Why You NEED a Family Library {part 1}

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There is so much information linking literacy rates and early exposure to reading that you could literally fill a library with books on the topic. (Pun intended. Okay, that was a really corny!)

​It's pretty much a no-brainer that we parents, especially home educators, want our children to be strong readers. We all know that good reading skills are the foundation for all other learning. I believe building a family library is one of the biggest way you can be intentional about laying that foundation for reading skills.

>>Related: 10 Children's Series for Summer Reading

The real goal is to teach our children to read, read well, and enjoy reading. There will always be gaps in one's education. Fortunately, education is a lifelong pursuit. Teaching our children good reading skills and a love of reading gives them the means to self-educate their entire lives!

Benefits of a Family Library

The biggest reason why you should build a family library is because it makes books readily accessible to your children. Sure, you can go to the library. But owning books is different. It creates an entirely different relationship with those books and it communicates a message to your children. 
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Owning books:

​Places value on them

When you invest time, money and/or space in your home (especially for those of us with larger families and less space!) for something, you are communicating to your child that this is worthy of your time, money and space. That signifies value. If the DVD or video game collection is larger than the number of books in the home, what will the child believe has more value?

​Increases their chances of being read

Have you ever noticed at the library how your eyes are drawn to the books that are propped up on top of the shelves as a display? I started applying this technique in my own home and the results were interesting!

​Every time I acquired a new book for our family library, instead of shelving it with similar books, I would prop it up with the cover facing out. Most of the time not even a day would pass before a child would notice it and I would find them curled up in some corner reading it or, for a non-reader, looking at the pictures.

​Creates a different relationship with the books

Do you have a favorite book? You know, one that you have read so many times that you have lines memorized and opening its pages is like snuggling into your favorite worn t-shirt that's been softened by countless trips through the wash cycle? Those are the books that become a part of you. They shape the way you see the world, others, or even yourself.

Children--even young toddlers--can have that same experience. Through books, they learn about the world around them and experience things vicariously that they haven't yet or may never experience in person.

Reading the same books over and over also greatly increases a child's confidence when they begin reading on their own. It becomes a natural next step.

My little ones have literally memorized favorite books, like A Fish Out of Water, Eight Silly Monkeys, and Goodnight Moon to the point where they correct me if I misread or skip a part. I've seen them "read" entire books out loud alone without making any mistakes--all before they could actually read. When they later begin learning to sound out words and read, the transition is natural. There's no mystery to it---they've been "reading" for a long time now!

>>Related: My Reading Record Notebook {Free download}

​Provides quality reading material

Not all reading is for information. Fiction certainly has its place too, especially for early and reluctant readers. 
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However, not all fiction is equal. We should strive to offer our children high quality fiction, rather than "fluff and twaddle," as Charlotte Mason insisted. ​

As a parent, it is for you to determine what constitutes quality material. ​Many books geared toward tweens and teens introduce topics such as romance, sexuality, dishonesty, antagonist relationships with parents and siblings, cursing and vulgarity, etc. Every family has different standards regarding at what age certain topics should be introduced. I would greatly encourage you to take an active roll in your child's literary diet. Having a family library is one way to provide quality fiction for your children. 

So are you ready to build a family library?  Part 2 will give some practical ways to get started.

Looking for inspiration for your family library?
​Follow our Literature Pinterest board!

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