The Importance of a Colorful Book Diet

Every student has a favorite genre. Some love adventure stories, others can’t put down mysteries, and some just want to read about their favorite baseball player. During March, National Reading Month, students are quick to grab their go-to genres to log minutes for class reading competitions and other motivational programs. Is this single genre tendency okay, or are students missing out on a more colorful reading experience?

Insight from a Nutritionist

“Whenever my family and I go to the nutritionist, the doctor always reminds us of the importance of a colorful food diet. It is the idea of getting reds (like tomatoes and red peppers), greens (like beans and broccoli), oranges (like carrots and sweet potatoes), and so on.” 

- Lissa Strodtbeck, (Fitness Finders Customer Service Representative and Marketing Associate) 

With the nutritionist’s message in mind and a little inspiration from Pinterest, Lissa began to transfer the concept of colorful eating to colorful reading.

Why Genre Variety?

Just like it is important to eat all different types of food, it is important to read a variety of genres.

“A variety of genres helps make kids critical thinkers. It is important to engage imagination in multiple ways, experience being in someone else’s shoes, and recognize the validity of someone else’s interest.” 

- Lissa Strodtbeck

According to the Huffington Post “How Kids Benefit From Reading A Variety Of Books,” genre variety benefits a child in several other important ways.

•  “More book variety grows their entire world” — This is the powerful work of stories in effect. Good storytellers can create worlds, and genre-specific writers create specific kinds of worlds. When children experience a variety of specific book worlds, their real world grows. 
• “Your child’s vocabulary will improve” — Each genre features language consistencies. The more children read, the greater the breadth of style they are exposed to.
• “Their must-read list is never ending” — With a variety of genres and ever-expanding interests, children will never be able to complain about having nothing to read. When they finish a mystery book, they are eager and ready to embark on a waiting adventure series. 

Reinforcing the Colorful Diet

Book tokens are a great way to encourage children to read a colorful variety of genres. Lissa said she assigned 11 book genres to specific token colors. Teachers can choose to award tokens at any interval appropriate for their class (ex. number of pages, number of minutes, or book completion).

No matter how much children like their favorite genre, give the extra effort to encourage them to discover different worlds and expand their growth potential. Encourage them to read the rainbow.