If Your Kids Enjoyed the Movie, then Read the Book!
What does an awkward middle schooler, a principal-turned-superhero, and a young wizard have in common? All three—a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants and Harry Potter—are the subjects of successful book and movie franchises. While the original book series about these characters have been enormously popular, they are rivaled by their wildly successful spin-off movies.
Students who have only seen the movies are missing out by not trying the books. Some students have found pleasure in reading for fun after discovering the well-crafted book of a favorite movie. Reading for enjoyment has valuable, long-term benefits, too. Research shows that good readers do better academically, get more schooling and are more successful in their jobs.
Reading for fun is less prevalent during the teen years when older students may be busy and make little time for reading. Nearly half of 17-year-olds read by choice just once or twice a year. But, if they are encouraged to read what they want, some will find time for personal, pleasurable reading. Adults shouldn’t judge their kids’ reading selections. They might be reading what friends are reading—and that may be a book that inspired a movie they just saw and loved.
Reading advocates point out the advantages that books have over their movie counterparts. For one, books more fully challenge the mind and imagination. Writer/blogger Rich Santos says, “Five hundred different readers of the same book may have 500 different ideas of a character’s appearance.” That goes for the physical setting as well. Reading prompts the mind to be creative.
Books also have the time and freedom to go deeper into plot and character development. Santos writes, “Most movies do their thing in 1.5-3 hours. … This condensing of books into movies leads to deleted parts from the book or abbreviation of developments within the book.”
Parents of younger children can establish the practice of seeing a movie and then reading the book, or vice versa. A Pennsylvania grandmother reports that when her grandchild visits each summer, they read a book at bedtime and end the week by watching the film version. Afterwards, they enjoy talking about how the book and movie are different.
Here are a few reading tips to help parents ensure that kids enjoy the book as much as the movie:
· Read with expression. Change your volume to fit the action. Use various character voices.
· Explain unfamiliar words to your child.
· If your child can read, ask if he or she would like to read, too.
· After reading, ask questions about the story and discuss what is taking place.
Now, aren’t you inspired to seek out some great book-movie combinations?
“Literacy is for life” is a public awareness campaign of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, aiming to improve literacy for Pennsylvania children from infancy through grade 12.