Tag: reading comprehension

The First Five Years

Posted on | by KD Novelties


Reading is a fundamental skill anyone needs in order to interact and function within society, and is a key focus in early education. While reading is a skill taught in schools, it is still vital that children grasp the concept of language and reading comprehension skills before they even begin school. Studies show that children who develop these basic skills with their parents before entering the school system are more likely to grasp other educational concepts more easily and develop a more diverse vocabulary that assists in this early learning. Additionally, it helps improve their confidence to try new things, understand new concepts, and develop socially within the classroom atmosphere. 

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The first five years of a child’s life are the most important for developing healthy life-long habits. Aside from helping a child develop language and reading skills, (including introducing kids to foreign languages since their brains are more adept to naturally learning various dialects when young) it is also a great time to establish healthy eating and physical habits, foster emotional understanding through parent-to-child interactions and develop good motor skills. All of these factors help children when they enter an educational atmosphere and ensure that their minds are at their most optimal to absorb new information and develop lasting learning skills.

KD Novelties is a publisher of children’s books and provides children the tools of reading for a lifetime with their very own personalized book.  

Dads should read with their kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties

When it comes to school activities, art projects, homework and reading, usually in most households these tasks default to the Mom. Sports and outdoor activities and recreation “belong” to Dad. This has become a global stereotype. In reality, both parents should read to the child especially Dad. Here’s why: Bonding TimeReading creates a bonding experience. The physical closeness of story time and cuddling bring you closer to your kids. Hugging, kissing and tickling are all part of this bonding experience especially when it comes to reading. Therefore, it is very important for Dads to experience this bonding separately from Mom. Children will never forget these special times and they will love you for it. Variety of Voice and EmotionWhen reading and acting out voices and emotions it’s important that children get used to the different tones and accents from Mom and Dad. It’s part of their hearing and learning experience which increases their comprehension. Double Reinforcement: Set the Example If the kids see Mom reading then they will think reading is worthwhile. However, when Dad also jumps on the bandwagon the kids will start to realize that there is something to this “reading” thing. That is why reading with your kids early on in the process (both Mom and Dad) can help instill a love of reading in children. The more people that seem interested in reading will help reinforce that reading is something important and enjoyable. Reading is quiet and calm time As mentioned previously Dads are involved with sports and outdoor recreation (anything and everything active such as running, wrestling, playing with the kids). However, reading is a very sedentary, calm event. If Dad can now show kids that playtime is over and sit still with a book on his lap reading with the kids, they will also learn how to calm down after an active event. In the long run this will help them in school. Studies show that many teachers have reported that it is extremely difficult to get kids to focus on school work after playtime (or lunch). Instilling this principle in the home will help your children in school and with reading.

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Difficulties with Reading

Posted on | by KD Novelties

What boggles the minds of parents is why or where did the reading process for their child brake down. Many experts have identified reading problems to stem from either decoding, comprehension and retention with most believing that the bulk comes from decoding problems.

Decoding ~ Websters definition is the use of phonetics to decipher print patterns and translate them into the sounds of language.

In simpler terms the process of breaking down the phonemes of a word. For instance the average decoder can separate the sounds “tuh”, “aah”, “guh” for the word “tag.”

Someone who has difficulty in this area may not be able to break down and differentiate the word “tag” on the page. If you think about it, this is the process in which we all learned how to read words; by sounding them out.

Signs that your child has a decoding problem:
* Having trouble sounding out words
* Slow reading rate (takes time to sound out words)
* Ignoring punctuation when reading
* Confusion between letters and the sound they represent
* Reading without expression

Comprehension ~ in terms of reading comprehension it measures the understanding of a passage of text.

Comprehension relies heavily on decoding. Children who have difficulties with decoding will find it difficult to understand and remember what they have read. They spend most of their time trying to decode the words that when they are finished, they are not able to grasp the understanding of the passage making it very exhausting for them.

Signs of comprehension difficulties:
* Lack of concentration during reading
* Confusion about the meaning of words or sentences
* Not able to connect ideas in a passage

Lastly Retention ~ which requires the ability to retain facts and figures in memory. Retention requires the child to have both decoding and comprehension skills. Reading to learn and to retain by memory is critical in a child’s life and throughout their schooling years. It becomes an essential task and is expected of them through the education system.

Signs of retention difficulties:
trouble remembering or summarizing what is read
* Difficulty connecting what is read to prior knowledge
* Difficulty applying content of a text to personal experiences
* Trouble remembering or summarizing what is read

HOW TO GET HELP: Contact their school for a list of reading specialists that can help your child with their difficulty. Most schools have staff that are certified and can help your child during the school day. Do this ASAP.

If you need more help deciphering the process that is breaking down you can always contact the child’s school psychologist that would be able to access the problem areas and formulate a written plan for the child and give you more guidance.

If the child is not of school age spend more time in the areas of concern and seek professional help if applicable that way they will be at the level of their classmates when entering school.