Getting Ready to Read
From Kansas Libraries the Official Newsletter of the State Library of Kansas
by Jennifer Adams, Children’s Services Manager, Manhattan Public Library
I admire my cousin who teaches first grade and experiences the many challenges and rewards of teaching children to read. I remember my first grade teacher and classroom well, and the way reading surrounded us in everything we did that year. But reading doesn’t come easily for every child, and certainly teachers will be the first to point out the wide discrepancy in their students’ readiness to read.
Research also shows that more and more children are entering first grade without many of the skills needed to become good readers. Some statistics are quite staggering and scary. Children may have as few as 25 hours of one-on-one picture book reading with an adult before entering school, as compared with other children who may have more than 1,500 hours. Statistical research shows that “the knowledge of alphabet letters at entry into kindergarten is a strong predictor of reading ability in 10th grade.” These facts can seem daunting, but research also shows that there are many things we can do for children to make sure they are ready to be readers. Helping a child develop into a good reader starts long before first grade or even kindergarten.
“Early literacy” is the big buzz word among early childhood educators and students, as we discover more about the developing brains of young children and the stimulation they need to develop and be successful. Early literacy is strongly linked to a child’s ability to learn to read and to succeed in school. Early literacy does not mean teaching 3-year-olds how to read. Rather, it is a term used to refer to everything a child knows about reading before he or she actually learns how to read. It includes being aware of the printed word, enjoying books, knowing letters and sounds, knowing the names of things, as well as being able to tell stories to others. What might be shocking to some is that building these early literacy skills begins in infancy.
Yes, long before a child can identify the letter A or speak a single word, he is acquiring the knowledge necessary to be able to read aloud to you six years in the future. Early literacy for babies consists of babbling, touching and exploring things around them, hearing stories and songs, and imitating sounds they hear other people and animals making. Reading to babies from birth (or even before) is essential to their development and will help the babies associate books and reading with pleasurable experiences that they want to repeat.
If you have tried reading to a squirming 8-month-old, you might think that sounds a little crazy. But even the most active children will listen to books for short periods of time, especially if reading is part of their daily routine. Parents and caregivers must make the extra effort to take time for reading aloud. Remember to keep it fun, and allow little ones to explore books at their own pace and in their own way sometimes.
Early literacy continues as the baby becomes a toddler, now capable of repeating words and eventually sentences, able to sit and listen to longer stories, and eager to interact with others. At this stage, reading to a child should become an interactive event, with adults encouraging a child to explore illustrations by asking “what” questions and giving the child freedom to make up stories to go with the pictures.
Sometimes books just won’t work at all, but early literacy doesn’t begin and end with books. Word and sound games can entertain young children while honing their literacy skills at the same time. For example, older toddlers and preschoolers can recognize words that begin with the same sound. Pick a sound that is easy for the child to say, and then look for words with that sound. Write the letter that goes with the sound in the sand or dirt, and let the child imitate you.
Another way to promote literacy with children is to visit the library. Allow children the freedom to wander the aisles, to touch and look at lots of different books, and to check some out to take home. Join in on a storytime or special event that makes books extra fun.
The key to early literacy is awareness among parents and care providers. Libraries are joining in at all levels to help promote early literacy. The “Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library” initiative from the American Library Association provides research and information about early literacy. We are fortunate that several librarians at Manhattan Public Library have been trained in this program and can present information to interested groups.
The “Kansas Reads…to Preschoolers” in November during National Children’s Book Week encouraged all Kansans to participate in early literacy by reading the chosen picture book, Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells, to a young child. The goal was that all children in the state from birth to age 5 would be read to that week, and that a new awareness of the importance of books would spark more reading in Kansas homes and child care centers every day.
At the Manhattan Library, we gave away free books during storytimes the week of November 13-19, as well as at our special storytime event on November 16 at 7:00 p.m., courtesy of the Manhattan Library Association. A child who loves books and stories is a child who will find success in school and in life. And everyone can be a part of that success story.