As foundational as it is to our lives, reading is not natural. Reading must be learned, and that means it must be taught. Whether a child enters through the printed page or a digital screen, the world of words promises rich rewards.
Author of Born Reading: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age, Jason Boog insists there is much a parent can do to make that world of words a more welcoming place. He has assembled what amounts to a playbook for coaching and coaxing children to be lifelong learners.
The key, Boog tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally, is for parents to learn how to read to their sons and daughters. The method is simple: be interactive.
“Interactive reading will give you ways to talk to your children about books, apps, TV shows, or even video games,” Boog says. “They will help you raise a media-savvy child capable of analyzing complex stories on college entrance exams, but they will also show your child how to choose the best books, movies, and games in a world cluttered with useless media.”
As publishing editor for Mediabistro, Jason Boog previously led the GalleyCat and AppNewser blogs. He now works in Hollywood at True Pictures as director of its story investigation department.
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