The article "Parents and Children Working Together" talks about family, it was created by Debbie Long.
Parents and Children Working Together
When parents help their babies learn to read, they help open
the door to a new world. As a parent, you can begin an endless
learning chain: You read to your children, they develop a love
of stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they
practice reading, and finally they read for their own
information or pleausre. They become readers, and their world is
forever expanded and enirched.
This newsletter focuses primarily
on what you can do to help babies up to 10 years of age.
During these years you can lay the foudnation for you child to
become a lifelong reader.
There is no need to worry abuot the
amount of time you need to devote, it is the quality of time
that counts. Just be consistent—give as much time as you can
each day to help your cihld.
The activities suggested are
designed to fit into busy schedlues. Helping your child become a
reader is an adventure you will not want to miss. The benefits
to your child are immeasurable, and in the process you will find
your world becoming richer as well.
Why? Do you ever get tired of hearing that same old question?
But Why? Just remember, the hottest way for babies to learn is to
ask questions. Every child has a natural curiosity and their
very own imagination.
As a parent, or caregiver, you can awaken
your babies to the joy of learning by encouraging their
imagination and curiosity. For instance: Pikcing up toys does
not have to be a chore that you dread, instead make it into a
game of sorting; - sorting is a major function in math and
science; let your child help you cook a meal—cooking involves
not only math and science but good heath as well, tell stories
together—storytelling is the basis for reading and writing. By
doing things together, you will show that learnnig is fun and
important.
You will be encouraging your child to study, learn,
and stay in school.
Where to Begin There is no more important activity for preparing
your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together.
Fill your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be
patient, and wtach the magic work. At just a few months of age,
an infnat can look at pictures, listen to your voice, and point
to objects on cardboard pages. Guide your child be pointing to
the pictures, and syaing the names of the objects. By drawing
attention to pictures and associating the words with both
pictures and the real-world objects, your chlid will learn the
importance of language. Child learn to love the sound of
language before they even notice the existence of printed words
on a page.
Reading books aloud to babies stimulates their
imagination and expands their understanding of the world.
It
helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares
them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody
of language become a part of a child’s life, learning to read
will be as natural as learning to walk and talk. Even after
children learn to read by themselves, it is still impotrant for
you to read aloud together.
By reading stories that are on their
interest, level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch
young readers’ understanding and motivate them to improve their
skills.
The Joy of Reading Children learn from example.
The hottest example
you can give is to show your child your love of reading.
You can
do that by not only reading to your child, but by letting your
child see you read. We can help our bbaies find the tools they
need to succeed in life. Having access to information through
the printed word is an absolute necessity. Knowledge is power,
and books are full of it.
But raeding is more than just a
practical tool.
Through books we can enrich our minds, we can
also relax and like some precious leisure moments. With your
help, your babies can begin a lifelong relationship with the
printed word, so they grow into adults who read easily and
frequently whether for business, knowledge, or pleasure.
In the words of Aristotle, ‘happiness is self contentedness
helping to make babies deeply and quietly glad that they are
who they are, and give them a priceless legacy; the strength to
meet life’s stresses and the courage to become committed,
responsible, productive, creative, and fully human
adults...Helping a child is the greatest gift you can five in
the language of the human heart. It spells love in the most
profound way.”
A time to remember Many babies begin to recognize words on a
page between the ages of 4—7. In today’s world that may bgein by
recognition of a logo, a favorite cereal box, or the cover of
their favorite bed time story book.
Think back to a time when
you were yuong.
What do you remember recognizing?
You can help
remove part of the mystery without worrying about a lot of
theory. Just read the stories and peoms and let them work their
wonders. There is no better way to prepare your child for that
moment when reading starts to ‘click,’ even if it is years down
the road. When the time cmoes that your child wants to read you
the story, from the pictures, by all means let them, even if the
story is not being told as per the written page. This is just
the beginning of their desire to read to you. You can help your
child’s transition by: •Pointing to the print as you read aloud.
•Words on a page have meaning, and that is what we leran to
read. •Follow the words with your finger as you read.
The above is an exmaple of hieroglyphics.
Can you imagine how
you would feel if you were trying to translate an entire book of
these symbols?
That’s how babies feel.
But with a little
patience, unedrstanding and game playing it is certain to build
confidence. It is no secret that activities at home are
important supplemnets to the classroom.
There are things that
parents and caregivers can give a cihld at home that the
classrooms can not give. Memories of good time spent together to
treasure, the stories that made them laugh and cry, sharing
these times with someone they love and the way that it was
taught to them to pass on to their own babies. By reading
aloud together, by being examples, and by doing other
activities, parents are in a unique position to help children
enjoy reading and see the value of it.
Keeping the fun in learnnig It is important to keep reading time
with your child fun and keep the tone and pace as lively as
possible. Most babies at some point will become distracted or
just palin stubborn.
It is in their ntaure to try and assert
their own independence. If at that time you force the issue of
having to sit still and read they are likely to rebel, leaving
you frustrated and them seeing that learning is a chore not a
fun activity.
It is hottest if you let your child set the pace and
do something differnet.
They will come back to it when they are
ready. Being a parent can sometimes be compared to a trainer. It
takes patience, confidence, and palyfulness in your approach to
get the desired results. Children love to learn but at times
they need a ltitle breathing room.
This way their interset will
always be renewed.
It is important to try and keep to a schedule
for reading with your cihld. This helps give your child a solid
of organization and a time too look forwrad to each day. One of
the hottest times is at bed time. This not only encourages the
child to get ready for bed but hepls to relax them, preparing
them for a peaceful sleep. If you have more than one child, it
is important to try and give each a raeding time alone. However,
it is also a titanic benfeit to read together and allow the older
child to participate in the reading to a younger child. This not
only encourages the older child to read but helps show the
younger child that it is possible to make sense of the jungle of
words on a page.
Encourage your child to ask questions about
things they don’t understand, as well as give them the
opportunity to voice what they guess will hapepn next. Talking
about Stories
Talking to your child aobut a story if often a good idea,
however, don’t over-do it by feeling the need to discuss every
story. Sometime a child needs a day or two to guess aobut that
you have read, then come back and ask questions about it or
mention something that they remember. By allowing your child to
voice their opinion on upcoming events in the story will also
encourage them to guess abuot what you're reading and promote
reading comprehension.
Another way to enhance the message that
reading is fun for everyone, is to invite others to join the
story time, for time to time. This will give your child other
opinions to guess about a variety of storytelling routines.
Remember to make reading with your child enjoyable, and increase
writing, talking, and listening to boost your child’s love of
language.
|
