Ability to read is impacted from many things from past comprehension of vocabulary to phonemic awareness. One of the things that is most important to the beginning of reading is that children have a real word understanding of the usefulness of reading(Cunningham 30). This reminded me of one of my favorite Dr. Seuss Quotes.
The Jone's article further highlights the importance of literacy starting at home. Whenever we are in a actual classroom we will have students from a variety of different home lives which means they will probably have different literary backgrounds. For example, a student who has two parents who are college professors is probably going to hear different vocabulary at home and have different exposure to literature than a child whose parents do not read themselves or maybe have less education. As teachers part of our job will be to work with parents as well as students. If we can get parents to encourage reading at home then we will have better readers in our classrooms. We can provide tools like this:
Reading is complex and many aspects contribute to a child's success at reading. Thankfully these concepts can be taught by things as simple as conversations about stories or the words kids hear. Also, remember that sometimes socialization can be as strong of a motivator as parent teacher involvement. If you foster an environment where reading is cool and everyone is doing it then even the students who are initially uninterested are likely to get involved.
Question of the day: What ways could you promote parents practicing literacy at home?
What ways can you help bridge the gap between kids who have had less exposure to literacy and those who have had a lot?
I really liked this idea of exposing parents to "literacy language", especially in homes that may not be as familiar or experienced with it. I had not considered this much when I read and thought of lessons I would like, but I think you just gave me an artifact! I couldn't help but think of when I volunteered with coaching soccer for 6-7 year olds at Emerald Youth last night when I read your article. The participants are from lower income homes and some of the parents were unfamiliar with the necessary equipment, rules, and even struggled with noticing if their child was performing well or not at practice. So, I ended up discussing with them some of the reason behind the gear, etc; but your handout and suggestion provide the same kind of introduction or assistance with reading and what goals to aim for that I provided briefly for a few parents at soccer last night.
ReplyDeleteWhat ways could you promote parents practicing literacy at home?
ReplyDelete- To this day, it amazes me how parents separate themselves from their children's schoolwork. Often times, it is due to the lack of connection and/or time. Say the parent has a strict schedule, create a designated day to sit with your kid(s) and read to them, take turns reading, or listen to them read. I think the child will be look forward to the individual attention, as well as build self confidence in their reading skills. This time doesn't even have to be spent at home- libraries, parks, etc all are suitable.
What ways can you help bridge the gap between kids who have had less exposure to literacy and those who have had a lot?
-When I was in Education 100, I observed a variety of students with different socio-economic backgrounds, levels of literacy, etc. Every student is different so not all theories will fit every student. A good idea to promote reading is to create a fun reading environment in the classroom (bean bags, excellent book supply, organization). When I was in 3rd grade, we had a corner that was themed like forest in "Where the Wild Things Are"; hand-drawn trees, characters from the book, and dark green rocking chairs occupied the corner. It made me want to finish my homework/ in-class work early just so I could read in class.