| It is never too early to begin teaching
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| | child for life!
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| your child to read, or at least laying
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| | I'm not promising that your child can
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| the foundation for early literacy skills,
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| | learn to read early or that they won't
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| and it can definitely be left too late!
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| | experience difficulty. After all, there
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| If you are not sure then think about
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| | is a significant number of children
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| this. Statistically, more American
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| | suffering from learning disabilities.
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| children suffer long-term life-long harm
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| | These children will struggle. However,
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| from the process of learning to read than
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| | early instruction may ease their
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| from parental abuse, accidents, and all
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| | suffering and make the struggle a bit
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| other childhood diseases and disorders
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| | easier to handle. At the very least you
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| combined. In purely economic terms,
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| | will know that you did everything you
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| reading related difficulties cost our
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| | could to help your child-and your child
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| nation more than the war on terrorism,
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| | will know that as well. That cannot be
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| crime, and drugs combined.
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| | wasted effort!
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| Reading problems are a further challenge
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| | And you have a head-start on every
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| to our world by contribute significantly
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| | educator because you know your
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| to the perpetuation of socio-economic,
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| | child--herr temperament, her strengths,
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| racial and ethnic inequities. However it
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| | and her weaknesses. You are the person
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| is not just poor and minority children
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| | best equipped to begin teaching your
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| who struggle with reading. According to
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| | child.
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| the 2002 national report card on reading
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| | So we come back to the central
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| by the National Assessment of
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| | question-when should your child's reading
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| Educational Progress (NAEP), most of our
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| | education begin? Traditional American
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| children (64%) are less than proficient
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| | Education models call for teaching a
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| in reading even after 12 years of our
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| | child to read between the ages of 7-9.
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| attempts to teach them.
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| | Obviously we cannot begin teaching a
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| Even without knowing these worrisome
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| | newborn how to read. However, we can
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| statistics we are aware that reading
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| | begin in infancy to lay the foundation
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| proficiency is essential to success--not
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| | for literacy which will in the end make
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| only academically but in life. As the
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| | your child a stronger reader.
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| American Federal of Teachers states: "No
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| | Literacy is defined as an individual's
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| other skill taught in school and learned
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| | ability to read, write, and speak in
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| by school children is more important than
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| | English, compute, and solve problems, at
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| reading. It is the gateway to all other
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| | levels of proficiency necessary to
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| knowledge. Teaching students to read by
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| | function on the job, in the family of the
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| the end of third grade is the single most
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| | individual, and in society.
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| important task assigned to elementary
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| | Many of the simple things we do at home
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| schools. Those who learn to read with
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| | with our children support the development
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| ease in the early grades have a
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| | of literacy so you are already working to
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| foundation on which to build new
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| | make your child more literate even if you
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| knowledge. Those who do not are doomed to
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| | are not actively beginning the process to
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| repeated cycles of frustration and
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| | teach your child to read. This includes
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| failure."
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| | simple activities such as reading to your
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| More than any other subject or skill, our
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| | child, reciting nursery rhymes, and
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| children's futures are determined by how
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| | singing songs.
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| well they learn to read.
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| | But what if you do want to become a more
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| Reading is absolutely fundamental. It has
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| | active participant? There are many things
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| been said so often that it has become
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| | you can do and it doesn't mean you need
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| meaningless but it does not negate its
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| | to invest hundreds of dollars in an
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| truth. In our society, in our world, the
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| | expensive reading program. You don't
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| inability to read consigns children to
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| | actually need to spend much money at all
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| failure in school and consigns adults to
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| | to teach your child to read at home-or at
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| the lowest strata of job and life
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| | the least prepare your child well for the
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| opportunities.
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| | beginning of reading instruction in
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| And just when we thought the stakes could
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| | school. Most parents already have the
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| get no higher, over the last decade,
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| | tools you need in your home to begin
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| educational research findings have
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| | today!
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| discovered that how well children learn
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| | This is why I stress that it is never too
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| to read has other, even more
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| | early to begin-if you work with your
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| life-shaping, consequences. Most children
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| | child's development and make learning fun
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| begin learning to read during a
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| | and interesting as well as challenging.
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| profoundly formative phase in their
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| | My essential strategy as an educator is
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| development. As they begin learning to
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| | to create learning opportunities and then
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| read, they're also learning to think
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| | to get out of the way of my students so
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| abstractly. They are learning to learn
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| | they can learn. Learning is an active
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| and they're experiencing emotionally
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| | experience that should fully engage the
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| charged feelings about who they are and
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| | participant. I believe that when I am
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| how well they are learning.
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| | "teaching" that the student is only
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| What does that mean? Most children who
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| | passively involved in the learning
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| struggle with reading blame themselves.
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| | process. I see myself much more as a
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| Day after day, week after week, month
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| | guide and a resource than a teacher in my
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| after month, year after year, the process
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| | classroom. I have taken this approach
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| of learning to read teaches these
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| | with my son's education and it has been
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| children to feel ashamed of
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| | very successful.
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| themselves--ashamed of their
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| | We have various learning toys and aids in
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| minds--ashamed of how they learn.
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| | our home and there are many lessons
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| And the sad truth is that they have
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| | taking place each day (at home and away)
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| nothing to be ashamed about. As Dr.
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| | but I have never drilled him on facts or
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| Grover Whitehurst, Director Institute of
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| | even used flashcards.
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| Education Sciences, Assistant Secretary
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| | If you can find ways to make learning fun
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| of Education, U.S. Department of
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| | and exciting-something that your child
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| Education (2003) says: "Reading failure
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| | actually wants to do with you-then begin
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| for nearly every child is not the child's
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| | as soon as possible.
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| failure; it's the failure of policy
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| | Your child will have plenty of
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| makers, the failure of schools, the
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| | opportunity for dry lectures,
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| failure of teachers and the failure of
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| | mind-numbing repetitive drills, and
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| parents. We need to reconceptualize what
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| | boring lessons as they grow older so
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| it means to learn to read and who's
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| | don't even go there. If you can't make
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| responsible for its success if we're
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| | learning fun and more like play than work
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| going to deal with the problem."
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| | then don't even go there. Trust your
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| Do you want to wait for the policy makers
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| | child's education to the professionals
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| to find a solution? Do you trust that
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| | and hope for the best. Remember, there
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| they will? Or would you rather make sure
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| | are many wonderful teachers out there so
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| that the job is done right by taking
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| | you child is not doomed to failure even
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| charge yourself?
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| | if you don't intervene. However, the
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| I know what my answer is because I know
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| | system is not a success and it is likely
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| first-hand from witnessing my brother's
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| | that at some point during the process
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| life-long difficulties what an
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| | your child may be adversely effected by
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| irrevocable impact a reading struggle
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| | it! That's why I take an active role in
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| early in life can make. It can mark your
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| | my child's education.
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