Make a Place for Writing at Home

     Last week I was babysitting so my son and his wife could go out.  I walked downstairs to find four year old Jacob.  He was standing next to a white board that was as tall as he was, and 5 feet wide.  It was a new addition to the basement.  "Come on Jacob, let's write the ABC's," I said.  He said "Oh Grandma, you are always trying to teach me, aren't you?"  He went to retrieve a large case of markers and we started writing.  We had an enjoyable moment, talking, laughing, and writing the ABC's.

     I know markers and children do not always go well together.  I had times when I was raising my boys, that markers made their way to the wall. But I do know that writing, reading and literacy will be forever linked.
     The ages before school we are just trying to unlock the alphabetical code.  But as children learn the letters and sounds, it will turn into writing thoughts, experiences, and feelings.  "Tools of the hands becomes tools of the mind." (Living Between the Lines p. 57)
     So give your children a place to write and supplies for writing.  Find a bucket, a drawer, a shelf or a desk.  Fill it with all kinds of writing supplies: paper; colored, white and lined, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, white boards, scissors, magazines, index cards, paper clips, staples, stickers, envelopes, notebooks, tape, and file folders.  Use your imagination.
     Once a child has decoded the alphabet, he will begin to spell words, and them if dons continuously, thoughts and personalities will emerge onto paper.  "Writing is a powerful tool for thinking" (p.56).  Our lives are rushed.  We need to give children a quiet place where they can pause and reflect.

     If you model writing for your children, they will write.  Read your lists to them and they will read their lists to you.  Their list may look like scribbles, but your child will know what it says.

     Children need lots of time to read and write, imagine and play.  Give them this time. Childhood passes much too quickly.  Give them the tools they need for life.  Give them a place to write.

Linking Reading and Writing

     Reading and writing will forever be linked.  In Kindergarten our literacy coach tells us that if you write you will read more actively and reading is the goal for all children.  Reading is the window to the world.
     How are reading and writing linked?  In Kindergarten we learn the letters and the sounds.  Next we start to blend the letters into words and the reading process begins.  Writing takes it one step further.  We say a word, break it into parts and write each part down, forming a word on paper.
     In Kindergarten we teach students that anything you say you can write.  This is a new and exciting concept to children.  As teachers we are open for inventive spelling.  This means the words are just spelled with the sounds that the children can hear.  This helps children get their words down on paper.  Once we get their ideas down, then we can move on to illustrations, editing, spelling, spacing, capitals, and embellishing the story with more words.
     Writing is a powerful tool.  I remember Brad, a young boy who was very quiet in class.  I couldn't get him to open up and talk to me.  During a writing project he was busily working.  He finally finished his thoughts and brought his work up for me to read.  In a halting sentence with mostly consonants and very few vowels, I was able to read a story about how he, his little brother and his grandparents were traveling to Salt Lake City and their truck got stuck in the snow. They finally got to Salt Lake to see a huge dinosaur display in Energy Solutions Arena.
     When I read his sentence and could understand it, he opened up to me with wide eyes and told me of his adventure.  That day was the turning point in his Kindergarten career.  He began to open up more.  He slowly became more assertive.
     Writing is powerful.  It releases who we are to the world.  Beginning writing may look like scribbles to you... but encourage it.  Writing not only leads to more reading, it leads to better comprehension.  Let your children write.  "...Reading and writing are ways in which human beings find significance and direction, beauty and intimacy, in their lives." (Living Between the Lines, Lucy McCormick Calkings p. 23)

Reading Environmental Print

     What is environmental print?  It is words or logos that children see around the house or around their town.  Things like Cheerios, McDonalds, Wendy's, Wal-Mart, Snickers, Pepsi, and traffic signs.
   Even if children cannot read, they can recognize environmental print.  This gives children an "I can read!" attitude.
     Using environmental print helps children begin to realize that print carries a message.  When Joseph was 2 every time he saw the golden arches with the word McDonalds he said, "There's my McDonalds.'
     Children who show little interest in print around their own environment also show that they have little awareness of print in other areas, like in books or writing.  As children become exposed to environmental print, this can transfer into recognizing words on a page.
     Make recognizing environmental print a game.  As you are driving around point to signs like stop, yield, etc.  Show your children that you can obey traffic signs because you can read the words.
     Read cereal boxes, juices, granola bars, grocery sacks and cleaning products around the house.  As things become empty cut out the environmental print.  Glue it on paper or cards.  Once you have cut out the logo, Cheerios, you can Xerox another one so you have two.  Make groups of two so you can play games like "go fish" and "concentration".

     This simple activity helps children become aware of print in their environment.  This is what we want.  Make your children aware of print that is all around them.  As they become aware other doors will open to them.  Give them a jump-start to life.  You are your children's greatest support system.  You are their first teacher.  By helping them recognize words, you help them learn the beginning skills of reading.  This opens the door as they learn that reading is fun and exciting!

Challenge Your Children

     As you and your children begin to enjoy your reading time together, challenge your children.  Select read-alouds that exceed your children's reading level.  Stretch their vocabulary and comprehension by reading them books that if they tried to read independently, would be on their frustrational level.
     Select high quality books.  Go to your local library for ideas about good children's literature.  Ask your children's teachers for help.  Select stories that have a theme or will relate to other stories you have read.
     As always, read with expression and fluency.  Stop to discuss vocabulary or sections of the story.  Stop and re-read a section if your children desire.  Discuss characters and the plot.  Ask questions and expect responses.  Discussion of the book before reading, during reading and after reading is important to promote reading comprehension ability in children.
     While you are reading the story, you want your children to experience the flow of the story.  Stopping and discussing the story, plot, or vocabulary sometimes breaks concentration, but you can always re-read parts of the book to continue with the flow of the story.
     Remember you are not just enjoying the story; you are doing so much more.  You are building your children's enthusiasm towards the written word.  "Reading aloud to children who are lagging behind their peers can have added benefits" to enhancing their reading skills. (p. 59 Strategies for Reading)  It is just as important and beneficial to your family to read to your children whether they are lagging behind or not.
     While reading be flexible.  Enjoy your children.  Enjoy reading together.  Remember you are modeling a love of reading!

Read to Pre-School Children

     As your children turn 3-5 your reading can become more interactive.  This means that if you or your child feels a need to stop and talk or ask questions, then stop and talk about the book.  Make sure your child is actively involved in the reading experience.
     This is a time when you can begin to teach concepts of print.  Point to the words on the page.  Teach your child that there are words and spaces.  Show them where you begin to read on the page.  Track your finger along the words.  Show them a period.  Show them that when you get to the end of a page you need to turn the page and find the new words to continue on with the story.
     When you read aloud at this age your child will develop new oral language skills.  This includes recognizing rhyming words, understanding and developing vocabulary, using words in context, and recognizing the alphabet in words.
     At this age parents can best involve their children by talking about the book together.  Ask questions, make predictions, talk about the pictures and define words together.  All this works together to broaden your child's oral language and comprehension of stories.
     As you read these stories expand them with literacy-related play, drama, singing, and art activities.  Literacy can enrich your life as well as the lives of your children.  Read about a gingerbread man, and then make a gingerbread man.  Read about winter and make a winter diorama, a snowman, or go play in the snow.  Read about a glacier floating in the ocean, and float an ice cube in a glass of water.
     The world is open to you.  Use your imagination.  The sky is the limit!

Read to Toddlers

     Your child is growing and now he/she can sit, listen and hold a book.  Continue with your 15 minutes a day reading schedule.  Now is the time to add a few things to your reading routine.

     Choose books your toddler is interested in.  Sturdy books, like board books are perfect for their young hands and cannot be easily ruined or torn.

     Find books with large pictures and just a few words.  Label books are great at this age.  Look for books that have large pictures, with bright colors and shapes on the pages.

     As you teach your child single words on the page, touch the word, then touch the picture, and then touch something around the house or in their toy box.  Like: Nose, picture of a nose, and then touch your nose and their nose.  Another example: Ball, picture of a ball, then a real ball!

     There is no one best way to read aloud to your child.  Choose stories with rhymes, raps, chants and pictures.  This stimulates oral language development.  Choose songs that are made into books, like: Eency Weency Spider, or Five Speckled Frogs.  Children develop a favorite book.  It is OK to read this book over and over, as often as your child wants.

     Read with enthusiasm and expression.  This is an important part of reading and children will mimic this in their play and later in their own reading development.  Let children see you enjoying a good book.

     Reading then becomes a family activity.  Young children will copy their Mom, Dad, and older siblings.  Let your home become a great place to model reading.  When reading is a priority to you it becomes a priority to your children.

    

Why Read to Your Baby?

     You have a new baby in your arms.  This child is tiny and perfect, a gift from heaven.  You want the best for this perfect child.  What can you do to help your child reach his/her potential?

    Read to your baby!  Make a goal to read at least 15 minutes a day.  “Children who learned to read early without formal instruction often came from homes where parents had read aloud to them regularly.” (Dolores Durkin 1966).

     When a child is young, this child hears sounds and eventually learns to talk and express language.  This come from listening to you read and talk to them.  As your child grows he/she learns new ideas and concepts by experiencing life and listening to you read.

     When your read a picture book to your child you are relaxed and enjoying the pictures and story along with your child.  Your child begins to realize that reading is enjoyable and it will peak his/her interest in learning to read as he/she grows and has the ability to hold a book and turn pages.

     “Having young children listen to stories is…a vital part of early literacy…because it builds capabilities such as…children’s vocabulary, and pleasure associated with storybook reading.” (Lenses on Reading p.45)

     Make sure you put time for reading with your children on your schedule.  Make it a priority.   If you have one child, read just to him/her.  If you have more children gather them around you.  Read books that you enjoy now, or books that you enjoyed as a child.  Make reading important in your family.  15 minutes a day of quiet family time will grow into a lifetime of enjoyed reading experiences!