Teaching small children-Part II

Teaching Small Children to Read — Part II

by Dr. Edward  E. Green

General Manager of Family Literacy Centers, Inc. 

In just a few short years of life, children learn an incredible amount.  They can use language well, figure out puzzles and games, and imitate whatever is modeled in their environment.  At no other time in their lives do normal human beings make such progress. 

This article explains some things that can be done with four and five year olds to prepare them for reading and writing.  In Part 1 of this series, we pointed out three things that contribute most to the development of a young child.  These apply as much to 4 and 5 year olds as they do to infants.  However, we will mention these briefly and then explain activities that apply specifically to reading. 

First is a loving family life.  It’s important that family members demonstrate through actions and words that they love and value the child.  Second is a stimulating environment.  This simply means that parents provide safe ways for children to experience the world through their senses.  Such as things to feel - opportunities to challenge their bodies and use muscles large and small. Third is positive interaction with a parent or other loving adult caregiver.  Positive interaction means being with a child as you do something pleasant together, talking about it and listening to the child.  Children of this age like to talk and usually talk well.  They love conversations and other friendly interactions with parents, family members, and others.   

Since books are made up of words, it’s important to encourage verbal skills.  Anything that encourages children to use new words or understand their world will help them read and comprehend better. 

Consider devoting some time every day doing things with your child and talking about it.  It doesn’t have to be something special--everyday activities around the home can be a subject for discussion. 

MOM:  I’m so glad you are helping me set the table.  You put the plates down and I’ll do the glasses.  …Where shall we put your plate? 

CHILD:  Right here.

MOM: Oh, you want to sit by Sarah tonight. 

CHILD:  Yes.  And you can sit over here. 

MOM:  Now I wonder what else we need. 

CHILD:  Spoons!  Forks! 

Experiences in and outside the home introduce new words and ideas.  These give a child a way to relate concepts found in books to a world they understand.  Ask questions and ask for ideas and opinions.  It’s best if you skip questions that can be answered with a “yes or “no” and concentrate instead on “why,” “when,” and “what” questions. 

Long before children are able to read, they need to learn that reading is something they would like to be able to do.  One way to inspire them is having lots of print material around the house which family members read.  Fathers, particularly, have been found to influence boys in reading habits.  Parents and other family members need to set an example.   

Call children’s attention to print that is all around them - on mail, billboards, signs and labels.  They will learn that printed words have a purpose.  Let children see that printed materials are very useful as well as pleasurable. 

DAD:  I need to put these shelves together for our storeroom.  Let’s see, here is the instruction sheet.  It tells me how to do it.  Let’s see:  “Step 1.  Make sure the packet containing screws is included.”  Okay here it is. 

Take time to read a story every day.  Just fifteen minutes a day will make a world of difference.  Research has shown again and again that this is the most important thing that can be done to prepare a child for reading.  Children learn to love stories and associate reading with pleasure.  Reading aloud also teaches a child many important concepts necessary before they can read on their own.  Reading stories gives children a basic sense of what print looks like and how it works.  They can learn: (1) which way to turn the pages, (2) which is the front and which is back, (3) that printed words tell the story, and not just the pictures, (4) to show with a finger that sentences and letters in words go from left to right.   

While reading to pre-schoolers, stop to point out letters and words.  Most children at four or five can learn the alphabet letters with their shapes and sounds and these are important concepts.  But they need to understand that letters have a purpose, and they occur in words all around them.  They can then learn to make the basic shapes of a few of the letters.   

They also learn that letters have sounds.  A good place to start is with the child’s name.  Then point out other words having some of the same letters and sounds.  

PARENT:

That says Michael.  That is your name.  This is an M.  Very good.  I can tell that is an M.  M says “mmm”  Michael. 

Some three, four, and five year olds can recognize words that are important to them, like names of their friends or family, or special toys or treats.  Consider labeling a few objects around the house.  Don’t overdo any of this, however.  The child’s interest may dictate how much is done.  Rhyming short vowel words can make more sense.  

This is a good age to encourage playing with language sounds like rhyme.  Read and say nursery rhymes.  Play games making up rhymes - even nonsense rhymes.  They can even read simple, basic, pre-primers if taught sequentially.  A child three to five is more interested in the story line.  Two and three-year olds will have a shortened interest span.  Books of their choice will hold their attention longer.   

Here are some suggestions for older pre-schoolers.  They are much the same as suggestions for younger children, but adapted to greater maturity.  For an older child help them choose a book with lots of interesting pictures and only a few lines of words on each page.  Print should be large.  A child may want you to read the same book over and over.  Repetition is important to a child’s learning, so find ways to keep having fun with the rhyme and the stories.  Children also enjoy books that repeat phrases.  Repetition is one of the appeals of the popular “Three Bears” story. 

Closeness is important.  Cuddle up and enjoy this. 

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  MOM:  So you want to hear the three bears again?  Okay. 

Read with expression.  Some stories lend themselves to different voices or sound effects. 

MOM: [SHE MIMICS THE VOICES]  So the daddy bear said “WHO’S BEEN EATING MY PORRIDGE…”and the mommy bear said “who’s been eating my porridge?”   

It’s important to talk about the book as you go.   Ask questions, and get the child’s opinion about things.  Let them predict what will happen. 

MOM: How would you feel if you came home and your breakfast was gone?  So there they go up the stairs.  What do you think they will find?  What will Goldilocks do?  Do you think she should stay there?   

Illustrations are important in helping the child understand the meaning of the story and predict what will happen. 

Occasionally point to the words as you read them.  This will help a child understand that words are separated by spaces, that they go from left to right, and that printed words represent spoken words.  Sometimes when children are interested point out common words that they may recognize, like “a” or “the.“   

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  MOM:  I’ll let you read all the “the’s” on this page.   

If you have read a story a number of times, many children will memorize the story and begin to recognize some words.  This is an important step in learning to read. 

CHILD:

I know that word.  It’s “bear.”  And this is “bear” too.  And this is “bear” too.  Great job.  You’re a super reader! 

Plan to read for at least 15 minutes every day.  Many parents find that bedtime is an ideal time. Consider making reading stories a reward for good behavior, rather than treats or TV time.  But the richest reward will be watching your child turn into an enthusiastic reader.   

Writing and reading go together.  There is much you can do to help a child learn to write.  If possible, it’s fun to have a little suitcase or box for writing materials.  It can contain paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and such things as stencils and plastic letters. 
 
 

Drawing is an integral part of the writing process because it is a way for children to plan and organize their written texts.  Show interest in children’s drawing and scribbling and encourage them to talk about their work.  A very useful learning experience is to write what children dictate so they can see their own speech put into words. 

DAD:  Okay, I’ve written “Dear Grandpa.”  What else do you want to say? 

CHILD:  Dear Grandpa.  I love you.  I have a truck. 

DAD:  That’s very good.  Grandpa will like to read your letter. 

Let children see you write, so they can see how useful it is. 

MOM:  I’m making my grocery list.  This says “hamburger.”  And this is “buns.”  What else would you like for the picnic?

CHILD:  Potato chips  

MOM:  You got it.  Potato chips. 

Make home a place where learning can happen.  A place where people show love, support and encouragement to a child. A place where people talk with children and read to them.  A place where reading and learning are valued.