Currents in Literacy

Questions from Parents

By Susan Fleming

What type of books can you recommend for children who are just learning to read at age six?

When children are learning to read, they need books which have clear, easy-to-understand illustrations and a simple text which can be deciphered by "reading" the pictures. For example, in a book entitled, Hi, Clouds (A Rookie Reader, published by Children's Press) one short phrase or sentence is printed underneath each picture. Under the picture of two children looking up at a white cloud, we see the words, "Hi, white cloud." The word "cloud" is repeated throughout the book with different nouns and adjectives used with it to describe varying cloud shapes.

Gradually introduce your child to books with more lines of text per page. But select ones with a limited, frequently repeated, vocabulary, where the pictures provide clues to unlock the words. While your child is gaining skill in reading books with a simple story line, you can be reading aloud more complicated picture books. Just as children understand more words than they can say when learning to talk, they comprehend more complicated texts than they can read by themselves. It takes a long time for decoding skills (being able to accurately pronounce the words on the page) to match a child's comprehension level.

However, you can prepare your child for the next level of difficulty through oral reading. She will be learning new vocabulary words, and will get a sense of how fictional stories and informational books progress from beginning to end. By stopping at intervals in a story to ask, "What do you think will happen next?" you are helping your child learn to predict outcomes from clues in the text. Often other questions come to your mind as you read. By discussing these questions with your child, you are demonstrating the process of being an active, engaged reader.

I have a third grade child who has no desire to read and write. What can I do to get him interested in reading and writing? We have a computer and the appropriate level of educational software for children, but it is not exciting to him either. Any suggestions?

If your son (or daughter) is a very active child who loves vigorous physical activity, he may find it difficult to slow down enough to engage in quiet pursuits like reading and writing -- even with the aid of excellent computer software. No program will entice him to read and write until he realizes that these skills are powerful tools to help him understand and gain control over things he cares about.

Tap into his interests. What fascinates him? You probably know the things he enjoys, but when did you talk to him about them? Ask a few questions. Then listen. Let him do the talking. Try to find out more details about his interests.

Your next stop is the library. Go alone. Talk to the librarians. They will be of invaluable assistance in locating a well- illustrated book dealing with the subject your son talked about with you. Look through it. Ask him a couple of questions connecting what you remember of your conversation and what the book says. By treating your son as a respected expert, he will probably find it hard to resist looking through the book. The pictures may entice him to try to figure out the words.

Many easy-reader biographies are now available, too. Locate ones on people you know your son is interested in. Don't make an issue out of the books. Just say something like, "I thought you might be interested in these," and leave them in a convenient spot for him to explore on his own.

If sports is a vital interest, find fast-paced, easy to read novels by authors such as Matt Christopher which you can read aloud, encouraging him to discuss how the game in the book is similar to games he has played or watched. Show an interest in any team your son likes. Let him lecture you on how the team is doing and if it is likely to win an upcoming game. You could buy him a notebook in which to record the names of players, scores, batting averages, where the games are played.

Reading aloud should not be reserved just for pre-schoolers. It's a valuable activity for school children of all ages, for you can introduce books which they can comprehend but which are beyond their reading ability. Read aloud a few lines from a newspaper article. Then you might ask: "This writer uses the word 'hilarious' to decribe that movie we saw. Do you agree with her?" Comment on advertisements: "Do you think this toothpaste really makes our teeth shine?"

Setting up an e-mail address for your child may be a better investment than educational software. Arrange for a friend or relative to send him regular messages. Later he may be able to exchange mail with friends locally or in other parts of the country. E-mail provides regular writing practice in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting.

Model the kind of literacy you want to develop. Your child will have a hard time understanding why reading should be important to him, if your spare time is spent in front of the television set. When you turn the TV off and curl up with a good book or a magazine or newspaper, you're reinforcing the idea that reading is enjoyable.

Remember, writing involves more than composing stories. Try to make your child aware of the ways you use writing in your daily life. If you write a note to his teacher or a letter of complaint to a business, share these with your child. Comment on why you chose certain words. Ask him to write a grocery list for you. Don't use this as a time to teach dictionary spelling, though. You're demonstrating the use of writing, not the perfect performance of it.

Be patient. One of my sons was very slow to become interested in reading and writing in spite of being surrounded from birth by eager readers and writers. When he recognized how literacy connected to the rock music he loved, he avidly began reading everything he could find about his favorite performers, and he started writing lyrics for songs he dreamed of composing.

The more you can show children that literacy is not just something studied in school but a vital part of life, the more likely they are to take an interest in it.

Susan Fleming, Ph.D., an author of children's books, a member of the Lesley University faculty, and a parent, has also been a public school classroom teacher and an editor of teaching manuals.