January 31, 2024 • 11 mins
Help your child discover the joy and magic of books, letting shared experiences and connections with stories weave the narrative of your family's literary journey.
In this episode:
- A love of reading starts with you: "Leaders are readers"
- Role modeling
- Resistant (or unwilling) readers
- Read aloud to your children
- Books, books, and more books!
- Letting go of expectations
- To bribe, or not to bribe
Email your questions and comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au
Find out more about becoming a Happy Families member at our website
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's the Happy Families Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's the podcast for the time poor parent who just
once answers Now All.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This week on the Happy Families Podcast, I'm loving what
we're doing. Back to school slices of advice on how
to help the kids to navigate the ups and downs
in week one, Week two, getting back into the rhythm,
getting back into the routine. I'm doctor Justin Causon, got
a PhD in psychology, written nine books about raising happy families,
parenting expert and co host on Channel lines hit TV
show a Parental Guidance. I know I said the Perental Guide.
(00:34):
It's truth parent I can't say it now. Parental Guidance.
And the husband of the wonderful Missus Happy Family is
Kyla Corson, Mum to our six daughters.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I sound a bit boring, now, don't I?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, sorry that did. But you know what two things.
First of all, you've been the one who's been invited
to be the guest speaker at an upcoming event on
the Sunshine Coast, not me, look at you go. And
also somebody asked you to MC their wedding, not me.
So I think that you might be the star of
the show. Anyway, very funny. Today a slice of advice
on helping the kids to love reading. Why well, holidays
(01:07):
are over. Screens probably took over during the holidays if
your family's like most, and getting the kids back into
reading can be a little bit tricky. Some are more
resistant than others. Reading is amazing, but I don't know,
sometimes the kids just fight against it. And the last
couple of days we've been having a really hard time
sticking to one slice of advice. We've given several slices
(01:27):
of advice, but today it's just one one slice of
advice to help your kids to love reading. But as
we talked it over before we started to record this podcast,
we realized that we were going to slice that one
slice of advice into You know, when you dip your
little soldiers into the egg yolk, You get your toast
and you slice it into long, thin strips and dip
into the egg yolk. That's what we're doing with today.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
We've no I think today is actually all about that
one slice of bread with all of the amazing additives
that we're adding in fiber.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And the iron and the fold and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, we're adding to that slice.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I still like the soldiers imagery. But whatever it is,
it's still a slice of advice. The one piece of
advice if you want to get your kids back into
reading or get them reading for the first time, is
read Read, read, read, literally, that's it. Read. You read,
they read, everybody reads, and that's how you fall in
love with reading. There's only one way to do it,
and that's to actually have books in your hand, not screens.
(02:24):
So let's slice up this piece of bread. Let's throw
the additives in whichever metaphor or symbol or object list,
and you like the better one the best. Kylie, You're
I'm super passionate about this, but as we were talking
about it, you just true ideas at me. Straight up.
I would love for you to lead this and I'm
just going to chime in with some ideas.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
You shared a quote with me recently that readers are leaders,
and leaders are readers. As the leader in my home,
if I want my kids to read, I actually have
to read. They have to see me with a book
in hand in they need to see that reading is enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Set the example. Yeah, yeap. And that means that when
they walk into the room and you're on the bed,
your phone is in your hand, that there is a
book in your hand, and that you're reading a biography,
or you're reading a textbook or a manual, or that
you're reading just something. It could be nonfiction, it could
be fiction. But when the kids see you reading, they
get the idea that my parents really like this. Reading
(03:25):
is obviously good for them. They might even say not
for me, but they're seeing that it's good for them.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I think not only that, though, if you're reading something
and you find it really exciting or enthralling, or you
learn something new, sharing that concept that I deal with
them letting them read a paragraph and just going, wow,
this is amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. I just read recently that a parts you I
don't know if it's called a putsche fish Paacu. I'm
going to call it a part to fish has human
like teeth. I haven't told the kids about that. I
haven't shown them a picture of that yet, but I
should because to me, that's just fascinating.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Human like teeth.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I can't wait for our next book review book Club
podcast episode, which is coming up in the next couple
of weeks, because I think that I've read something like
I think I'm up to thirteen books for the year already.
I love love reading and the kids.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
If I read novels, i'd be up to that as well.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
I haven't read it. I think I've read one novel.
Maybe no novels, I can't remember. Anyway, read set the example.
That was your first one. What's the second one?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The second one is include your kids, read.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
To them and have them read to you.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
This is really really important. Sometimes our kids aren't interested
in picking up a book, but they there's not too
many kids. There's not too many kids who won't take
the chance to have a snuggle with Mum or dad.
And if you spend the time reading to them, bring
out all of the voices, use your best theatrics to
(04:46):
bring that story to life. Your kids will grow to
love books. Whether they read it or you read it
doesn't actually matter.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I definitely have to add a couple of things to
this really important slice of advice, A piece of a
slice whatever it is you mentioned using voices. So at
the moment, I'm reading a book called Leven Thumps and
the Gateway to Food to Emily, our nine year old, and.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You wanted this to all of the kids. That's right.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
One of the characters. Geth speaks a little bit like
Sean Connery, and so I put that voice on, and
there's another voice, Clover, who speaks a little bit like this,
and it's really always up and always so funny. That's
the comic relief, and the kids love it. They fall
absolutely head over heels with the voices. You don't have
to be theatrical. You can just do the very best
(05:33):
that you can do, accents whatever. The kids don't care.
But I was also going to say, when it comes
to including the kids, when you're reading to them, slow down.
Don't skip pages, even when it's late at night and
you're exhausted. Slow down, read carefully, include punctuation, and make
sure that they can feel your enjoyment, because they'll fall
(05:56):
in love with the story so much more when you
do that with them. I think it's also worth stopping
now and then and asking them what would you do?
How do you think they're feeling? How would you feel?
You're teaching them empathy and perspective. You're giving them an
opportunity to sit in the moment, and the level of involvement,
the level of connection that you have with your kids
(06:17):
is just vitally important. So to me when you say,
involve them, get them reading to you. But when you
read to them, oh so important that you that you
slow it down.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
My number three slice of advice would be to fill
your home with books, all kinds of books. If you
know that your child loves mechanics, then you find all
the books and mechanics that you can. Big, bright pictures,
word books. Just find things that tap into their interest,
but also have things that they might not even know
(06:49):
they're interested in. If books aren't there for them to discover,
then how will that sense of curiosity ever come about?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I have two more quick slices of advice.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
You've just cut those soldiers in half.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Whatever they want to read, whatever they want to read,
full stop, end of story. If the kids want to
read something that, you're not that into a case in point. Now,
please forgive me for being a book snob. I want
my kids to read the classics. I want our kids
to be involved in literature, true literature. I want them
to experience the very best that the world has to
(07:24):
offer in terms of great authors telling brilliant stories in
classic ways. I want them to feel the goodness that
comes from these great books. And our youngest daughter had
no interest in reading at all until you helped her,
or maybe she founded herself. I can't remember now. Wings
of Fire graphic novels, and I stood in front of
large audiences of people and said, just get the kids
(07:44):
to read. Whatever it takes. It doesn't matter as long
as they're reading, even if they want to read a
graphic novel, even if they want to read Rugby League Week,
I don't care what it is. If they want to
read a Taylor Swift magazine, who cares. Just get them reading.
And then I've got this kid who just wants to
do exactly the opposite of what I want for her,
which is to read the really great stuff. And so
she is, what's seven eight years old, and she's finally
willing to read. But it's got to be dragon graphic novels.
(08:06):
So way back then we said okay, So we bought
one and she read it in like an hour, and
then we brought another one. I was like, why are
we're buying comic books? They cost a lot and she's
reading that in an hour and this is not worth it?
And she read them. There's like five of these graphic
novels and she's read all of the multiple, multiple, multiple times,
and I'm thinking, oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
All the pages of dog ed. Yeah, cover doesn't look sad,
and I keep on.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Saying, don't you want to read this? Don't you want
to read that? And what about Harry Potter, like, come on,
let's get you reading something that everybody loves. And she
won't do it, and I'm thinking, oh my goodness. And
then one day she decides that she wants to read
the novel rather than the graphic novel of that first
Wings of Fire, and you bought it for it and
she devoured it and we kind of looked at each
other and gone, okay, so it's still dragons and there's
still a lot of disrespect and bad attitude, but she
(08:52):
read a novel.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I think for her it took the challenge out of
it because she'd read the graphic novels, so she had
an understanding of what.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
The story was, which goes back to that basic psychological
need of competence. Once you've got a clue about what's
going on, you're much more motivated.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
You've made some progress, and that led to her wanting
to read more and more.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Which you've brought especially end of the books in the series,
and she read the whole thing about three times. But
then she started reading Harry Potter and she's read the
first three or four of those now and that's led
to her picking up Percy Jackson. Now she's about to
turn ten and she's reading Percy Jackson. She's reading Harry Potter,
and her love of reading is off the charts. Like
(09:33):
her reading level is sky high. We know that kids
reading is associated with much stronger academic outcomes. It's just
so good for them. And my slice of advice is,
whatever they want to read, whatever it takes, get them
into books. Now, I just said whatever it takes. This
is my final slice of advice, and I'll share it
(09:53):
really quickly. When I say whatever it takes, I don't
mean bribes, Okay, Bribing your kids to read just gets
and to take a whole lot of shortcuts with their reading.
They pick up the shortest book they can, They pick
up the book with the most pictures and the biggest words.
Bribing doesn't work.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And they say, with reading charts, you've got to read
ten minutes a night. Whatever.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Take the time limits away.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
It actually takes the joy out of it because you
have to do it to tick a box. Right, if
you say ten minutes, then your child's going to do
ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's like music practice, right when the kids are playing
the piano or the clarinet, or the flute or whatever violin.
If you've got them learning a musical instrument and you
make them go on practice for thirty minutes every day,
they'll only practice for thirty minutes. But if they're playing
the piano and you say I love hearing that piano
play and it sounds like you're getting better, the kids
will sit there and they'll play for a whole lot
more than thirty minutes because it becomes intrinsically motivating. They're
(10:41):
not doing it as you said to tick a box.
So no bribes, no time limits. Oh you know what,
there is one bribe that is acceptable. I'll buy another
book once you finish that one. If you like it,
I'll get you another one. That is I mean, that's
just going to encourage more reading. It and encourages a
love of reading, and it helps the kids to tap
into what they love the very most. So that is
(11:01):
our one slice of advice about how.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Tut into lots of pieces, how.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
To get your kids to love reading raising readers, readers
who become leaders. Leaders are readers. Thank you so much
for listening. We hope that it helps your family to
develop a love of learning and a love of reading.
The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin Rouland from
Bridge Media. Craig Bruce is our executive producer. For more
information about making your family happier, visit us at happy
(11:28):
families dot com, dot you, And tomorrow we're back with
another spice of advice. If you would like more information
about how to make your family happier, we'd love for
your visit us at happy families dot com, dot you.
It's the Happy Families Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's the podcast for the time poor parent who just
once answers Now All.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This week on the Happy Families Podcast, I'm loving what
we're doing. Back to school slices of advice on how
to help the kids to navigate the ups and downs
in week one, Week two, getting back into the rhythm,
getting back into the routine. I'm doctor Justin Causon, got
a PhD in psychology, written nine books about raising happy families,
parenting expert and co host on Channel lines hit TV
show a Parental Guidance. I know I said the Perental Guide.
(00:34):
It's truth parent I can't say it now. Parental Guidance.
And the husband of the wonderful Missus Happy Family is
Kyla Corson, Mum to our six daughters.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I sound a bit boring, now, don't I?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, sorry that did. But you know what two things.
First of all, you've been the one who's been invited
to be the guest speaker at an upcoming event on
the Sunshine Coast, not me, look at you go. And
also somebody asked you to MC their wedding, not me.
So I think that you might be the star of
the show. Anyway, very funny. Today a slice of advice
on helping the kids to love reading. Why well, holidays
(01:07):
are over. Screens probably took over during the holidays if
your family's like most, and getting the kids back into
reading can be a little bit tricky. Some are more
resistant than others. Reading is amazing, but I don't know,
sometimes the kids just fight against it. And the last
couple of days we've been having a really hard time
sticking to one slice of advice. We've given several slices
(01:27):
of advice, but today it's just one one slice of
advice to help your kids to love reading. But as
we talked it over before we started to record this podcast,
we realized that we were going to slice that one
slice of advice into You know, when you dip your
little soldiers into the egg yolk, You get your toast
and you slice it into long, thin strips and dip
into the egg yolk. That's what we're doing with today.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
We've no I think today is actually all about that
one slice of bread with all of the amazing additives
that we're adding in fiber.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And the iron and the fold and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, we're adding to that slice.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I still like the soldiers imagery. But whatever it is,
it's still a slice of advice. The one piece of
advice if you want to get your kids back into
reading or get them reading for the first time, is
read Read, read, read, literally, that's it. Read. You read,
they read, everybody reads, and that's how you fall in
love with reading. There's only one way to do it,
and that's to actually have books in your hand, not screens.
(02:24):
So let's slice up this piece of bread. Let's throw
the additives in whichever metaphor or symbol or object list,
and you like the better one the best. Kylie, You're
I'm super passionate about this, but as we were talking
about it, you just true ideas at me. Straight up.
I would love for you to lead this and I'm
just going to chime in with some ideas.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
You shared a quote with me recently that readers are leaders,
and leaders are readers. As the leader in my home,
if I want my kids to read, I actually have
to read. They have to see me with a book
in hand in they need to see that reading is enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Set the example. Yeah, yeap. And that means that when
they walk into the room and you're on the bed,
your phone is in your hand, that there is a
book in your hand, and that you're reading a biography,
or you're reading a textbook or a manual, or that
you're reading just something. It could be nonfiction, it could
be fiction. But when the kids see you reading, they
get the idea that my parents really like this. Reading
(03:25):
is obviously good for them. They might even say not
for me, but they're seeing that it's good for them.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I think not only that, though, if you're reading something
and you find it really exciting or enthralling, or you
learn something new, sharing that concept that I deal with
them letting them read a paragraph and just going, wow,
this is amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. I just read recently that a parts you I
don't know if it's called a putsche fish Paacu. I'm
going to call it a part to fish has human
like teeth. I haven't told the kids about that. I
haven't shown them a picture of that yet, but I
should because to me, that's just fascinating.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Human like teeth.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I can't wait for our next book review book Club
podcast episode, which is coming up in the next couple
of weeks, because I think that I've read something like
I think I'm up to thirteen books for the year already.
I love love reading and the kids.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
If I read novels, i'd be up to that as well.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
I haven't read it. I think I've read one novel.
Maybe no novels, I can't remember. Anyway, read set the example.
That was your first one. What's the second one?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The second one is include your kids, read.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
To them and have them read to you.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
This is really really important. Sometimes our kids aren't interested
in picking up a book, but they there's not too
many kids. There's not too many kids who won't take
the chance to have a snuggle with Mum or dad.
And if you spend the time reading to them, bring
out all of the voices, use your best theatrics to
(04:46):
bring that story to life. Your kids will grow to
love books. Whether they read it or you read it
doesn't actually matter.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I definitely have to add a couple of things to
this really important slice of advice, A piece of a
slice whatever it is you mentioned using voices. So at
the moment, I'm reading a book called Leven Thumps and
the Gateway to Food to Emily, our nine year old, and.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You wanted this to all of the kids. That's right.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
One of the characters. Geth speaks a little bit like
Sean Connery, and so I put that voice on, and
there's another voice, Clover, who speaks a little bit like this,
and it's really always up and always so funny. That's
the comic relief, and the kids love it. They fall
absolutely head over heels with the voices. You don't have
to be theatrical. You can just do the very best
(05:33):
that you can do, accents whatever. The kids don't care.
But I was also going to say, when it comes
to including the kids, when you're reading to them, slow down.
Don't skip pages, even when it's late at night and
you're exhausted. Slow down, read carefully, include punctuation, and make
sure that they can feel your enjoyment, because they'll fall
(05:56):
in love with the story so much more when you
do that with them. I think it's also worth stopping
now and then and asking them what would you do?
How do you think they're feeling? How would you feel?
You're teaching them empathy and perspective. You're giving them an
opportunity to sit in the moment, and the level of involvement,
the level of connection that you have with your kids
(06:17):
is just vitally important. So to me when you say,
involve them, get them reading to you. But when you
read to them, oh so important that you that you
slow it down.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
My number three slice of advice would be to fill
your home with books, all kinds of books. If you
know that your child loves mechanics, then you find all
the books and mechanics that you can. Big, bright pictures,
word books. Just find things that tap into their interest,
but also have things that they might not even know
(06:49):
they're interested in. If books aren't there for them to discover,
then how will that sense of curiosity ever come about?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I have two more quick slices of advice.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
You've just cut those soldiers in half.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Whatever they want to read, whatever they want to read,
full stop, end of story. If the kids want to
read something that, you're not that into a case in point. Now,
please forgive me for being a book snob. I want
my kids to read the classics. I want our kids
to be involved in literature, true literature. I want them
to experience the very best that the world has to
(07:24):
offer in terms of great authors telling brilliant stories in
classic ways. I want them to feel the goodness that
comes from these great books. And our youngest daughter had
no interest in reading at all until you helped her,
or maybe she founded herself. I can't remember now. Wings
of Fire graphic novels, and I stood in front of
large audiences of people and said, just get the kids
(07:44):
to read. Whatever it takes. It doesn't matter as long
as they're reading, even if they want to read a
graphic novel, even if they want to read Rugby League Week,
I don't care what it is. If they want to
read a Taylor Swift magazine, who cares. Just get them reading.
And then I've got this kid who just wants to
do exactly the opposite of what I want for her,
which is to read the really great stuff. And so
she is, what's seven eight years old, and she's finally
willing to read. But it's got to be dragon graphic novels.
(08:06):
So way back then we said okay, So we bought
one and she read it in like an hour, and
then we brought another one. I was like, why are
we're buying comic books? They cost a lot and she's
reading that in an hour and this is not worth it?
And she read them. There's like five of these graphic
novels and she's read all of the multiple, multiple, multiple times,
and I'm thinking, oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
All the pages of dog ed. Yeah, cover doesn't look sad,
and I keep on.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Saying, don't you want to read this? Don't you want
to read that? And what about Harry Potter, like, come on,
let's get you reading something that everybody loves. And she
won't do it, and I'm thinking, oh my goodness. And
then one day she decides that she wants to read
the novel rather than the graphic novel of that first
Wings of Fire, and you bought it for it and
she devoured it and we kind of looked at each
other and gone, okay, so it's still dragons and there's
still a lot of disrespect and bad attitude, but she
(08:52):
read a novel.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I think for her it took the challenge out of
it because she'd read the graphic novels, so she had
an understanding of what.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
The story was, which goes back to that basic psychological
need of competence. Once you've got a clue about what's
going on, you're much more motivated.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
You've made some progress, and that led to her wanting
to read more and more.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Which you've brought especially end of the books in the series,
and she read the whole thing about three times. But
then she started reading Harry Potter and she's read the
first three or four of those now and that's led
to her picking up Percy Jackson. Now she's about to
turn ten and she's reading Percy Jackson. She's reading Harry Potter,
and her love of reading is off the charts. Like
(09:33):
her reading level is sky high. We know that kids
reading is associated with much stronger academic outcomes. It's just
so good for them. And my slice of advice is,
whatever they want to read, whatever it takes, get them
into books. Now, I just said whatever it takes. This
is my final slice of advice, and I'll share it
(09:53):
really quickly. When I say whatever it takes, I don't
mean bribes, Okay, Bribing your kids to read just gets
and to take a whole lot of shortcuts with their reading.
They pick up the shortest book they can, They pick
up the book with the most pictures and the biggest words.
Bribing doesn't work.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And they say, with reading charts, you've got to read
ten minutes a night. Whatever.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Take the time limits away.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
It actually takes the joy out of it because you
have to do it to tick a box. Right, if
you say ten minutes, then your child's going to do
ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's like music practice, right when the kids are playing
the piano or the clarinet, or the flute or whatever violin.
If you've got them learning a musical instrument and you
make them go on practice for thirty minutes every day,
they'll only practice for thirty minutes. But if they're playing
the piano and you say I love hearing that piano
play and it sounds like you're getting better, the kids
will sit there and they'll play for a whole lot
more than thirty minutes because it becomes intrinsically motivating. They're
(10:41):
not doing it as you said to tick a box.
So no bribes, no time limits. Oh you know what,
there is one bribe that is acceptable. I'll buy another
book once you finish that one. If you like it,
I'll get you another one. That is I mean, that's
just going to encourage more reading. It and encourages a
love of reading, and it helps the kids to tap
into what they love the very most. So that is
(11:01):
our one slice of advice about how.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Tut into lots of pieces, how.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
To get your kids to love reading raising readers, readers
who become leaders. Leaders are readers. Thank you so much
for listening. We hope that it helps your family to
develop a love of learning and a love of reading.
The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin Rouland from
Bridge Media. Craig Bruce is our executive producer. For more
information about making your family happier, visit us at happy
(11:28):
families dot com, dot you, And tomorrow we're back with
another spice of advice. If you would like more information
about how to make your family happier, we'd love for
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