Literacy and Kids

I'm fortunate to have a daughter who loves to read. Ever night, she selects 3 of her favorite books, we lay in my bed, and we read together. During this time, I assess her reading skills by asking simple comprehension questions. I'll point to a horse and call it a cow. She immediately corrects me--this is a fun game!

e-books:

At the library:

Though she loves to read, I like to keep the excitement and importance of reading constant. We visit the library once a month so to check out new books. I make it a point of letting her check out and return the books--she loves doing this. I also make it a point to give her a book as a gift on her birthday and Christmas. I want her to think of reading as a fun activity and not a task she needs to complete.

I do this because I am well aware of the benefits of reading. Regularly, I tell my students that a good reader is a good writer, speaker, and thinker. As a teacher, it's clear which of my students read for pleasure. They often have a more elaborate vocabulary and writing and critical thinking skills than students who seldom read. Studies also show that students who enjoy reading do better academically. Go figure!

Here are some of Camila's favorite books and a great article on literacy and kids. I'm also including an article on parent involvement and academic success and on Finland's school success--it has strategies the U.S. educational system should consider. Enjoy.

• Goodnight Moon. Since birth, I have read this book to Camila. She loves it and knows all the words. I read that the consistency and repetitiveness of reading the same book helps kids build their confidence. By knowing the book well, the kid feels confident letting mom know what will happen next.

• Search and Find books. This type of book allows kids to look at an item on a picture bank and then identify it in the story. Since there are few words, I end up making elaborate stories before asking Camila to find the pictures.

• Daddy's Girl by Garrison Keillor. Both Camila and I love this book. The little protagonist has curly hair like Camila. On one page, the little girl is without a diaper so Camila and I make it a big deal that her tushy is showing.

FYI: In the past, I read an article encouraging parents to tell stories to their kids. According to the article, which I can't find online, kids who enjoy listening to stories told by their parents get some of the same benefits as those who read with their parents. Since young kids are still too young to actually read and decipher words, they pay attention to the narration of the story and from there build their cognitive skills. In other words, you don't always need to read a book. Use your imagination and create a story in which your kid is the protagonist ready to save the world!