Skip to main content

Parents Enjoy Reading to Kids at Truman Elementary

Apr 08, 2016 10:58AM ● By Bryan Scott

By Natalie Mollinet | [email protected]

West Valley - Around the country, parents are going into schools and reading to their children with events ranging from Mommy and Muffins and Goodies for Grandparents to Dad’s Doughnut Day. In West Valley City, at Truman Elementary, parents participated in Parents and Pastries. 

At Parents and Pastries, parents are able to come before school and read a book out loud to their kids or vice-versa. Along with reading, the parents and child can grab a muffin or a donut to eat while they engage in learning and reading together. 

“Reading is very important,” PTA President Becki Pulley said. “And it’s a fun way to get the parents and the students involved with reading.” 

In fact, statistics show when parents read to their children it helps in language development, among other things such as building word-sound awareness in children. It also builds motivation, curiosity and memory skills that children need. 

“It’s an opportunity to get the parents into the school and read to their kids,” Rachel Harvey, who is in charge of the event, said. 

The event at Truman has been going on annually for around five years. The PTA found out about the event from other schools and found how much of a success it was. At Truman, many parents do show up and read to their kids, and their kids absolutely love it. 

“I know the kids love it when they get their parents at the school. They love to show off what they’re learning in school,” Harvey said.

The PTA isn’t even the group that keeps bringing it to the school every year. The student council at Truman has been a fan of it and has really urged the PTA and school to make sure it gets done every year. 

According to Aha Parenting, “Most children learn to read naturally once they develop the preliminary skills. Your goal is not to help him sound out words but to encourage a love for books—both pictures and stories.” 

Letting children see you read is an easy and effective way to get them wanting to read, and it doesn’t just have to be a book. Read a newspaper or a magazine while you’re in a waiting room, or take a book with you; it’s a way of setting an example for children. It’s a way of training children to think that’s what they’re supposed to do. 

Setting goals for your children to read more and rewarding them for doing so can also be another big motivator. Take a child to the bookstore or library to pick out a book they want and continue to let them read the series if they’re interested. If it’s not a book they want, ice cream or a new toy can be the incentive.

Truman Elementary is making reading something that is fun to do together. Parents can make reading an experience and something children can enjoy. Hold their hand and cuddle up with them; do a different voice for each character or share your favorite book with them. 

Students at Truman Elementary look forward to reading with their parents, and Parents and Pastries has shown that reading can be fun.