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Open A Book and Jump On InApr 12 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Take time to read and listen to your children read. Reading increases social, studying, vocabulary, learning, and bonding skills.
«How to Raise Literate Children» •Start early-- The first chance you get, read to your child. (Yes even from infancy) This allows you to bond with your child as well as build important brain cells for their physical and mental development. •Lead By Example-- Children even in the toddler years learn by imitation, meaning if you read in front of your child most likely they will take an interest and do the same themselves. •Trips To the Library-- My children love to go to the library and chose their own books. My oldest signed up for his library card at the first moment he could sign his own name. To encourage literacy many public libraries sponsor an award system for the hours that your child reads. (Hours adding up to small prizes: bookmarks, small toys, t-shirts, etc.) Not only does the library offer books but if you look into the programs that they have--most libraries have a story time/activity time for at infants and toddlers. Some libraries even go as far as a story time for older children during the summer. •Bedtime Stories-- This is a great early introduction to literature, and encourages a larger attention span in your child. Bedtime Stories gives you and your child time to wind down before they drift off to sleep. •Trips to the Bookstore-- If you think that having a literate child is a huge expense, you really need to go shopping with me. First off, I rarely turn down my children when they ask me to buy them a book. (Obviously I make sure the book is appropriate for my children.) Look in your local phone book. There you can find bargain stores, or dollar stores. You can find many great books in these stores, I have seen anything from classics (Moby Dick, Little Women, Heidi, Little Men, Treasure Island...) for just a few dollars per book. I have bought popular character books for under $2 each. (Barney, Sesame Street, and Blue's Clues) We have a great used book shop here where you can trade your old books for other books and only pay a small percent of the reduced price. (usually 8-15% of their reduced rate) Other used book shops reduce the cost of the book and you pay that price-- shop around there are always good deals. Places such as Hastings (if you have them in your area), or Wal-Mart offer bargain retail prices on their books-- there you can find newer titles. Also, shop online more than not the prices online are even lower than your local retail stores. •Broaden Their Knowledge With Other Genre's-- If you have a child in elementary school you know that your school encourages your child to look into different types of print. Newspapers, poems, chapter books, short stories, mysteries, fiction, non-fiction, and the list goes on. Poems-- Even at their youngest children love rhyme and rhythm. Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein are great examples of this genre, and have grown in popularity over the years. Newspapers-- Of course with this you'll want to edit what your child reads. (There's too much violence in the media.) Explain to them what a newspaper is and how much work goes into making a newspaper 7 days a week. Chapter Books-- This is where my oldest son's interest lies. He has almost the full collection of The Magic Tree House Books. As his homework he needs to read 20 minutes a day and write what he read about in those 20 minutes. My son has his own 4 shelf bookcase that he's particular about-- Chapter Books on one shelf, Reference on another. Every time he buys or receives a book he reminds me that he'll be running out of room soon. From Chapter Books he learns: that there is a beginning, middle, and end of a book, he learns about proper sentence structure, and to him reading is a form of entertainment. Non-Fiction -- In school your child learns history. The first manned space flight, presidents, or even about the life of their favorite sports star. My son intrigued by the subject of Abraham Lincoln took it on himself to check out a book from his school library on the same subject. After reading he informed me of some "Presidential" facts. This was very impressive to me! «The Parent's Role in Literacy» Even though your child might be in school, do not leave education solely to your child/children's teacher. As a parent you have taken responsibility for the physical and mental well-being of your child-- yes education included. It only takes a few minutes a day to sit down and read to or have your child read to you. Reap in the abilities of your child, and be there to encourage them. You will never feel such pride as when you are sitting listening to your child read. Not only is this valuable to them, but time passes so quickly and children grow so quick that this allows you time to slow down during the day and take some personal one-on-one time with your child. «So How Do You Make It Fun For Them?» These are personal tips, things that I have implemented myself. • Make up a Book List. (On the one I made I put a space for the Title of the Book, the Author, How my son felt about the book, and a space for us to sign.) He constantly brags about how many new books he's read. • Allow your child to pick out their own books. (Mind you this is if the topic is appropriate for your child) I've never forced other genre's on my son. I have learned his taste though: he enjoys his chapter books (Hardy Boys & The Magic Tree House), he also enjoys joke books, poems (sports poems), light history, and animal books (books on mammals, aquatic animals, etc). • Journal-- I have bought my son a special journal. In this he can write stories, draw pictures, or keep a diary. I've noticed him doing this from time to time. This hones in on his writing skills, he's even gone so far as to write a short story. We recently went to visit family and I bought him a special trip diary-- he's enjoyed writing about his plane trip, visiting family, and places we toured while there. • Reading Lists-- If you don't know where to start, you can ask your child's teacher for a age appropriate summer reading list. If the teacher doesn't have access to one you can search on the internet. We've made up a list of books that sound interesting and have taken it to the library with us for him to check out the books. «Final Words» I know that this might be a lot to think about, but it really is simple. Reading is probably the most important skill your child can learn. By encouraging your child to read you are investing in their future. Reading makes for children with a broader vocabulary, better studying skills, and taps into every subject your child will ever learn it is the foundation of your child's education.  |
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