| never too early to begin teaching your child to read, or | | | | I'm not promising that your child can learn to read early |
| at least laying the foundation for early literacy skills, and | | | | or that they won't experience difficulty. After all, there |
| it can definitely be left too late! | | | | is a significant number of children suffering from |
| If you are not sure then think about this. Statistically, | | | | learning disabilities. These children will struggle. |
| more American children suffer long-term life-long harm | | | | However, early instruction may ease their suffering |
| from the process of learning to read than from | | | | and make the struggle a bit easier to handle. At the |
| parental abuse, accidents, and all other childhood | | | | very least you will know that you did everything you |
| diseases and disorders combined. In purely economic | | | | could to help your child-and your child will know that as |
| terms, reading related difficulties cost our nation more | | | | well. That cannot be wasted effort! |
| than the war on terrorism, crime, and drugs combined. | | | | And you have a head-start on every educator |
| Reading problems are a further challenge to our world | | | | because you know your child--herr temperament, her |
| by contribute significantly to the perpetuation of | | | | strengths, and her weaknesses. You are the person |
| socio-economic, racial and ethnic inequities. However it | | | | best equipped to begin teaching your child. |
| is not just poor and minority children who struggle with | | | | So we come back to the central question-when |
| reading. According to the 2002 national report card on | | | | should your child's reading education begin? Traditional |
| reading by the National Assessment of Educational | | | | American Education models call for teaching a child to |
| Progress (NAEP), most of our children (64%) are less | | | | read between the ages of 7-9. Obviously we cannot |
| than proficient in reading even after 12 years of our | | | | begin teaching a newborn how to read. However, we |
| attempts to teach them. | | | | can begin in infancy to lay the foundation for literacy |
| Even without knowing these worrisome statistics we | | | | which will in the end make your child a stronger reader. |
| are aware that reading proficiency is essential to | | | | Literacy is defined as an individual's ability to read, write, |
| success--not only academically but in life. As the | | | | and speak in English, compute, and solve problems, at |
| American Federal of Teachers states: "No other skill | | | | levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, |
| taught in school and learned by school children is more | | | | in the family of the individual, and in society. |
| important than reading. It is the gateway to all other | | | | Many of the simple things we do at home with our |
| knowledge. Teaching students to read by the end of | | | | children support the development of literacy so you |
| third grade is the single most important task assigned | | | | are already working to make your child more literate |
| to elementary schools. Those who learn to read with | | | | even if you are not actively beginning the process to |
| ease in the early grades have a foundation on which | | | | teach your child to read. This includes simple activities |
| to build new knowledge. Those who do not are | | | | such as reading to your child, reciting nursery rhymes, |
| doomed to repeated cycles of frustration and failure." | | | | and singing songs. |
| More than any other subject or skill, our children's | | | | But what if you do want to become a more active |
| futures are determined by how well they learn to read. | | | | participant? There are many things you can do and it |
| Reading is absolutely fundamental. It has been said so | | | | doesn't mean you need to invest hundreds of dollars in |
| often that it has become meaningless but it does not | | | | an expensive reading program. You don't actually need |
| negate its truth. In our society, in our world, the inability | | | | to spend much money at all to teach your child to read |
| to read consigns children to failure in school and | | | | at home-or at the least prepare your child well for the |
| consigns adults to the lowest strata of job and life | | | | beginning of reading instruction in school. Most parents |
| opportunities. | | | | already have the tools you need in your home to begin |
| And just when we thought the stakes could get no | | | | today! |
| higher, over the last decade, educational research | | | | This is why I stress that it is never too early to begin-if |
| findings have discovered that how well children learn to | | | | you work with your child's development and make |
| read has other, even more life-shaping, consequences. | | | | learning fun and interesting as well as challenging. |
| Most children begin learning to read during a profoundly | | | | My essential strategy as an educator is to create |
| formative phase in their development. As they begin | | | | learning opportunities and then to get out of the way |
| learning to read, they're also learning to think abstractly. | | | | of my students so they can learn. Learning is an active |
| They are learning to learn and they're experiencing | | | | experience that should fully engage the participant. I |
| emotionally charged feelings about who they are and | | | | believe that when I am "teaching" that the student is |
| how well they are learning. | | | | only passively involved in the learning process. I see |
| What does that mean? Most children who struggle | | | | myself much more as a guide and a resource than a |
| with reading blame themselves. Day after day, week | | | | teacher in my classroom. I have taken this approach |
| after week, month after month, year after year, the | | | | with my son's education and it has been very |
| process of learning to read teaches these children to | | | | successful. |
| feel ashamed of themselves--ashamed of their | | | | We have various learning toys and aids in our home |
| minds--ashamed of how they learn. | | | | and there are many lessons taking place each day (at |
| And the sad truth is that they have nothing to be | | | | home and away) but I have never drilled him on facts |
| ashamed about. As Dr. Grover Whitehurst, Director | | | | or even used flashcards. |
| Institute of Education Sciences, Assistant Secretary of | | | | If you can find ways to make learning fun and |
| Education, U.S. Department of Education (2003) says: | | | | exciting-something that your child actually wants to do |
| "Reading failure for nearly every child is not the child's | | | | with you-then begin as soon as possible. |
| failure; it's the failure of policy makers, the failure of | | | | Your child will have plenty of opportunity for dry |
| schools, the failure of teachers and the failure of | | | | lectures, mind-numbing repetitive drills, and boring |
| parents. We need to reconceptualize what it means to | | | | lessons as they grow older so don't even go there. If |
| learn to read and who's responsible for its success if | | | | you can't make learning fun and more like play than |
| we're going to deal with the problem." | | | | work then don't even go there. Trust your child's |
| Do you want to wait for the policy makers to find a | | | | education to the professionals and hope for the best. |
| solution? Do you trust that they will? Or would you | | | | Remember, there are many wonderful teachers out |
| rather make sure that the job is done right by taking | | | | there so you child is not doomed to failure even if you |
| charge yourself? | | | | don't intervene. However, the system is not a success |
| I know what my answer is because I know first-hand | | | | and it is likely that at some point during the process |
| from witnessing my brother's life-long difficulties what | | | | your child may be adversely effected by it! That's why |
| an irrevocable impact a reading struggle early in life | | | | I take an active role in my child's education. |
| can make. It can mark your child for life! | | | | |