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Reading
- You don't have to be
wealthy to own books, or for your child to own books. Libraries often have
book sales. For mere pennies, second-hand stores sell books that are still
in good condition. Local child and family organizations often have book
drives for low-income families. Give your children the priceless and lifelong gift of
enthusiastic literacy.
- Be Your Child's First, Best, Longest Lasting, and
Most Informative Teacher!
Don't forget to have
your child's eyes tested. Research indicates that children with vision
problems (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or dyslexia) that go
undetected and/or uncorrected can have learning and/or behavior problems.
Signs of vision problems can include some or all of the following: squinting,
closing or covering one eye, sitting close to the TV, holding books very
close, headaches, nausea, dizziness, clumsiness, tilting head, daydreaming,
rubbing eyes, distractibility, reluctance to look at letters or numbers,
inability to notice things, losing place in book, using finger to mark place
in book, difficulty in learning to read.
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On
the Importance of Reading:
Knowledge is
power: Safer Child firmly believes in the old adage of knowledge
being power. And the cornerstone of knowledge is literacy. Read a child a book, and the
child hears one book. But teach the child to read, and the child can read every book. What
does literacy have to do with child health and safety? Everything.
Reading means
success: Good reading skills don't just make an enormous difference
to a child's success in school, from kindergarten all the way through college. They also
greatly influence which path the child takes as an adult. Teach a child to read well, and
to enjoy reading well, and the child can learn to do anything and be anybody. Children who
spend most of their day in front of the television or video games might find it difficult
and frustrating to compete in school -- and deep frustration and self-esteem issues can
bring on other behavior problems. But children who enter Grade 1
or even kindergarten with the alphabet or some
reading skills already under their belt stand a much greater chance of enjoying the whole
school experience.
Children Want to
Learn: Children are, by and large,
desperate to learn. Their brains are like sponges, just waiting to soak up information and
new ideas. (Ever bemoan the "why" "why" "why" you get from a
3-year-old? That's your child's natural instinct to reach out to the world for knowledge.
Be patient with it, and cater to it whenever you can. As you teach your child, you can
learn a few things, too -- and that can make for another great lesson for your child, that
learning is a lifelong process!)
Parents set the
example: A parent's example can make such a difference in a child's
reading habits and skills. If a parent doesn't read, "hates reading," struggles
to read well, or only takes time to read when away from the child -- the child will
be less likely to become a good reader. Parents don't have to wait until the child is in
school. Babies enjoy looking at pictures. Toddlers can learn the alphabet and even spell
simple words. Many 4- and 5-year-olds can grasp the basics of phonetics. They can enjoy
being read newspaper comics and they can get interested in select news items.
Additionally, local libraries often have Story Time programs for various ages and books in
other languages than English. Start early, and make the experience fun.
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Tips
for Getting Your Child to Read:
 | Don't wait until your
children are in school to start reading. Many children can learn their
alphabet as toddlers, recognize a few words at 3, and begin to actually read
at 4. Others will take a little longer, but most capable children have the
physical capability of reading before they begin formal schooling. Early
success at home will help to bring early success in school. Early success in
school helps lead to long-term success in school. |
| If your child squints frequently,
insists on watching television close to the screen, gets headaches or
struggles to read the letters or see the pictures, check to make sure the child doesn't
need glasses (or perhaps has another problem such as dyslexia).
Don't wait until school begins to do this. A young child will be frustrated
and discouraged by not being able to see well, and the concept of words will
not come easily to a child who can't see what you do.
If you can't afford an optometrist to test your children's eyes, call your
school district or your local health department and find out what financial
assistance is available in your area. |
| Keep your own books out and in plain view, and
allow your children to see you read. Make reading seem fun
and interesting -- exciting even. Make reading areas well lit and comfortable.
Allow your children to drink liquids while reading. Be enthusiastic about the
process. Your children will pick up on any reluctance you feel. |
| Limit your child's time
watching television, playing video games and typing on a computer. Even
computer programs that claim to teach reading do not actively stimulate a
child's brain and imagination the way books can. We suggest you imagine a
pyramid (like the standard food pyramid). Try to make television, video games
and computer programs the small top part of an entertainment pyramid -- and
books the large bottom section. |
| Have special shelves for your children's books
that are low to the ground and accessible all day long.
Variety is critical to maintaining their interest, so buy as many children's
books as your budget allows. Read them age-appropriate comics (even before
they appreciate the humor). Show them newspapers, magazines, or whichever
age-appropriate material grabs their interest. |
| If you can't afford new
books, then visit libraries, purchase second-hand books, and solicit help from
schools and literacy organizations. Give your children the priceless gift of
becoming enthusiastic readers as soon as they're able. |
| You can help the process by
making reading a fun daily
or nightly ritual -- even while your child is
still a baby. Make it part of the bedtime routine to read
two or three books or chapters (let them choose which ones), and this routine
is likely to also help them settle down for bed. |
| When your children are old enough, allow
them to choose (within reason)
the books from the library, the bookstore, or from
their bookshelves. Allow them to explore what seems
interesting to them. |
| Insist on respect for the books (no drawing in
them, cutting them up, or bending the pages). However, do
allow your children to enjoy the process, so correct their behavior gently.
Accept that some books will be damaged by being used, and be happy that
they're being used. |
| When you read the story, make it fun. Make appropriate
animal sounds, change your intonation, use facial expressions, create dramatic tension.
Speak slowly and enunciate carefully so that your child can hear the words
properly and enjoy the story. Tell the story the way you would want to hear
it. |
| Allow your child to participate. Ask questions, look over
the pictures, wonder about what happens next, allow your child to change the story, sing
along with songs, show letters and make their sounds.
Encourage your child to disagree with how story characters behave -- books
provide you with an excellent opportunity to gently teach values.
Talk about what you see, what you don't see, what you think will happen, what
you wish would happen. |
| Ask your child about words that
might be unfamiliar: "Do you know what 'persistent' means? It means to keep
trying." If you're consistent about explaining
words, and you don't make a big deal of the fact that your children don't
know, and if you show them that you are still learning new words and concepts,
too, you will be absolutely amazed at the words your young children can learn.
A good way to illustrate the fact that you are still learning is to show them
a dictionary. It's big, it has a gazillion words in it, and some words are
pretty funny when you say them. |
| When your children want to make up stories, encourage them.
Don't critique their made-up words or story lines. Gently
and in a matter-of-fact way, correct their misconceptions about how
things work, and resist laughing at them. Don't allow
them to think of themselves as "dumb" for not knowing things -- after all,
everyone is born knowing nothing at all. |
| Invite favorite stuffed animals or toys to share story time
with you. |
| Any time your child
wants you to read to him or her, try to find the time to say yes. Children are
naturally fascinated by books, but this fascination needs proper nourishment.
Read to them as long as they'll let you; you'll be able to
help them appreciate books and information they aren't able to read well
enough to understand. Once they want to read the books themselves, show
enthusiasm for being read to. When they don't want to read to you anymore,
then sit down with a book and read with them. Make reading together a regular and important part of the day
for everyone. |
| When your children start to
read, allow them to set the pace. Don't force a certain amount. Let them stop
when they are tired or frustrated. Praise frequently and sincerely for effort
AND achievement. When they want to know what something says, even if it's the
400th time they've asked you that day, try to find the patience to tell them.
Their ability to read will come more quickly if you give it room, gentle
encouragement and daily nourishment. |
| Teach phonics. We are not
experts on literacy, and we know that some words must simply be memorized
because their spellings make no sense phonetically, however as parents, we are
convinced of the value of phonics. Phonics give children the tools to read new
words they haven't seen before. |
| Look for books and
resources on teaching your child to read. Don't try to get too fancy. Just be consistent, be enthusiastic, be gentle, and be
patient. |
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