Archive for category: Research

Books have their own language.

You’d never say, in conversation, “once upon a time,” or “her flaxen locks.” And yet, when we read those phrases in books, not only do they seem perfectly normal, but they’re part of a fantastic language that contributes to a whole and magical childhood.

Here are some more book phrases:
* …and they lived happily ever after.
* the word “for” used like this: “…for no light ever touched his skin.”
* …there lived an elfin creature…

When’s the last time you described someone as “elfin”? (Unless you’re a RPGer.)

Books have a language all their own, and it’s an important one for children to learn. The only way kids can learn the language of books is to read, or be read to.

Another reason why reading to your child is so, so important.

Research source: Proust and the Squid, by Maryanne Wolf.

I knew you’d ask about RPG. Role-playing gamer, like Dungeons and Dragons. And by the way, if you are one, check out the extremely entertaining web-com, The Guild. I’m not one, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.
The cute elf image came from a “free colouring book pages” site, here.

They approach literature differently, too.

Boys use different parts of their brains than girls to process emotions and words. They relate to characters in books differently, and enjoy reading different kinds of things.

Here’s what most boys like to read:
*Non-fiction
*Facts
*Accounts of real events
*Books with action
*Illustrated accounts showing how things work
*Gross things – the slimier and more disgusting, the better.
*Books that get to the point. Boys don’t want the explanation—they want to get right to the action. Let your boy skip the book’s introduction and any long-winded, explanatory bits.

What most girls like to read:
*Fiction
*Great characters
*Books that let them analyse characters’ motives or emotions
*Books with relationships between two or three people
*Context. Girls want to know why something is happening, and why the characters are acting the way they are. Before opening the book, give your girl an idea what she can expect from it, and what the characters are all about.

Why is Harry Potter so popular with boys and girls? It’s got the sports and action boys love, and the great, complex character development girls go for. Accio, Potter!
Our source for this research information: http://www.nasspe.com/

What can your child read alone?

It can be difficult to decide what books are just right for your reader – not too hard or too easy. Here’s a great suggestion, from a book/pamphlet produced by the YMCA, called Raising Kids Who Read.

“To decide which books are right for independent reading, notice if your child can read a few pages of a book with 95 per cent accuracy. That is, does he or she miss only one out of every 20 words?

If a young reader falters on one out of every 10 words, take turns reading the book together. You can supply words too difficult for him or her to read. If your child misses more than one in 10, to reduce frustration, make this book one that you read aloud.”

Great advice.

This book was produced in 2004 by the YMCA, 42 Charles St. E., Toronto, Ontario, www.ymca.ca. Writer: Carolyn Munson-Benson, Design: Holmes & Lee, Photography: Stacey Brandford.

Kids who live in a “reading home” will be readers, it’s as simple as that.

What does that mean, and how do you create a reading culture in your home? Here are some key things you can do to create a “reading home”:

*Read to your child every day.

*Have lots of books around. Give your child his own books.

*Let your child read things he’s interested in.

*Go to the library together every two or three weeks.

*Let your child see you reading.

*Ask your child questions about what he’s reading. Be interested in what he’s reading.

*Let your child read to you.

*Offer him a variety of reading options. Novels, comic books, picture books, manuals, recipe books, pages printed from the Internet, graphic novels, magazines, even the side of the cereal box at breakfast time – it’s all reading.

*Set limits on TV and video-game time (“screen time”).

If you can only do one thing, to create a reader, it should be: “read to your child.” Every book and website about reading says the same thing. Read to your child, every day. It’s the most important thing.

Singing helps children learn to read

When my son was little, our life was a musical. If I could sing something rather than say it, I would. “We’re… puttin’ our shoes now, tying up the laces, goin’ to the park!” (to the tune of Top Hat, White Tie and Tails). “Let’s cross… to the sunny side of the street!”

I also frequently sang another ditty: “A says ah, A says ah. Every letter makes a sound; A says ah!” And I’d get him to join in. “B says… what?” “Buh!” “Right! B says buh. B says buh. Every letter makes a sound. B says buh!”

I’m not a spokesperson for LeapFrog, just a fan. It was their fridge magnet toy (which we didn’t even own – another friend had one) that taught me this catchy tune. It helped my son to learn the sounds the letters make. And that’s a huge step towards reading.

Singing has major teaching benefits. For one thing, you’re happy while you’re singing, and fun and passion always aid understanding. And facts that are sung are much more easily memorized. Singing also creates synapses in the brain, so you’re really doing two things at once – learning and increasing the capacity to learn.

I’m going to ask the LeapFrog people if they can send me a music file so you can hear the fridge magnet song. I don’t know how to post a music file, so I’m a bit scared of that. But I’ll do it for literacy.

I’m reading Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, by Maryanne Wolf, a researcher who explains, among other things, how the brain learns to read.

How many times have you said, “My child’s not a reader.”

If you’ve said it, he’s heard it.

The way we define our children goes a long way towards making them that way. So if we tell people our child’s not interested in reading, he’ll live up to that expectation.

Fortunately, when we speak positively about our child’s reading, he’ll internalize that message, too.

So instead of, “My daughter’s not a reader,” how about, “My son loves those Magic Treehouse books.” Or, “Last week, Martina read Amelia Bedelia at school.” Or, “I love it when I see Sam reading.”

Let those “big ears” of your child hear that you think he’s a reader – and that’s what he’ll become.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!