Even if they can read and especially if they hate reading
Who needs convincing that reading aloud to children is a good idea? Not many people, it seems. According to Scholastic’s Kids and Family Reading Report, 77% of parents with children aged between 0 and 5 say they started reading to their child before they turned one. Unfortunately, that percentage drops significantly after age 5, despite both parents and children saying that they enjoy reading together. By that stage, children begin to read by themselves and perhaps parents feel that their job is done. Actually, there are many reasons to keep reading aloud to children even if they are independent readers. And for children who struggle to read, even more so. Kids with literacy difficulties and reluctant readers risk missing out on the many advantages of reading.
But, what are those benefits?
A look at a game that puts the fun back into reading
When it’s your job to make learning fun, you need imagination, a good sense of fun and resources that allow you to use both. Select the right activity and kids will work hard without even realising it. Many kids with literacy difficulties find reading a bit of a mountain to climb and I am always on the lookout for bite size reading activities for them. With this in mind, I recently purchased Tim’s Quiz, from Little Learners Love Literacy. I already have LLLL resources which I like a lot, so I was keen to try this one.
Tim’s Quiz is a set of 168 short decodable questions for beginning readers. The questions include digraphs, CVC, CCVC, CVCC*, common sight words and longer decodable words. Can cats hop? Are kittens the best pets? Is it a good plan to go camping in the jungle? The game consists of picking question cards, reading them, discussing them and sorting them according to their answers. Children get to decode, read, build fluency, comprehension and oral language AND they have fun while reading. The game really fits my purpose of short, sharp reading activities, but it delivers much more.
Children need ongoing reading practice in order to make progress. This is especially true for beginning and struggling readers who can be reluctant to read. So, how can parents lighten the load without compromising on reading outcomes?
It is much easier (and effective) to do a little bit often, rather than a long session once in a blue moon. Some children may balk at the sight of books and school readers, so try working with single word flashcards instead. Seize the opportunity to do a bit of “on the fly” reading and to include reading as part of active play.
NAPLAN results were published recently and it seems that, in the seven years since the tests were implemented, overall results remain practically unchanged (www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-05/naplan-results-show-limited-improvement-in-students-skills). Christophe Pyne, Australia’s federal minister for Education and Training stressed the “need to focus on the basics of school education.” Children forge a love of learning in the early years and it is therefore critical to engage them and give them a sense that they can be successful learners. Below are five engaging and effective literacy resources that, in my experience, support children's literacy skills and keep them motivated. They are designed to provide plenty of scaffolding and progressive steps, which in turn, allows children to experience success at any level and maintain a positive approach to learning. But before you go further, take the time to reflect on your Top 5 literacy resources. What are they? Share them by posting a comment below.
1. Reading Doctor’s Reading Sounds 1 Pro software (http://www.readingdoctor.com.au).
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