Fostering a Love of Fiction Reading Beyond the Classroom: Ideas for Supporting Families and Caregivers

Imagine the most avid young reader you’ve met. Perhaps a child in your classroom, maybe your own child, or perhaps it was even you. That reader likely always has a book on hand and picks up books far beyond those that are assigned at school. They constantly seek out more time to read, not because they have to, but because they’re motivated to find out what happens next. What’s more, that avid reader is reaping loads of benefits beyond the joys of a good book. When families and caregivers are equipped to nurture that love of reading, alongside the work happening in the classroom, the impact can be profound and long-lasting.

Why This Moment Matters

Children who read for pleasure consistently outperform non-readers on vocabulary, spelling, and general knowledge. A landmark longitudinal study by Sullivan and Brown (2013) found that reading for pleasure had a stronger effect on cognitive development between ages 10 and 16 than parents' education level. Reading volume in the early grades is also one of the strongest predictors of vocabulary growth over time, and the gap between high- and low-volume readers compounds dramatically as children move through school (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998).

The benefits extend well beyond academics. Research by Mar, Oatley, and Peterson (2009) found that the more fiction people read, the stronger their empathy and social cognition scores, even after controlling for personality traits. Fiction specifically, rather than nonfiction, drove the effect. 

Why Fiction, Specifically?

Research offers a compelling case. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop's foundational work on mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors reminds us that children need to encounter both characters who reflect their own identities and characters whose experiences open new perspectives (Bishop, 1990).

Brain science and vocabulary research confirm what many teachers already know intuitively. As Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote in her foundational essay:

Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors (1990)

In Episode 3 of the Advancing Literacy Beyond the Classroom podcast, hosts Emily Butler Smith and Kristin Smith (staff developers at Advancing Literacy at Teachers College, Columbia University) explore exactly these ideas. The following tips can help educators bring this research to the families and caregivers they support. 

Four Tips for Educators to Share With Families

1. Read Aloud Together, at Every Age

Reading should not only be a solo activity.

When families read aloud and stop to talk about characters, share reactions, and wonder together, children build vocabulary and comprehension in ways that go far beyond what they get from the page alone. Fiction has a unique power to build empathy, and the conversations that happen around stories are where much of that growth occurs.

Educators can support this by helping families see read-aloud as a genuine and valuable practice, meaningful at every age and not reserved only for bedtime with young children.

2. Follow Their Interests, Including All Media

If a child loves a movie, a show, a video game, or a podcast, that enthusiasm is a doorway into reading.

Encourage caregivers to look for books connected to worlds, topics, themes, and characters their children already care about: tie-in novels, stories with similar themes, or authors who write in the same spirit. Educators can help by pointing families toward specific titles that bridge those passions and fiction reading.

A few recommendations from the podcast episode:

• The Coquíes Still Sing by Karina Nicole González

• El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan

• The Bletchley Riddle by Steve Sheinkin

• Chinese Menu by Grace Lin

When children see their interests reflected in the books adults recommend, they are far more likely to see reading as something meant for them.

3. Build Reading Into Daily Life

Consistency matters more than duration or timing.

Even 15 to 20 minutes a day adds up significantly over time. Encourage caregivers to find authentic moments that work for their household: reading before bed, an audiobook on the way to school, or a quiet time at the end of the day when everyone reads their own book in the same room.

Critically, when children see the adults in their lives reading for pleasure, they receive a powerful message: reading is something to enjoy throughout their whole life. 

Research shows that parents who serve as constructive reading role models are more likely to raise children who excel in reading (Sénéchal & LeFevre, 2002; Yeo et al., 2014). Educators can validate whatever rituals families establish, recognizing that these will look different in every household.

4. Invite Children to Think Like Authors

The connection between reading and writing is deeply reciprocal.

When children see themselves as storytellers, they read with greater attention and intention. Encourage caregivers to invite children to write their own stories, invent new endings, or create fanfiction based on favorite characters.

Writing for real audiences matters, too. Consider sharing these authentic writing invitations with families:

• Letters or emails to faraway friends and relatives

• Reviews of books, games, or shows they love

• Birthday cards or notes to neighbors

• A family blog or shared journal

When children see that their words can entertain, inform, or connect with real people, storytelling becomes a meaningful form of expression that lasts well beyond the classroom.

For more on how oral language supports writing both inside and outside the classroom, see our earlier post on Bolstering Conversations to Build Power and Voice in Writing.

Resources to Share With Families

These free printable resources are designed to go directly into caregivers' hands:

• 📄 Four Tips for Helping Your Child Develop a Love of Fiction (Color) | Four Tips for Helping Your Child Develop a Love of Fiction (Black & White)

• 📚On the Blog: Six New Book Recommendations that Span Genre, Topic, and Form

Listen and Learn More

🎧 Episode 3 of the Advancing Literacy Beyond the Classroom podcast, Fostering a Love for Fiction Reading in Kids of All Ages, is available now. Hosts Emily Butler Smith and Kristin Smith bring the research to life with practical strategies and book recommendations educators can share today.

Join and share the FREE Online Family and Caregiver Workshop Series to bring these strategies directly to the families in your community.

References

Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), ix–xi.

Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1998). What reading does for the mind. American Educator, 22(1–2), 8–15.

Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., & Peterson, J. B. (2009). Exploring the link between reading fiction and empathy: Ruling out individual differences and examining outcomes. Communications, 34(4), 407–428.

National Assessment of Educational Progress. (2023). NAEP reading report card.

National Endowment for the Arts. (2022). Reading at risk: A survey of literary reading in America.

Sénéchal, M., & LeFevre, J. (2002). Parental involvement in the development of children's reading skill: A five-year longitudinal study.