http://www.clearwatertimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=7&cat=43&id=568905&more
(GS –a Mem Foxapproach –all helpful ideas, but greatly improvable
with additional stuff)
Literacy starts at
home by teaching children
Jan 09 2006
At our pre-kindergarten
interview, my oldest son’s teacher didn’t believe me when I told her my son was
already reading and could print.
She didn’t know that I sold
children’s books and had a veritable library in my home. I read to both of my sons ??? a lot, and
they developed an early love for books.
Now in their 20’s, they continue to have this thirst for learning.
Jan. 27 is an important
day. It is Family Literacy Day, a
national initiative that promotes the importance of reading and learning
together as a family. Family Literacy
has to do with the many ways that families develop and use literacy skills to
accomplish daily tasks and activities, like following a recipe, making a
shopping list, counting out change for a purchase, or reading your child a
story.
There is much research to
support reading and learning together as a family. Consider these facts:
· Reading and telling stories
to an 18 month old will help with brain development.
· Research shows that
children who are exposed to books and reading early will do better at math.
· Reading to your child
will help them with their listening skills, vocabulary and language skills, as
well as developing imagination and creativity.
Here are some tips to get
you started on reading and learning.
· Be a role model for your children ??? let
them see you read.
· Don’t forget to read to your newborn.
· Infants and toddlers
enjoy books that have colourful pictures of events that are familiar to
them.
They
also like touch and feel books.
· Toddlers don’t like to
sit for any length of time, so choose your reading time carefully.
A
calm time of day such as after the bath often works.
· Actual reading isn’t as
much fun as talking about the actions in the pictures. “Mama and baby
are
going bye-bye. Wave to Daddy!”
· Get a library membership
and check out new books every week.
· Have your child read the words all around him
- - on street signs, on coffee mugs, on billboards.
· Let your child read to
you, instead of always reading to your child.
· Allow children to count
out the change when making a purchase.
· Have your children print or write thank you
notes ??? it not only teaches them gratitude for gifts
received,
but they learn valuable skills as well.
· Teach your child how to navigate the Internet
to fun and educational websites.
· Keep your teen reading by
giving them a subscription to their favourite magazine.
Set aside family time to
learn with your children every single day.
Read to your little ones, but remember, book time should always be fun!
Jill Rhynard, RN, BScN, MPH is Coordinator of Health
Promotion for the Interior Health.