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Literacy
is more than reading. It is the ability to communicate through reading,
writing, listening and speaking. If we can foster a love of reading
in our little ones, it will stay with them as they grow and enhance
their growth throughout their lives.
We want our children
to learn to read, but it is equally as important for children to
be literate, because being able to communicate thoughts, information,
and ideas is essential to being successful. Many parents push for
early reading because they think that it means that their child
is smarter and it will help them. Most kids' reading skills level
out by the third grade. It is not the ability to read early that
makes a child smart, it is what they can do with what they read
that is important.
There is a "switch"
in a child's head that turns on when they are ready to learn to
read. I saw it in my First Grade class many times. On Monday they
aren't ready and by the end of the week they are. There is nothing
you can do to make that "switch" flip on quicker. All you can do
is put them in a literacy rich environment so they are ready when
the "switch" turns on.
There is a
progression of steps children go through as they learn how to read:
- Shape of words (Ex: they learn to recognize
McDonalds, Chuck E. Cheese)
- First letter of words, while they are learning the alphabet
(Ex: They see a word with a J at the beginning
and assume it is Jacob, especially if that's their name)
- Sounding out (Ex: see the letters c-a-t and
can sound them out to cat)
- Sight word recognition (Ex: they see the word
cat and know it is cat without having to sound it out)
.this is how adults read. Think of how long it would take
us to read something if we still had to sound out all of the
words we came in contact with!
Children learn to read
2 different ways, globally and phonetically. Globally
is by recognizing the whole word. Children that are visual learn
like this. After they have sounded it out, they will read it globally.
Flash cards work really well with them. Phonetic
readers do better using the patterns of phonics on words.
They tend to be auditory learners.
Writing
progression:
1) Scribble
2) Random letters (hfkluahgfh)
3) One letter for each word/no spaces (iwmp)
4) Inventive spelling/ no spaces (iwntmlkpls)
5) Inventive spelling with space (i want mlk plees)(i want miyulk
pulees)
6) Beginnings of true spelling (i want milk please)
Read to
kids, not
just at night. Schedule a reading time during the day so you don't
get too busy to do it.
In 1985 the Commission
on Reading stated, "The single most important activity for building
the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading
aloud to children." Although this statement is almost 20 years old,
the message is still true.
Choosing
books: Read
different types of literature with rich language (traditional and
modern stories, rhymes, poetry, fairytales, songs, mystery, and
information books). Kids love to hear the same book over and over
and it is actually good for them. The repetition teaches them about
speech patterns, new vocabulary, and whatever the topic of the book
is about. It really helps them to internalize the book.
Reading
aloud right from the beginning is
one of the most important ways you can help your child learn to
read and write. Through sharing books with your child, he/she will
learn to turn the pages, talk about the story and the pictures,
to join in with parts they know well, and, gradually, recognize
words on the page. All of this helps to build their confidence and
interests and plays an important part in their development as a
successful reader.
Did you
know?: Two
year olds can learn 30 new words a day; they just need to
hear 30 new words a day! Books are a great way to take your child
to all kinds of places all over the world (and in their imagination)
and introduce them to lots of new vocabulary, without ever leaving
your house.
When
should you stop reading to your child??? NEVER.
Children benefit greatly from being read to even after they
learn to read on their own. Both parent and child will enjoy the
experience. Children can understand the meaning and learn the rhythms
and "tunes" of books that they aren't yet ready to read for themselves.
Listening to more sophisticated books will also encourage older
children to try out new and more challenging books on their own.
Suggested
Activities
to do with your child to make stories come to life (and enhance
their literacy):
Read a book
then…
- Make masks, puppets, or stuffed animals and reenact the book.
- Have your child draw a picture and you write what they say
about it.
- Keep a journal in which kids can write their impressions about
the books they read. The entries can have structure or not. If
your kids are younger, you can write for them and if they are
older it can be private. Spelling doesn't matter.
Other Ideas:
- Point to the words as you read the story. This teaches direction
and shows A symbolic relationship between the words and what you
say.
- Read with expression. Use different voices for each character;
pause to let special phrases sink in.
- Share reading. As your child gets to know the book, let them
join in as you read. They can help with particular lines or "predict"
what will happen next.
- Ask Questions. Let your child ask (this means he/she is interested
and wants to find out more); and ask questions yourself: "I wonder
why that happened?" or "Why do you like this book so much?"
- Have a logo book. Get a cheap photo album and every Sunday go
through the Ads and have your child cut out the words he/she knows
(ex. jell-o, cheerios, McDonalds). Then they have a book
they can read all by themselves.
I encourage everyone
to make going to your public library a regular ritual with your
children/grandchildren. Get them a card in their name. Kids also
need to have books of their own. They should be treasured like gold,
for they hold the possibilities that even gold and jewels could
not allow you to purchase!!
Resources:
Myra Barrs and Sue Ellis, Reading Together At Home - Parents'
Handbook, Discovery Toys (Candlewick Press, 1998)
Trelease, Jim, The Read-Aloud Handbook (New York: Penguin
Putnam Inc. 2001)
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