Parent-child book clubs offer you and your child a way to share books, experiences and feelings together. Many parents and children report feeling closer to one another after sharing books together. In addition, book clubs may provide parents and children with a way to explore and discuss difficult topics in a safe way. You can learn more about the ways in which parent-child book clubs foster positive parent-child relationships by reading Shireen Dodson’s “The Mother-Daughter Book Club.” This book provides moving first-hand accounts of mothers and their daughters discussing the ways in which book clubs benefit them.

In addition to helping you talk with your child about important issues, book clubs provide an enjoyable and easy way for your child to develop many literacy skills. Simply by reading books in preparation for book club meetings, your child will develop fluency or the ability to read smoothly and with expression. In addition, he will learn new vocabulary words and be exposed to new ideas and concepts. Through the discussion that takes place at book club meetings, your child will develop a deeper understanding of books, consider others’ perspectives on the same book and practice analyzing the books he reads.

Finally, book clubs help children develop important language skills. Book discussions help children practice turn-taking, encourage them to use language to analyze, make predictions and solve problems, and provide them with opportunities to try out new vocabulary words. Simply by reading and participating in discussions themselves, parents can provide important language and literacy models for their children.