Helping Small School Children Read at Home-Article 4 in a series to parents

Helping Small School Children Read at Home-

Article 4 in a Series to Parents

by Dr. Edward  E. Green

General Manager of Family Literacy Centers, Inc. 

Reading is the single most important educational skill a child will ever learn.  Only a generation or two ago, it was possible to succeed in the workplace without advanced reading skills.  Most good jobs require a high level of reading skill.  An ability to read well also contributes to greater satisfaction in life and expanded opportunities.  A caring and involved parent can make a tremendous difference in a child’s ability to read. 

This and the next three articles give advice that applies to beginning readers, most of whom are children in kindergarten, first, or second grade.  However, some older children and adults fall into this skill level as well.  One fact to keep in mind is that no matter how young or old, all people need the same kinds of experiences and skills in order to read.   

There are basic principles and skills that build the foundation for learning to read. Many studies show that reading aloud to your child is the most important thing a parent can do.  The U.S. Department of Education summarized the findings of one study like this: “There is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together.”  We will provide a model and helpful suggestions for reading aloud to your child later in this series.   

Another important thing parents can do is to show that they value reading.  They set a good example by reading regularly.  They also can talk with their children about what they have read.  If possible, parents should subscribe to magazines and newspapers and buy books for birthdays and special occasions.  And don’t keep books on a high shelf for special occasions.  Let the children handle them and carry them around.  Get a library card and take frequent trips to the library with your child.  Let them choose books and take them home.   

By valuing reading, TV time is controlled.  A well-known government publication, Becoming a Nation of Readers points out that children who watch more than 10 hours of TV a week fall behind in school and don’t read as well.  So help children find leisure time activities that involve them in the real world such as working on the computer, making something with clay, or playing a board game with friends.  These activities and playing with friends all contribute to brain development, whereas watching TV robs children of creativity and makes them passive learners. 

Create an environment in your home that is loving and relaxed.  Too often parents are tense and worried about a child’s inability to learn.  They may scold, push, or punish a child.  Nobody learns well under these conditions.  It’s important to relax and accept the child’s efforts.  Give lots of praise and encouragement.   

Plan ways to provide experience with language - like making a grocery list, reading labels on cans in a store, or following a recipe.  It can also mean simply having conversations with a child while doing home chores.  Questions will help draw children out and help them think.  Don’t fall into the common adult trap of doing all the talking.  In order to read well, children need to learn to both say words and listen to them. Do this when reading road maps, and children’s recipe books and gardening books. 

Exposing a child to a variety of experiences helps a child learn to read because it provides a background and context for reading.  A child who knows more words and has more experiences can bring more to a story and understand it better.  It’s not necessary to go to a lot of trouble to provide these experiences.  Take children to the store and let them help choose items. A walk around the block can serve as a way to talk about nature, people, or buildings.  Let the child help out when there are adult chores to accomplish.  Go to the zoo.  Visit people.  Take kids on errands.  Notice that many of these activities take place one-on-one with your child - reading, talking, going places, doing things together.  The main point here is to be involved with your child.   

Studies show that children score above the national average in reading when parental involvement is high.  When parental involvement is low, scores go below the national average.  Other studies show that the more parents are involved at school, the better their children read.  So visit the school from time to time.  Volunteer to help out if you can.  Always attend parent-teacher conferences.   

The fact that you are reading this article shows that you care about your child and are willing to be involved.  There are several more articles in this series.  They will (1) provide an introduction to sounding out words, or, as educators put it, word attack skills, (2) demonstrate fun activities that relate reading and writing to real-life experiences, (3) demonstrate how to read aloud to a beginning reader and how to listen as your child reads aloud to you, and (4) offer suggestions for teaching values to a small school-age child through reading.  Implementing the suggestions in this series will help you prepare your children for rewarding experiences with reading and writing.