Success in school requires that your children become readers. I don’t mean that they should know how to read. That’s absolutely necessary, of course. What I mean is that their ease with reading allows them to enjoy reading for pleasure and to pursue knowledge by reading all the time. The goal is for your children to develop critical thinking skills, questioning everything. But you need a plan, and I want to give you some suggestions.

First, parents should start reading to their children as soon as the children understand language. That means telling stories using picture books when children are as young as one year old. Remember, it doesn't matter what language you speak. It is better to read fluently to children in the language you’re most familiar with. The point is to make a daily habit of reading to your children. You should become familiar with your local library, where you can borrow books at no cost. There are online sites that make books available at no cost as well. Free books in foreign languages can be found on sites like Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive for classic literature, Bilinguator for bilingual books, Gallica for French texts, and specialized resources such as the Global Storybooks Portal and Unite for Literacy for children's books in various mother tongues.  Use Google or your favorite search engine to look for exactly what you want. As your children get older, make reading after school or before bed part of their routine. You can guide them, but you can also get help. Your local librarian is happy to make suggestions. The librarian at their school is also available to suggest books that your children can take home.  

If your background includes another nationality – and everyone in America has an ancestor from another country – spend time proudly reading about that culture. Do not take for granted that your child will be proud to be Brazilian or Ecuadorean or Haitian or Irish if they have no idea why. The information is out there. Just as children often get religious education very early, they should learn about their culture. There is good reason to learn about the contributions of all people to the American story as well. Some recommended unbiased American history books include 'A People's History of the United States' by Howard Zinn, 'Lies My Teacher Told Me' by James W. Loewen, and 'American Colonies' by Alan Taylor, all of which strive to present multiple perspectives and avoid partisan bias. A book called A True History of the United States -- Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism by Daniel A. Sjursen is a fine companion to A People’s History of the United States. These books may be appropriate for high schoolers or college-age students. Adolescents and young adults need to know the true history of indigenous peoples (American Indians) and enslaved people (African Americans) in the United States.

There are many other books telling many other important stories. Your children need to learn how to ask difficult questions and find uncomfortable answers. You should be able to help them or find someone who can. The ugliness of racism, sexism, religious bigotry, and homophobia can only be averted by knowledge. Whatever your personal views are, transmitting hate to your children can only lead to hateful acts.

Robert B. Golenbock, MD, is currently retired. He has cared for children in the Danbury area for 43 years, including at the Center for Pediatric Medicine. The CPM is located at 107 Newtown Rd, #1D, Danbury, CT, 06810. For more information, please call (203) 790-0822 or visit their website at https://centerforpediatricmedct.com.