BOOKS AND READING ALOUD *Read aloud. This is the single most important thing you can do for your children. It's especially important in the pre-school yours, but don't stop reading aloud to children after they eam to read.” “from “Help your child Become a Good Reader,” Office of Educational Research and Improvement BENEFITS OF READING ALOUD Language Development (listening skills, vocabulary, verbal skills) *Strong foundation for reading readiness *Emotional Development “Intellectual Development *Stimulates imagination and interest *Builds relationship between reader and the child TO GAIN THE MOST BENEFIT: *Warm-up questions *Discuss during reading—relate to past experiences, *Follow-up with open-ended questions *Involve the children CRITERIA IN SELECTING BOOKS elements of a good story—plot, characters, writing style illustrations complement and add to text *relate to interests, abilities, and attention span of child *include a wide variety of books—humorous, serious, realistic, fantasy, new, classics, and factual * Available children’s book awards — Caldecott, Parent’s choice, Reading Rainbow READING ALOUD SKILLS *sit on same level as children *Be sure children can see illustrations *maintain eye contact *Use facial and verbal expression *Don’t rush *Explain and teach new words *clear pronunciation — good volumeEARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY LITERACY GOALS FOR PRESCHOOLERS *enjoy listening to and discussing storybooks *understand that print carries a message *engage in reading and writing attempts *identify labels and signs in their environment *participate in rhyming games ‘identify some letters and make some letter-sound ~ matches *use known letters or approximations of letters to represent written language (especially meaningful words like their name and phrases such as “I love you”) WHAT PARENTS, TEACHERS AND OTHERS CAN DO TO ENCOUAGE CHILDHOOD LITERACY “talk with children, *read and reread quality books daily *provide a print-rich environment *encourage children to recount experiences and describe ideas and events that are important to them *visit the library *provide firsthand experiences that expand children’s vocabulary and understand *Develop phonic awareness through songs, fingerplays games, poems, and stories *provide opportunities for children to draw, print, using markers, crayons, and pencils ‘ “provide opportunities for children to focus on the sounds and parts of language as well s : as the meaning .By Mem Fox The best time to start reading aloud to a baby is the day it is born. Babies love books! They respond to the brightness of the pictures, to the rhythm of the words, and to the presence of a loving adult. Only 25% of our brains are developed at birth. The other 75% is developed through the five senses. The foundations for learning to read are set down from the moment a child first hears the sounds of people talking, the tunes of songs, and the rhythms and rhymes of stories. Children need to hear 1,000 stories before they can begin to read for themselves. (Break that down to 3 stories a day, which would make 1,000+ stories in one year!) *Rhymers will be readers. Experts in literacy and child development have found that if children know 8 nursery rhymes by heart by the time they're four. Children who have not been regularly talked to, sung to, or read to from birth, find life at school much more burdensome than they otherwise might. In particular, learning to read becomes a major stumbling block rather than a surprising delight. children who are read to early and regularly quickly acquire the skill of listening and the desire to hear stories, They understand the immense pleasures waiting for them in books and develop the ability to concentrate and relax. The more expressively we read, the more fantastic the experience will be. The more fantastic the experience, the more our kids will love books, and the more they'll "pretend" read. And the more they “pretend” read, the quicker they'll learn to read. So reading aloud is not quite enough—we need to read aloud well! We can do at least seven things with our voices to keep our’ listeners engaged. Six of the seven vocal gymnastics are contrasts: /oud and soft, fast and slow, and high and low. And we can p-a-u-s-e, The words on the ‘page will tell us which of these to choose. Expressive reading is reading that is remembered. They'll read with exactly the same expressive inflections as we do, which is why we should make the effort to read aloud with vitality and lots of vocal variation. XIt's important, especially with younger children, to repeat the same lively stories ‘over and over again, so book language loses its strangeness and becomes familiar, The language of books sounds different. It looks different. It is different[MAKING READING MAGIC! |. Recite nursery rhymes and sing songs as you drive in the car together. 2. Keep your books in a special place at home surrounded by pillows, blankets, etc. and set aside a special time for reading together. (D.E.AR. time= Drop Everything And Read!) Give books as birthday and Christmas gifts. Fill a “book bag’ with favorite books or activities +o +ake along in your travels. 5. Purchase books at book sales, book fairs, family trips, or through book orders from school. Create book clubs for children and adults in your neighborhood. Visit local bookstores when authors come and get a book autographed. 8. Visit local libraries and be involved in summer reading programs, workshops, etc. 9. Expose children to different genres (categories) of children's literature: fiction, non-fiction, biography, fantasy. autobiography, historical fiction, mystery, etc. 10. Make a craft, a treat, or a snack that is related +o the story. ll. Go on an excursion to the park, +o the Zoo, or wherever your story takes place. 12. Highlight favorite authors by reading all of their books. 13. Read a favorite book in weekly Family Nights. \4. Share with children some of your favorite childhood books Ce.g.. Heidi, The Black Stallion, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little House series, etc.). \5, Read +o the children in your life EVERYDAY! I+ will become a magical part of everyone's day and change your children’s lives forever! aan as “If a book makes a child laugh, cry, squeal, shiver, or wriggle, and jiggle in some way, it takes up residence in their hearts and stays there.” —Mem Fox, Reading Magic, p. 130