By: Anna Shannon,
on 10/16/2016
Nowadays we use the term ‘first ‘1000 days’ to mean the time between conception and a child’s second birthday. We know that providing good nutrients and care during this period are key to child development and giving a baby the optimum start in life.
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By: Alice,
on 6/24/2014
Throughout the process of reading development, it is important to read with your child frequently and to make the experience fun, whether your child is a newborn or thirteen. This may not sound like news to many parents, but the American Academy of Pediatrics is just announcing their new recommendation that parents read with their children daily from infancy on, and it is expected that this announcement will serve as a reminder to many parents and a call for educators and policymakers to help parents who lack the time, resources, and skills to read with their children encourage reading development. We are so excited about this new development because the benefits of shared reading accrue over time and we believe that this announcement will create the energy needed to help many young children become successful, motivated readers.
Although reading together is important at all ages, the specific strategies parents use will change dramatically as their children get older. The strategies parents use will also be dependent upon their children’s interests, temperament, and abilities. There is no one “right” way to read together.
Figuring out the best way to engage in shared reading with a child while he or she is young gives parents an opportunity to use cuddle time together as a way to also help a child understand a book more deeply, and to simultaneously teach specific reading skills. Perhaps as important, children who have an enthusiastic reader as a role model may stay determined to learn to read, even when facing challenges, rather than becoming easily discouraged. The magic of shared reading comes from this combination of warm, interpersonal experiences, playful and captivating storytelling, and opportunities for learning. This winning combination helps children not only learn to read, but learn to love and value reading.
There are many questions that parents often ask about reading together with their children, and some of those questions are answered below. We hope that thinking through these issues inspires parents to start reading with their children regularly (even if they are already a bit older), and create family reading rituals that last a lifetime!
How can I get my child more engaged in reading time?
If you are having difficulty engaging your child in reading time, try searching for books on topics that she finds interesting (even if those topics are not ones that you find engaging). If your child enjoys looking at comic books, embrace this type of reading, rather than discouraging it. Although it might be surprising to hear, they include much richer language than we encounter in a typical day. Reading any printed material also helps children get comfortable turning pages, and give you the chance to talk with your child about new ideas and vocabulary words.
Many children also respond well to having some freedom and getting to make choices during reading time. You may want to let your child to choose the book you will be reading, whether you are picking books out in the library or off your own bookshelf. You can also let your child select where and when you will read…within reason, of course.
Most importantly, try to make the reading experience enjoyable by focusing on what goes well. Praise your child just for sitting down with you to read, even if she only wants to sit briefly. The next day, try to get her to sit through a few pages of the story and sit a bit longer. Reading time should be a time to relax and bond with your child. If she acts up, simply end reading time, but do so calmly and try again later.
How do I know if my child is actually listening while I am reading to him/her?
Asking questions throughout the story that actively engage your child in the reading process should encourage him to listen more closely while you are reading. If you think your child is not listening as you read, try asking a question or two on each page in order to get your child to interact with the story and actively express himself. If he seems particularly distracted, simply end reading time, but do so calmly and try again later.
How long should I spend trying to explain something to my child if they get frustrated?
Reading time should be a relaxing, bonding experience for both you and your child. Rather than trying to teach many new skills during any one reading session, pick just one idea to focus on each day, whether it is a new vocabulary word or letter to identify. Setting manageable reading goals will help make this time feel fun, rather than stressful, for you both.
If you ask a question about a book that your child is having trouble understanding, respond calmly and either restate your question in a simpler way or give a clue regarding the correct answer. If she seems to be frustrated, move on and return to the concept at another time. Story concepts might become clearer to children with repeated readings of the same story.
What if my child wants to read the same book every night?
Repeated readings of a story actually help children to more deeply understand the plot. In addition, your child will grow more familiar with the story and the words that make it up. You can even try having your child read to you. If he is familiar with the book, he might be able to decode words he would not be able to decode in an unfamiliar context. If your child is not ready to actually read the words on the pages, have him retell the story to you using the pictures and what he recalls from other readings of the story. By asking questions and making comments, you can continue to build his vocabulary and background knowledge, even while reading a familiar story.
Anne E. Cunningham, Ph.D. and Jamie Zibulsky, Ph.D. are the authors of Book Smart: How to Develop and Support Successful, Motivated Readers. Anne Cunningham is Professor of Cognition and Development at University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Education and Jamie Zibulsky is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Learn more at Book Smart Family. Suggestions are adapted Book Smart: How to Develop and Support Successful, Motivated Readers by Anne E. Cunningham and Jamie Zibulsky. Read their previous blog posts.
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The post Common questions about shared reading time appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Elizabeth Gorney,
on 4/13/2014
Oxford University Press is a proud sponsor of the 2014 World Literacy Summit, taking place this April. The Summit will provide a central platform for champions of literacy from around the globe to come together and exchange points of view, knowledge, and ideas. We asked literacy experts Jamie Zibulsky and Anne E. Cunningham to discuss the importance of literacy on this occasion.
Being literate involves much more than the ability to sound out the words on a page, but acquiring that skill requires years of development and exposure to the world of words. Once children possess the ability to sound out words, read fluently, and comprehend the words on a page, they have limitless opportunities to learn about new concepts, places, and people. To say that becoming a reader gives one the power to change is an understatement. In fact, attempting to detail the many ways that reading can foster personal growth and development without writing an entire book on the topic is truly challenging!
Children’s capacities to build the many skills required to access text are, to a large degree, determined by their environments. Parents and teachers play a critical role in introducing children to the sounds of words, the print on a page, the ideas and concepts that provide the background for comprehension, and the structure of stories. For these reasons, if we want to ensure that all children have the opportunity to become successful, motivated readers, we need to think about the power the adults in their lives have to change children’s literacy trajectories.
The language and literacy experiences of young children are largely social in nature, and both the environment and the adults that care for them initially guide children’s development. In fact, psychologists point out that language development occurs first as a social act between people and then later as an individual act, as we gradually internalize the directions, strategies, and advice of more skilled others by verbalizing them to ourselves. Similarly, to make sense of the written symbols used to convey any language, children need guidance from the adults in their lives. Talking and reading together with children is a powerful way to help them gain entry to the world of words, and doing so most effectively may require parents to change their current practices.
The kids reading together. Photo by Valerie Everett. CC BY-SA 2.0 via valeriebb Flickr.
Here are some powerful tips that families can use to make shared reading time supportive and effective for young children learning a variety of languages:
Each of these tips helps set the stage for a successful shared reading experience, but may require change on the part of parents to help foster a powerful and engaged reader. These changes, though, help empower children to identify themselves as readers from the time they are young. And this strong foundation prepares them for so many challenges they will face in the future, so doing everything one can to raise a successful, motivated reader is one of the best gifts a parent can give any child.
Anne E. Cunningham, Ph.D. and Jamie Zibulsky, Ph.D. are the authors of Book Smart: How to Develop and Support Successful, Motivated Readers. Anne Cunningham is Professor of Cognition and Development at University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Education and Jamie Zibulsky is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Learn more at Book Smart Family.
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The post Parent practices: change to develop successful, motivated readers appeared first on OUPblog.
By: AlanaP,
on 1/25/2013
“My child could be the next mass murderer. Alex has bipolar disorder. Last year, he pulled a phone off of the wall in the classroom and threw it at the teacher. They evacuated the whole class and my son was suspended for one day. He was suspended five times in nursery school for hitting children. Alex screams at home, swears, throws his toys against the wall, has hit his sister more times that I can tell, and can’t pay attention for the life of him now. He does not like the word ‘no.’ Alex is eight and in second grade. I’m afraid and something has to be done. I’m glad we are dealing with this now. I have to face this.”
I saw the parents of Alex Monday morning.
Like many of you, I was in shock and horrified about the slaughtering of 20 little children and 6 adults. I wondered: why did Adam Lanza not receive help for his condition or, if he did, was he misdiagnosed? Did his parents not follow through with providers? Did providers fail to address his problems? Were the parents in denial? Were teachers in denial?
“I’m scared. I see things at night like shadows and I hear soldiers that are coming to get me at night. I ran into daddy and mommy’s room. I saw something black when I was running to my mommy’s room. Someone is whispering to me too. I hear whispers and voices. I don’t understand what they are saying.”
Alex was eager to tell me about the voices and sounds he heard. He also told me that his parents were oftentimes angry at home and he was always scared of what could happen next.
His parents told me about several warning signs that increased in severity, intensity, and frequency as Alex aged. They were:
Do these parents need counseling? Does Alex need help as well? Will the parents accept my feedback after I assessed their child, interviewed Alex’s teachers and them, and conducted the testing?
Monday had a happy ending. These parents were not in denial nor did they deny Alex had a problem. They realized early intervention was crucial to helping their child. Alex’s parents were aware that their son’s marked troubles with managing his anger, low frustration tolerance, problems with focusing, and his ability to “go from 0 to 100” in a split second of rage were not normal. They deeply wanted a typical eight-year-old boy before it was too late.
It is not too late for lots of children. All of us, including teachers, physicians, and other care-taking and healthcare professionals need to listen to and observe children when something is not quite right. Taking the time to talk with children and educate parents about the warning signs of mental illness is critical.
Assessment and early intervention are the keys to unlocking the cause of a child’s pain and other problems such as a reading disorder. We can help children if we intervene at an early age and recognize the signs of mental illness such as mood instability, sadness, irritability, and anxiety. Many children need help and aren’t getting it. Recognizing a child’s struggles as early as possible is key to optimizing their success in life and overall mental health. The tragedy can be when it is not addressed in time to help either the victim or aggressor.
The bottom line is: we need to review the big picture of what is happening with our children and help parents advocate for their child when something is a little off. It was not too late for Alex and it shouldn’t be for your child either.
Karen Schiltz is the co-author of Beyond The Label: A Guide to Unlocking a Child’s Educational Potential and Associate Clinical Professor (volunteer) at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has over 26 years of experience assessing children and young adults with developmental, medical, and emotional disorders including the autistic spectrum and maintains a private practice specializing in neuropsychology in Calabasas, California. Dr. Schiltz blogs for Psychology Today at Beyond the Label.
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The post Could my child be responsible for the next tragedy? appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Chris Singer,
on 3/21/2011
Last Friday I had the opportunity to visit a local children’s healthcare clinic (Michigan State University General Pediatrics) to take a look at their Reach Out and Read program.
Judith Forman, Public Awareness Manager for Reach Out and Read, helped set me up with the visit and connected me with Dr. Ashweena Gonuguntla, Assistant Professor in the Dept of Pediatrics & Human Development at Michigan State. Dr. Gonuguntla took me on a tour of their clinic and showed me how they incorporated Reach Out and Read’s program into their pediatric check-ups. Before I go into the details of my visit, let me first tell you something about Reach Out and Read.
Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based, nonprofit organization that partners with pediatricians to promote early literacy in young children. Physicians and other medical personnel incorporate Reach Out and Read’s model into regular pediatric checkups, by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children beginning at 6 months of age. Families served by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills, better prepared to achieve their potential. As of 2010, Reach Out and Read has grown to over 4,654 sites that distributed over 6.4 million books to over 3.9 million children in 2010.
Dr. Gonuguntla was a terrific tour guide. The clinic was small so there wasn’t a lot to see, but she was very enthusiastic about the Reach Out and Read program. Besides being a physician, Dr. Gonuguntla was also a mom to a 9 month old, so I wasn’t surprised to see she had quite a bit of knowledge about literacy and the importance of early exposure to books.
Dr. Gonuguntla shared with me that the clinic was currently in the midst of trying to make their waiting area and patient rooms more child-friendly and a more literacy-rich environment. Both areas had books available for children to look at but she and the staff were hoping to add more pictures and posters to the walls. I was glad she felt comfortable sharing this with me, because I had thought the clinic looked a little too much like a clinic. I was also pleased because with my connection to the local Great Start Birth to Five program, I have access to materials which I think can help her and the clinic make the environment more child-friendly.
Because the clinic is located at Michigan State University, it is also an educational facility. I had already known this but I was surprised when Dr. Gonuguntla let me know a young 15-month-old patient was coming in and I could watch him get his Reach Out and Read book at his check-up. This was the highlight of my visit and although I didn’t take any photos, let me assure you this little guy told the
By: Tonto Fielding,
on 11/1/2010
The characteristics of gifted children often lead to social and emotional problems that can affect their emotional and social development. In many ways, gifted children have the same social and emotional needs other children have, but their needs are often intensified by the characteristics that make them gifted. They can be exceptionally sensitive, especially to the way they are treated, but also to the way others are treated. Volunteering to help others and learning how to fight crime is a good way for them to see that even one person can make a difference. Because of this, Batman and Robin, at a very early stage in their development, decided that action was the better answer than inaction. During my stint as a pre-school instructor, I was able to teach them that in order for them to avoid any existential depression, they needed to not only examine the “big questions” of our time — what it means to be human, freedom, civil rights, individual rights, racism, addiction, family, disability, civil liberties -- but to also be able to show little remorse over killing or maiming evil genius criminals.
Here are some tips to help children develop a strong vocabulary.1. Don't talk to kids like they're babies (even if they are babies). I mean, coo at them all you want, but also speak to them about politics, life, books, whatever interests you.2. When you run out of things to say, read ketchup bottles aloud or describe a picture in your house. I'm not kidding. I do this...and I've been reading
By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 2/26/2008
Remember being a kid and getting so excited when your parents said you could have that giant empty box that packaged some newly-arrived-on-your-doorstep appliance-or-such? It's a fort! It's an elf castle! It's a giant dollhouse! It's a... whatever you could imagine it to be.
Take a listen to this, from last week on NPR: Old Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills.
Turns out you didn't need the latest and greatest toy after all. And with all that unstructured play time you were learning, too. Who knew?
Along similar lines-- an excellent commentary over at Finding Wonderland, for those of us that are tired of the endless marketing of "stuff" to children (and everyone, for that matter...)
By: Rebecca,
on 4/20/2007
Below is a thought provoking article by Buffalo Poet David Acevedo. Be sure to check back next week for more great content from these artists.
By David Acevedo
Attendant Huo asked Te Shan “Where have all the sages since antiquity gone?” Te Shan asks, “What? How’s that?” Huo said “The order was for a flying dragon-horse, but a lame tortoise shows up”. Te Shan let it rest. (more…)
I love this organization. It sounds like your visit was wonderful, as is your article about it. Thank you for sharing information about this great organization. I hope people will do what they can to help out. Funding for a lot of non-profits has been reduced dramatically.
I agree completely Trina. Great work so many literacy organizations are doing. Hate seeing it not deemed worthy of funding by our nation’s “leaders.”