So You Want Your Child to Read
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| Open Mic @ the Giraffe Tribe |
Interview to Get the Want-to-Read into Your Child
I’d like to introduce my Guest Blogger, LaDonna who writes:
I’m LaDonna, the leader of the SITS Giraffe Tribe and as part of a writing exercise this week I hosted an OPEN MIC. (I have decided to host an OPEN MIC each quarter, so if you’re interested tune in for more information.) In return, I have the opportunity to Guest on several awesome blogs…including Donna’s. Donna allowed me to select my topic, but she gave me a parameter that I will find a challenge….a word limit.
The dreaded word limit…I have to stay within my word count or I get split into two posts :(. That’s easy you say? Not for me. I’m wordy, I talk a lot, and I like to write until I am done. Typically my post are long-ish 3-5 pages and now I’m word paranoid (already at 140) and this is a topic I’m passionate about as both my dad and my brother are severely dyslexic.
Without further ado…
So You Want Your Child to Read
So you want your child to read, right?
Well what’s the secret?
How do you turn a child into a great reader that loves books, words and writing?
That’s easy. DO IT.
That’s right. It’s that easy.
Children that are read to learn to read. Beverley B. Swanson states,
“Parents are more concerned about their child’s progress in reading than in any other subject taught in school, and rightfully so.” She also indicates that “[r]esearch shows that children learn about reading before they enter school. In fact, they learn in the best manner-through observation. Young children, for example, see people around them reading newspapers, books, maps, and signs.”
The Family Education site Recommends the following:
You’re asking does it work, right? Of course it works.
You’re asking how I know, right? Glad you asked.
My parents, my mom, did all 5 of these things
Some of my earliest memories surround going to Story Hour at our local public library and then checking out books to take home. When I was a little girl I was introduced to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the year it came out. It remains to this day a favorite book.
We have pictures of me sitting with my brother in a carrier (Remember those? They were the pre-cursors to the bouncy seats.) I’m “reading” the Three Little Kittens by picture, from memory. I knew it ‘word for word’ and I was 24 months old when he was born.
My dad worked long hard hours as a package car driver for UPS, and still does. As a child we loved when he came home. He walked in the door with his lunch box and the mail. In that stack of mail was a special box just for my brother and me, the monthly books from Scholastic Reader Club. My dad would then sit down and laboriously read those simple children’s books to us while mom finished dinner. It was a two-for-one, a special time with dad and a time to be exposed to books.
My Brother has Dyslexia
Learning to read did not come easy for my brother or I. He has dyslexia and I’ve had tubes in my ears since I was 18 months old. I was in speech therapy from age 2 to 12. I misheard everything, so I mis-spoke. Reading was hard because the words didn’t look like the sounds I heard or the sound I’d taught my brother. We are non-twins, yet we developed a “Twins Language”. My second grade teacher told me I was hopeless and would never learn to read.
Regardless of all those obstacles I was intrigued by books. Just before 4th grade I became a reader—l learned how to read. I “self” taught myself how to read in the back of a pickup truck with a cab cover on it on the way to Washington DC on family vacation (good grief, just traveling that way was an experience…today its illegal).
I’d brought a book, and desperately wanted to hear the story. NO one would read to me; mom was busy helping drive. She told me to try and figure it out myself.
I have read hundreds of books since; I can read a typical book in about 45 minutes to an hour; other people watch movies and TV—I read books. I have forgotten the titles of many of the books I have read, but I will never forget that first book: Nothing is Fair in 5th Grade by author Judy Blume.
Your Child Won’t Forget His/Her First Book
Your child will not forget his or her first book either. Each time they finish a book and feel that sense of accomplishment and self satisfaction, that only finishing a book can bring, they will be reminded of the time that you turned off the TV, sacrificed the time and just READ to them.
Thank you, LaDonna! What she said is so right on! Take it to heart and read to your child often. What you model for them when they are young is how they will model for your grandchildren….something to think about!
Have you overcome learning disabilities? Was reading easy for you? Leave your comments with us and start a dialog…
SO true! I started reading to both our boys regularly at 6 months! We ALWAYS read at bedtime, and usually several times during the day as well.
As a result my 2 year old has an astounding ability to just sit attentively and listen to story after story (even though he's generally a VERY busy toddler)
We are regulars at the public library and are welcome to participate in the 3 yr old storytime at our local library because he's not a distraction as most 2 yr olds can be.
My eldest child requested having chapter books read to him (with very few pictures) beginning at age 4 and also REQUESTED help with learning to read.
I'm convinced that this is true for them, because we simply carved out time to DO it! 🙂
You 'nailed it' in the last sentence, Heidi!
"I'm convinced that this is true for them, because we simply carved out time to DO it!"
That's all it will cost you….time. 🙂
I love this topic! I'm very excited about early literacy. My son is almost 3 1/2 and is beginning to read. He recently received a copy of Go Dog, Go and started reading it immediately. He had never seen that book before, so you can imagine how excited we were! We've been reading to him since he could sit in our laps, and he (like the previous commenter's child) has always sat attentively and listened to stories. My daughter just turned one, and will sit and pay attention for a short time, but I know that she'll become more interested with repetition and exposure to reading.
Oh, and I'm here from the Giraffe Tribe! 🙂
Becky,
Welcome to the Giraffe Tribe!
It must have been exciting to watch him read the first time. Hope you caught that on video!
Hooray that you started early for reading!!
Put you head in a swimming pool, now have someone talk to you. You hear sounds but the words are mish-mash…that was often my sound quality as a kid (and sometimes even as an adult.) If you don't think that reading is tied into language skills and vis versa just ask me. Not being able to hear correctly made reading a challenge to this day I often will say things the way the "sound" and not the correct pronunciation…
My point is that that carving time to read to you child, and have them read to you as they get older, and being a reader youself is priceless. Your children will value reading if you do. I always remember my mom having books around and reading.
Thanks again Donna for allowing me to Guest Post.
This is wonderful! Just today my three year old son started to sound out words. I thought, he gets it because we do it so often! He loves letters, he loves words but most of all, he loves spending time with his Mom over a book 😉
It's really exciting to hear from two seperate individuals that their child is reading because they DID IT! They made time to read to their child(ren).
Proof positive that reading with your child from an early age brings positive results.
Your reading children will be ahead in school, be introduced to a love for literature early and bond even more closely with you.
You may be raising the next C.S. Lewis!
We love reading to each other around here. SO important to start such a wonderful habit early in life.
Kelly,
You are a super star Mom! There will be great rewards being reaped in the future because of your habit!
Have you heard of this online?www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents/buildskills
Great post!!!! I'm a follower of LaDonna's blog. I love this. I have a 21 month old at home. Reading is very special to him. 🙂 He loves to point each thing out and try to pronounce the words I say to him. It's the cutest thing, ever. 🙂
Marine Wife:
I'm so glad you stopped by and left your comment.
Your 21 month old is already building on the foundation you've laid for him.
Be sure you download the coloring pages for your son. You can staple them together and make up a story. Then put a crayon in his hand and watch him. It's another foundation you're laying for him in the arts. Show him the book trailers and listen to the story together with him.
Be sure to have your video on the phone or camera ready…you'll be glad you did. It's worth having your child on video..especially worth it to the grandparents!!
We love reading to each other around here. SO important to start such a wonderful habit early in life.
My point is that that carving time to read to you child, and have them read to you as they get older, and being a reader youself is priceless. Your children will value reading if you do. I always remember my mom having books around and reading.
Thanks again Donna for allowing me to Guest Post.
iffet izle,
I see my guest poster already answered your comment. You are 100% right about starting early to read and read to each other! How nice to have you visit my blog.