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rments and poor speech and language development.
But there are other schoolchildren who have problems reading
because of a learning disability. Whatever the cause or nature
of a child's reading problem, the earlier the difficulty is
discovered and additional help provided, the better the child's
chances are of becoming a successful reader. (See the Resources
section, "For Parents.")
The good news is that no matter how long it takes, with
few exceptions, children can learn to read. One of the most
important roles you can play in relation to your children's
schoolwork is that of cheerleader. Applaud their efforts and
their successes. Help them have the courage to keep trying.
A Postscript about Older Children
You can't put a teenager on your lap and read stories
every night. But you can still help older children become
enthusiastic and fluent readers by adapting many of the same
principles that work with the little ones. It is especially
important to continue the following efforts:
* Encourage reading for the fun of it and as a free-time
activity.
* Create an environment rich with books.
* Talk and listen to your children. Language is like a
four-legged stool: Speaking, listening, reading, and
writing are its parts, and each supports the other.
* Read with your children every chance you get--even if it's
just part of a newspaper article at the breakfast table.
* Encourage children to write by responding to the ideas
they try to communicate in writing.
* Set the example--put a book in your hands and be sure your
children know you read for enjoyment and to get needed
information.
* Monitor your children's schoolwork and applaud their
efforts.
Resources
For Children
What follows is a sampling from the wealth of children's
literature available.
Listed by age groups are three kinds of children's
materials.
* Books that relate to real-life events
* Poems
* Magazines
There are many other excellent lists of children's books.
For more information, see the next section, "Resources for
Parents."
Children's Books and Real-Life Events
One sure way to get children to love to read is to make
connections between books and what happens in their lives. If
the book relates to what happened in real life and children see
themselves in it, both the story and the event take on greater
meaning. There are numerous books that deal with almost any
event in a child's life. We present here a few illustrative
topics to show the relation between books and life. Topics
chosen include celebrating family occasions; the very personal
experience of a loose tooth; a new baby; and knowing more about
explorations in outer space.
Acknowledgments
Marilyn Binkley of OERI provided a thoughtful review of
the manuscript. The book she prepared entitled Becoming a
Nation of Readers: What Parents Can Do gave inspiration for a
number of the activities and was the basis for the section on
parents and schools. Ray Fry, director of OERI's Library
Programs, provided invaluable support and guidance in
developing this book. Nancy Floyd managed the production of the
book, assisted by Torey Evans. Also, our special thanks go to
Leo and Diane Dillon for their advice on how to work with
illustrators.
Bernice Cullinan is a professor of Early Childhood and
Elementary Education at New York University and a highly
acclaimed reading specialist. She has authored numerous books
about children and reading, most recently Read to Me: Raising
Kids Who Love to Read.
Brod Bagert is the author of several books of poetry for
children to read out loud. Mr. Bagert visits dozens of American
cities as a keynote speaker for Bill Martin, Jr.'s Pathways to
Literacy. During the school year he is invited to schools
across the nation to read his poetry aloud as a way of
motivating children to read.
Darlene Marie Francis is a Guild Member of YA/YA Gallery
and an art student at Delgado Community College in New Orleans,
Louisiana. She has also studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti,
Perugia, Italy. Her work has been displayed in galleries in New
York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Memphis in the United States,
as well as in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Tuscany.
Her whimsically painted chairs have appeared on Sesame Street,
MTV, Today, and Japanese TV.
What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn:
Listen to them and pay attention to their problems.
Read with them.
Tell family stories.
Limit their television watching.
Have books and other reading materials in the house.
Look up words in the dictionary with them.
Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
Share favorite poems and songs with them.
Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
Discuss the daily news with them.
Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and
local geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study.
Review their homework.
Meet with their teachers.
Do you have other ideas?
.
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