| Learning the alphabet and learning to read must | | | | enjoyable ! The trick is to work it into everyday |
| be a piece of cake, right ? If nearly every six | | | | situations, to make learning a spontaneous and |
| year old can master it, then it must be simple ... | | | | natural part of everyday life. |
| or is it ? | | | | 1. READ TO YOUR CHILDREN ! |
| The alphabet, and its use in written language, is | | | | The more you read to your children, the more |
| one of the most astounding developments in | | | | they learn that books are powerful magic. |
| human history. The ability to share knowledge and | | | | Alphabet letters, written words, and books tell us |
| information through writing has had an impact on | | | | exciting stories. They can let us discover new |
| every other human endeavor in history. For each | | | | worlds and they can teach us things we've never |
| new generation of children, reading is a bit of a | | | | dreamed of. Let your children see the words on |
| miraculous accomplishment, which requires a | | | | the page as you read them aloud. Your kids can |
| sophisticated set of skills. | | | | then make the connection between the written |
| To a young child, the written word is no more | | | | words and the words you speak, long before |
| than seemingly random scribbles on a page. For | | | | they are able to read those words for |
| those squiggles and lines to fall into place and | | | | themselves. Let them understand that there are |
| form recognizable letters, and for those letters to | | | | coded meanings to decipher from that mysterious |
| have specific names with predictably constant | | | | printed page. |
| sounds, and, incredibly, for each sequence of | | | | According to the U.S. Department of Education's |
| letters to come together to create a unified | | | | National Center for Education Statistics, "At the |
| whole - wow ! Successfully making that journey is | | | | beginning of kindergarten, children's reading skills |
| one of the crowning achievements in any child's | | | | and knowledge were related to their home |
| life. Learning to read means learning that written | | | | literacy environment. Children from a 'literacy-rich' |
| letters translate into spoken sounds. Those | | | | home environment (i.e., those who are read to, |
| sounds represents known words. Those words | | | | sung to, and told stories more frequently and |
| conveys meanings - they signify real objects in | | | | those who have more children's books, records |
| the real world or they refer to concepts. | | | | audiotapes/CDs in the home) demonstrated higher |
| "D" is the letter "dee." The letter "D" gives us the | | | | reading knowledge and skills than other children. |
| sound "dee." "D - O - G" equals "DOG," perhaps | | | | This relationship existed whether their families' |
| some specific dog that the child knows and loves. | | | | income was above or below the federal poverty |
| For a child to unlock that secret is right up there | | | | threshold." |
| with taking his or her first steps, and soon learning | | | | This effect continues once the children are in |
| how to walk, and then run. From scribble, to | | | | school. For example, government statistics reveal |
| symbol, to complete word with meaning in the | | | | that "... children with rich literacy environments at |
| physical world ! | | | | home were more likely than other children to |
| Once a child can read, new worlds of knowledge | | | | perform well in reading at the end of both |
| and pleasure open up, and a lifetime of learning | | | | kindergarten and 1st grade." |
| and vicarious fictional experiences can begin. What | | | | Therefore, it's important to set aside a quiet |
| a child reads will play a role in the kind of person | | | | sharing time every day, just for reading to your |
| that that child becomes: what she or he knows, | | | | children. Share picture books, share longer stories, |
| believes, values, enjoys. It may contribute to the | | | | and share online or CD-ROM picture stories. If |
| choice of a career or provide an avenue for | | | | children associate the written word with |
| lifelong entertainment. | | | | pleasurable experiences, both their learning AND |
| In the western industrialized world, education and | | | | their motivation to learn how to read will be |
| literacy skills are sometimes taken for granted, | | | | enhanced. |
| but the reality is that learning to read, this most | | | | 2. SING SONGS TO YOUR CHILDREN ! |
| powerful of cognitive skills, cannot just happen by | | | | Sing simple songs to babies and very young |
| itself, and it is not a quick process. It takes time, | | | | children; teach songs to toddlers and preschoolers |
| and different children master it at different rates. | | | | and older children. Help them tune into the |
| Parents need not, however, just sit back and wait | | | | rhythms and the rhymes, to the beauty of the |
| for it to happen, or leave the entire burden to the | | | | sounds of words, spoken or sung. Try lullabies, |
| school system. They need not simply hope that | | | | familiar children's songs, chanted Mother Goose |
| their children will prove to be quick studies. There | | | | rhymes, even bouncy pop songs. You can also |
| is plenty that parents can do to get their children | | | | play finger games with rhyming jingles, both for |
| off to a good start and to reinforce reading skills | | | | the soothing sounds of the words and to help |
| at every step of the way. | | | | young fingers gain dexterity. |
| In "Teaching Our Youngest," from the U.S. | | | | 3. PLAY ALPHABET GAMES ! |
| Department of Education, it is stated that | | | | Help your children master the alphabet before |
| "Children who enter kindergarten knowing many | | | | they begin kindergarten or first grade. Help them |
| letter names tend to have an easier time learning | | | | associate letters with the sounds that they make, |
| to read than do children who have not learned | | | | for the same government report confirms that "... |
| these skills. In fact, it is unreasonable to believe | | | | children who had certain early literacy knowledge |
| that children will be able to read until they can | | | | and skills (e.g. could recognize letters of the |
| recognize and name a number of letters. To read, | | | | alphabet, recognize numbers and shapes, and |
| children recognize letters and know how to | | | | understand the concept of the relative size of |
| connect these individual letters and sometimes | | | | objects) when they entered kindergarten |
| combinations of letters with the sounds of spoken | | | | demonstrated higher reading proficiency in the |
| words." | | | | spring of both kindergarten and 1st grade than |
| This article provides some easy and practical tips | | | | children who did not have this knowledge and |
| for parents who want to enhance their children's | | | | these skills." |
| liklihood of success, and to do so in ways that | | | | In part 2 of this article, I'll be providing some |
| create effortless fun for their children. Learning | | | | starter ideas for helping your children learn the |
| does not need to be drudgery for parents or for | | | | alphabet and to get a head start in ultimately |
| children. It can, and should, be creative and | | | | learning how to read. |