, I know that finding the next great read with, or for, your child is sometimes a daunting task. Every child is different, and finding a book that’s just right for their age, interests and reading abilities can be like juggling in the dark sometimes. But when we do find that book – there’s NOTHING better than the giggles that come from the couch while they’re reading or the excitement they share when the big bad villain is about to get what he deserves. Heroes, hilarity, wonder, awe, delight, joy, suspense, ah-ha moments…these all come when your child has discovered the deliciousness that comes from reading a favorite story. As we end a year filled with BIG reading moments at Scholastic, we shared a sneak peek at the Kids & Family Reading Report (5th edition) in which kids revealed to us exactly what they look for when they’re looking for their next read. And, as usual, kids never disappoint. These insights drove me right to the book aisles and helped me find what’s now wrapped beneath my Christmas tree. There will be big smiles and endless hours of reading to come in 2015. What better news for parents than kids telling us that they love to read for fun.
Here’s to a new year filled with an endless supply of reading adventures for all of us. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
