Reading During the Holidays
As an adult living in Detroit, I only make the 13-hour drive down I-75 to my childhood Georgia home during the holiday season. My winter weeks down South consist of lots of coffee, bundled porch mornings in 50-degree weather, and grass that somehow stays green year round. The accompaniment of it all, though, are books. Whether it’s short stories for myself, romance novels for my mother, physics books (I will never understand) for my brother, or Arabic poetry readings with my father, the paper and pages in hand bond us together each holiday season. Reflecting as an adult, my parents were probably so happy to read a book aloud or, better yet, let us read silently to ourselves during Winter Break; it must have been way better than having to play an exhausting game of tag or piggyback rides (which we also requested often). And as children, we reaped the benefits.
At Detroit Prep, we tell our third-grade Turtle Crew members that the best thing they can do at home is read for 20 minutes a day. Not only is reading a great way to strengthen familial relationships, but it also improves your vocabulary, critical thinking skills, and connection to identity. And, with the colder weather at our doorsteps, reading allows you to escape cabin fever without leaving the warmth of the cabin. Making reading fun means every subject is more enjoyable, whether reading math word problems, deciphering science vocabulary, or diving into primary sources in social studies. It also teaches your child about new content and information. In small group instruction, our students have learned that President Obama was the first Black president (these kids are so young), explored lessons about friendships built on differences, and compared American customs to those in Japan. Reading is not reserved to the realm of education; reading unlocks a world of knowledge.
With so many upcoming breaks, there’s no better time than now to start that daily reading habit. While you may have your favorite books at home, Detroit Prep has new books to lend if you want to explore something different. Ask your teachers or small group instructors about what stories you may be able to borrow for the holidays. Beyond our little school on Sylvester, though, the Detroit community has endless resources available. The Detroit Public Library offers free memberships, including storytimes and eBooks, for anyone in the metro-Detroit area. Check out the Little Free Library project to see if there may be a bevy of books waiting for you in your neighborhood. If you want someone to read to your child, you can sign up for free mentorship through Brilliant Detroit and access their libraries after school. Even holiday traditions can be made into a reading experience (Read a shopping tag! Decode a brand name! Go through a recipe book!). Although we will miss your scholars at Detroit Prep, we hope we can support the buzz of learning at home in the midst of all the holiday excitement.