Tag: Reading

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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How to Be an Excellent Storyteller

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Story Telling can be one of the greatest and powerful tools used when teaching young ones to love books.
* Some stories can be real from a book or something that has happened
* Some stories can be make-believe something you can make up to try to
get a certain lesson across

RULES OF STORY TELLING
A. Read the story and know it.
– Know it well enough to tell it in your own words.

B. Your story should focus on ONE MAIN IDEA.
– What is the truth or moral I’m trying to communicate in my story?

C. You can make up stories.
1. You need a main character or hero (cowboy, astronaut, etc.).
* What is the character like?
* What is the character’s name?
* Is the character strong? smart? brave?

2. Use the character weekly for 3 months.
* But change adventures weekly.

3. Reinvent the character for the next 3 months.
* Rotate stories every 2 to 3 cycles.

D. Do not give away the whole story in the title or the beginning.
– Create suspense

E. Use voices to create the mood.
– Sadness, anger, suspense, happiness, etc.

F. Let characters talk.
– Act out the part.

G. Story must have a PACE.
– Speed up or slow down your voice.

H. Use sound effects and objects.

I. Ask questions while telling the story.
– This grabs the attention of the children.

J. Make an application (truth in the lesson).
1. Build the story to a CLIMAX.

2. Bring the story to a CONCLUSION.

3. ASK QUESTIONS at the end of every story.

Learn to use the tool of story telling effectively to communicate and inspire young children to love to read and listen to stories.

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.