Jun
29

Important Aspects of Literacy

June 29, 2011 By 4 Comments

June 29, 2011 By 4 Comments

The ability to use language to speak, listen, write, and read or the ability to read and write is the conventional definition of literacy. Literacy, in modern context, refers to writing, and reading at a particular level that is required for communication to take place or where a person is able to communicate and understand ideas according to their society.

Literacy involves continuous learning that can enable an individual to develop their potential and knowledge, achieve their goals, and participate to a greater degree in society. Studies have shown that learning to read at an early age can significantly increase a person literacy level and information at readin.org is a great resource that can explain method of how to help children learn to read.

According to the United Nations, in 1998, research showed that illiteracy rates included 20% of the worldwide population. This study indicated that this 20% were unable to write and read a simple sentence in any language. When a person is taught literacy this include them having various sub-skills such as vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, decoding, and phonological awareness.

When a student masters these sub-skills they can become proficient readers and as stated earlier, reading can increase a person’s literacy level. However, reading does not come naturally; the human brain is designed for the spoken language but is not designed to process the written language. For reading to take place, a code that maps human speech sounds into written symbols must be mastered. It takes someone who is trained in this specific area to make this code easier to understand.

Jun
12

Ways to Make Reading Fun for Children

June 12, 2011 By 2 Comments

June 12, 2011 By 2 Comments

typical German Sockpuppets schmoozing at Colog... 

Image via Wikipedia

You can make reading a fun experience for children by using a number of great techniques such as doing a reader’s theater activity, through play, making art projects about books, allowing the students to select their own books, using puppets and more. Using a technique such as play is a great tool for helping a child to love reading because play is an essential part of there developing life. Play is an effective method and can help improve a child’s intellect. This strategy helps increase the child’s focus and attention span during the reading activity.

Using play as a reading technique also allows them to easily grasp the information or recognize things better than just reading stories to them. This method and others such as some found at readin.org can provide a significant amount of excitement to the student and make reading enjoyable and fun for them.

Some research states that using puppets as a method for stimulating a child’s mind in learning is very effective because it makes learning fun and entertaining. Studies also show that using puppets to help a child read can increase their socialization and communication skills. With this method the children become interested and interact to a greater degree with the reader because a conversational puppet is being used in the story telling. All throughout the activity the students can absorb and grasp the information.

You can also read to children using costumes and role play. Role playing with the use of costumes is a method that can make reading both exciting and fun. This method can improve a child’s communication and socialization skills.

Jun
02

The Importance of Early Reading Intervention Programs

June 2, 2011 By 6 Comments

June 2, 2011 By 6 Comments

Reading Aloud to Children 

Image by Old Shoe Woman via Flickr

Teachers can initiate a early reading intervention programs for student of recognize whether a child may have developmental delays or disabilities. When using reading interventions, teachers are able to address the needs of students when they learn to read rather than waiting until they reach upper grades and have difficulty in their academics.

Many helpful tips found at readin.org show the importance of reading early and methods to get children to enjoy reading. The importance of an early reading intervention is to help children develop into proficient readers when this method is used with methods to reinforce the skills of the child. These interventions are very effective in that the students are provided with the help in areas they may have difficulty in.

The focus of early interventions in reading is to address specific skills. Teachers use these reading interventions to phoneme segmentation abilities, sound fluency, and improve alphabet recognition. When a student is shown to master these skills, teachers may focus more on reading comprehension and fluency. The majority of early reading intervention programs feature materials and an activity in order to complete a certain goal and are typically conducted in small group with no more than 3 students.

Some benefits of early reading intervention programs is that it helps students become skilled in areas that are necessary for becoming successful readers. Studies have revealed that a child who is not reading well by the time they are ending their first grade year, they continue to have difficulties in academics all through elementary school and in subsequent years

May
23

Ebooks as Teaching Methods?

May 23, 2011 By 9 Comments

May 23, 2011 By 9 Comments

Four children reading the book How the Grinch ... 

Image via Wikipedia

A new wave of technology is hitting children’s books stores across the nation: Ebooks. Ebooks are books that use various forms of technology with the intention of helping children learn to read. These books are shown on TV to be extremely helpful for children who are old enough to read on their own but may struggle to sound out words on their own. However helpful these book appear to be there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the books.

Many parents think that Ebooks are a great way to engage children in reading and keep reading interesting. Users of Ebooks claim that the books are great tools when a child is learning how to read. Not only can a child read on their own but the book itself will provide assistance if the child stumbles over a word. Some of the books also provide educational games within the book and are interactive make reading time much more fun.

Parents who are opposed to the Ebooks claim that the books hinder a child learning to read rather than help. Parents say that books have the technology to help a child sound out the words but children are prone to use the technology rather than try to sound out the word on their own. Parents also claim that because of the built in games and interactive nature of the books children are much more interested in playing games rather than learning. Parents claim that old fashion interactive pop-up books are more helpful because they are engaging while a child reads.

May
15

Teaching Methods for Children with ADHD

May 15, 2011 By 4 Comments

May 15, 2011 By 4 Comments

Mathematics homework 

Image via Wikipedia

As the name Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder suggests, children who have ADHD are often hyper and extremely active. Parenting a child with ADHD cannot only be difficult but at times it can be overwhelming. Children with ADHD often have trouble focusing and retaining information while they are in school which can make doing homework with children at home extremely difficult.

Rather than fighting your child’s ADHD and trying to force them to concentrate until their assignment is done, understand that they may be unable to complete everything in one try. Instead of focusing on what remains of the lesson, focus on a timed period for homework. As your child may be unable to concentrate for long periods, break homework into sections. It is important that your child does not feel like lessons and homework are a punishment so inform them that they are expected to do their homework for a certain amount of time and then they may have a break. Breaking up the homework into timed slots will help your child concentrate.

Also, understand that your child may not learn the same way that you did. Children learn in different ways so try to teach lessons in a variety of ways rather than just using flashcards or paper lessons. If your child is struggling to pay attention and is fidgeting while you do fraction flash cards let your child play with measuring spoons for the lesson instead. Not only will the lesson be more interesting but it will likely have a greater impact on your child than simply staring at a sheet of paper.

May
08

Great Books for Your Little Girl

May 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

May 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

Molly McIntire from the American Girl doll series. 

Image via Wikipedia

Many parents want to start off right with getting their children to love reading. There are many ways to do this, and one of the best ways is to find a series that you child enjoys. You can read this book or series to your child when they are young, and as they get older, you can read it with them. You may even be able to start transitioning to having your child read it to you.

The American Girl series is a series that many feel is a great option for little girls. The books show the courage and strength of girls from all types of backgrounds. Today, there are even a variety of different American Girl dolls, and you can get American Girl doll clothes. This can help your child understand the girls in the series a little better. They are able to visualize the characters and the clothes that are worn.

Another great series for little girls is the Wizard of Oz series. Many people do not know that there are multiple books in the series written by Frank L. Baum. This series can show your little girl the wonderful things that a girl can do when armed with her imagination.

There are classics that are known for being great for children, and there are always new books coming out. Finding the right book or series to jump start your child’s thirst for more is simply a process of reading to them when they are young. The more you do this, the more they will enjoy it when they are older.

Mar
28

Four Methods of Forging Reading in Young Students

March 28, 2011 By 3 Comments

March 28, 2011 By 3 Comments

There are dozens of ways to teach a child how to read. The methods for teaching vary depending on the age of the child and often must factor learning disabilities into the equation. This article will detail four fundamental strategies for teaching reading. Although they are four separate methods, they are best utilized together.

  1. The phonics approach: This method relies heavily on the student learning and mastering the alphabet. Once the student learns the letters, he will learn the sounds associated with those letters, and he eventually will learn the words and sentences that are made up of those sounds. This method works only if the instructor starts small and builds upon a base of knowledge.
  2. The identify and sound out approach: Also known as the “look and say” method, this way of teaching reading asks the student to identify words or sentences as a whole instead of the sounds that make up those words and sentences. This approach works well using flashcards with both pictures and words on them.
  3. The drawing story approach: Have the student draw a picture of something simple, such as a dog drinking water. As the teacher, write a sentence that describes the scene beneath it. Create an entire story this way, and then have the student tell the story.
  4. The interesting material approach: This approach is important to utilize in all methods of teaching reading. Students are more likely to read books and materials that speak to their individual interests.
Mar
24

The Best Books for Little Bobby or Betsy

March 24, 2011 By 7 Comments

March 24, 2011 By 7 Comments

Buying a young child a book is one of the best gifts you can give. Encouraging children to begin reading at a young age promotes education years down the line. But what kind of books do you buy a toddler? They can’t read yet, at least not fluently, and how can you be sure they understand the material? Studies show that whether or not young children understand every word of a book doesn’t really matter. What matters is the brain activity that is sparked when following a story. The following list provides a number of book titles beneficial for young children.

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Written by Eric Carle, this book combines simple words with an intriguing story. There are only 225 words in the story, but the beautiful illustrations speak thousands more. It’s a story of transformation and is considered an American classic.
  • Goodnight Moon: The bedtime story is a specific subset of children’s books. It has to have a certain quality that makes it both intriguing and lulling. “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown has that quality. Its parallel structure is soothing and the repetition of words is helpful for young children.
  • Are You My Mother?: This story is another example of a children’s book that utilizes repetition to tell a story. A young bird goes looking for his mother, asking various animals in his search if they are his mother. It’s a cute way to describe different animals and the plot will keep a young child entertained.
Mar
20

Encourage Your Toddler to Start (and Love) Reading

March 20, 2011 By 6 Comments

March 20, 2011 By 6 Comments

Parents worry endlessly about how early in development their children should be reading. It has become a competition among parents: “My daughter is only 2 and she’s reading” or “My son has already begun reading chapter books!” While these feats are surely commendable, it isn’t always healthy to place the emphasis on one-upping other children. With that being said, encouraging children to start reading will help them in the long run. The following list describes a number of methods for coaxing your child into being interested in reading early.

  1. Read books out loud often to your toddler. The more your child sees you reading books and feels your engagement, the more interested he will become. Even if he cannot understand everything you’re saying when you read aloud to him, the noises and words are stimulating his brain and allowing him to form his ability to speak.
  2. Have books available to your toddler. You fill your child’s room with countless toys; why not fill his room with books? If they become a part of his surroundings, he will be more likely to pick them up out of curiosity. It’s hard to inculcate a love of books if they aren’t even around. Explain to him that books are special and show him how to use them, even if he can’t yet read.
  3. Involve your toddler in the reading process. This could simply entail letting him turn the page of the book or ask him to point out certain images on the page.
Mar
16

Three Tips for Turning Reading into Recreation for Children

March 16, 2011 By 12 Comments

March 16, 2011 By 12 Comments

Children know they’re supposed to read. Parents and teachers know that children who read — and read often — are much more likely to do well in school. For many children, though, reading is just a bore. Especially in these modern times with the Internet and television competing for their attention, children see reading as a less-than-fun activity. Fortunately, you can change that by making reading an enjoyable activity. The following list explains several ways parents can turn reading time into fun time.

  • Take turns reading out loud. You can split up sentences, paragraphs or pages — it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are involving yourself in the reading. It will motivate the child to please you and excite them when it’s his or her turn. Utilizing the “popcorn” method can make this strategy even more fun by making it more spontaneous.
  • Help the child create a reading nook. Let him or her decorate an area of the house where reading can be done peacefully and pleasurably. Design the corner so that it appeals to the child’s interests, and call it something special.
  • Make a library trip. Set out a day every week or every other week to take your child to the library. Allow him or her to pick out any book he or she wants. Reading material that is interesting will make the child look forward to the activity. And seeing a parent checking out books too will encourage him or her to follow suit.
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