Natural learning vs teaching By listening to stories, children just naturally gain a greater understanding of language and concepts, as well as build key skills needed to read and to write. Will you recognize this? Yes, but not necessarily right
Natural learning vs teaching
By listening to stories, children just naturally gain a greater understanding of language and concepts, as well as build key skills needed to read and to write. Will you recognize this? Yes, but not necessarily right away.
Remember how you talked and talked and talked to your child, and then one day he/she began to talk back?
If you read, read, read to your children, they may show you little bits of what they’re learning. But more often, they are processing information – taking it in, sorting it out, putting it together. When they have it figured out, you’ll see and hear it.
Each child needs to be allowed to do this at his or her own pace. Each walked and talked when he or she could, and not before. Each will learn various skills and eventually be able to read when he or she is able.
Pressuring children
can backfire
What happens if you pressure children? Push them? Quiz them? Suddenly, reading isn’t much fun.
They’re likely to drift away from reading time and from books. Parents need to trust reading specialists when they say that children are learning through the process of looking at pictures and listening to stories. And we are teaching just by reading to them. Our job is to make it a relaxing, fun time for them, and for us.
Choose books
children enjoy
Families find books in different places. Public libraries, school libraries, childrens’ book stores, garage sales and friends are all good sources (start a book exchange program with other parents).
Characteristics of quality books
• Books with good illustrations
• Books with experiences common to young children
• Books with a main character with whom the child can identify
• Books with repetitive lines
• Books with well paced plot, simple climax
• Books with direct conversations
• Books with rhyme
• Books with a story appropriate to the child’s age
• Books with worthwhile content
• Books with multicultural characters
• Books that represent appropriate gender roles
• Books that demonstrate appropriate behavior, attitudes and values
The 15 minute difference
Studies show that reading as little as 15 minutes every day makes a big difference. It doesn’t take a lot of time to introduce children to books and get them excited about reading.
But parents often find reading time is so enjoyable, they end up reading several stories. These times together are very special, and children will have wonderful memories of them as they grow.
Previous passages excerpted from “Bigger Than Books, Promoting Literacy by Reading Aloud.”
Just a few Treasury of Read Aloud Books:
“Are You My Mother?”, P.D. Eastman (Random House, 1960)
“Goodnight Moon,” Margaret Wise Brown (Harper, 1947)
“It Looked Like Spilt Milk,” Charles Shaw (Harper, 1947)
“Tikki Tembo,” Arlene Mosel (Holt, 1968)
“The Wheels on the Bus,” Maryann Kovalski (Little, Brown, 1987)
� For more ideas, information and resources on how to understand, help and enrich your child’s development, call Anna Peters, Kaua�i Good Beginnings Coordinator at 632-2114 or Cathy Shanks, PATCH, at 246-0622. This article is provided by the Kaua�i Good Beginnings Council Public Awareness Committee comprised of Phyllis Kunimura, Kaua’i Independent Daycare Services School; Cathy Shanks, PATCH; Nancy Golden, Nana’s House; Margaret Smith, Healthy Start, Dept. of Education; Bridget Arume and Maureen Fodale, and Anna Peters.
