For your children to learn to read and be successful in school, it is vitally important for you to have books in your home. I have been a bookseller for 39 years, so what else would I say? But it is the other way around: this is one of the significant reasons I am passionate about bookselling.
Much has been written about how a parent’s education impacts a child’s academic success—the more well educated the parents, the better the child will do. But studies have shown that having books in the home can make up for the difference in parent’s education. A child with nearly illiterate parents will likely do as well in school as one with well educated parents—if there are plenty of books in the home.
“Children growing up in homes with many books get 3 years more schooling than children from bookless homes, independent of their parents’ education, occupation, and class. This is as great an advantage as having university educated rather than unschooled parents, and twice the advantage of having a professional rather than an unskilled father. It holds equally in rich nations and in poor; in the past and in the present; under Communism, capitalism, and Apartheid; and most strongly in China.” Books and schooling study reinforces the importance of books at home–
But aren’t books expensive? They can be, but not necessarily. Here are some ideas on getting books into your home without a lot of expense:
• Visit your library regularly and check out books to take home. Beth, my wife, used to take our children regularly to the city library. They were some of the library’s best patrons. As a bookseller, I was allowed to bring books home to read carefully, so seldom went to the library. But one day I took our children instead, and when we went to check their books out, the librarian blurted out with awe and wonder, “You are Mr. Ewoldt!” I felt like a celebrity!
• Our local Salvation Army usually has a great selection of books at low prices. You can often buy inexpensive books at garage sales and used book stores.
• At AbeBooks and Amazon you can buy used books for as little as $0.01 and $3.95 shipping charge.
I had a college professor who encouraged us to miss meals if necessary to build our personal libraries. Books for your children, along with healthy food for them, should be a top priority. Almost everyone can rearrange their budget priorities to include buying good children’s books. And everyone should make regular visits to the library with their children a top priority.
Give your child the wonderful advantage of good books in your home.