Educators agree: Reading with children at home makes a difference.
Kids who can read in the third grade are 35% more likely to graduate high school, state data shows. And, research shows, students are exposed to hundreds of thousands of more words a year if they spend just 10 minutes a day reading.
So, how do you start?
For Garfield Park mom Jessica Davis, it was the curation of a home library filled with hundreds of books for her three young readers.
Davis applied for grants that she learned about through her children’s school to stock and expand the library.
But if you want to get started on a home library today, experts say you don’t necessarily need a large chunk of money.
Where to start
Each kid brings their own interests and experience with reading.
John Helling, chief public services officer at the Indianapolis Public Library, recommends starting with your local library branch.
Families can check out hardcovers, paperbacks, e-books, audiobooks and more — all for free. All you need is a library card. If you don’t have one, applying is easy. Just stop in to any Indianapolis Public Library branch or apply online.
Helling says this is a great way to try out a few books and learn more about your kids’ interests before you start to fill your own shelves.
[With help, families bring home books kids want to read]
“When I go to the library with my kids, I’m checking out as wide of a variety of books as possible for my kids, so that I can see what they really respond to,” Helling said. “A public library is a great place to spread your wings and find those interests for free.”
Families also can look online to resources like Reading Bear, a website with free vocabulary lessons for early learners, and PBS Kids, which provides age-specific reading and writing guidance for children ages 2 through 8.
Ready to shop?
There’s a growing community of locally owned bookstores in the city ready to help you pick your first books. Check out Mirror Indy’s guide of new independent bookstores.
Most will have staff available to answer questions and help find titles that meet your kids’ interests. Events like Indy Reads’ Big Chair Story Time also offer families the opportunity to hear a book before buying.
Cat Cardwell, community and family program director for Indy Reads, says staff put their recommendations on cards in each section of the local nonprofit’s Fountain Square bookstore.
Local experts say any kind of reading is good. They recommend not to put too much pressure on kids to pick up books you may consider challenging and focus instead on creating an environment that’s fun. Graphic novels, picture books and comics can be great starting points.
“If they’re drifting toward ‘Captain Underpants,’ that’s great,” Helling said. “They’re reading and then they’ll take that next step when they’re ready.”
Buying on a budget
Be on the lookout for local deals. Thrift shops and other secondhand stores often offer books at a reasonable rate. You can hunt for affordable bookshelves, too.
Indy Reads, which sells mostly used books, operates on a 1-2-3 system, meaning used books in the children’s section are priced at $1 for workbooks, $2 for paperbacks and $3 for hardcover books. The store also stocks a cart of free books and has a pay-what-you-can section.
The Indianapolis Public Library also has its own Indy Library Store sale nine times a year, offering deals on books that have been donated to the library or are coming out of the system’s collection. Books range from $1 to $3 and are available on sale days at the Library Services Center at 2450 N. Meridian St.
And when you’re done with them — maybe you’ve got a growing reader ready to move onto the next level of material — selling books to stores like Half Price Books is always an option, too.
Many secondhand stores will make you an offer on the spot for books brought to their counter.
By the way, don’t forget to shop for yourself. Experts say it helps kids to see the adults around them modeling healthy reading habits. Children are 72% more likely to be at low literacy levels if their parents are too, Cardwell said.
Get involved
Starting to feel a little restless reading at home?
Bookstores, libraries, schools and community centers are all great places to look for events that get you out of the house and engaged with the reading community. Some popular events include book clubs, children’s storytimes, writing workshops and language classes.
[Learn about the new Circle City Readers program]
Check with your local school, community center or bookstore for their events calendars. Indy Reads and the Indianapolis Public Library both keep event pages updated on their websites.
You can also explore new, independent bookstores through a first-time Indy Indie Book Crawl, scheduled to run March 21-24. More than 20 local bookstores are participating in the event, which offers gift cards and other prizes to shoppers. A list of participating bookstores and event information is available online.
Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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