Three Secrets of Reading
We all use a bag of tricks when we read, whether we realize it or not...
There are three secrets that help us get the message.
1. The first secret is the ability to recognize and make sense of the
many squiggles on a page. In order to do this you need to give your child as
much experience to print as possible. You can start this process with
babies. As you read a book to a child they are seeing and hearing the
print. The more they see the print, the more they will recognize the
different letters that are creating the message. Print is
everywhere...signs, billboards, posters license plates, grocery lists, etc..
2. The second secret is, if you want to read, you need to understand
the language. You need to give your child as much experience to the language
as possible. We can increase a child's language experience by constantly
chatting with them. Songs and rhymes also expose children to different forms
of language. Nursery rhymes offer wonderful language and rhythm to share
with young children.
3. The third secret is the more we know about life, the universe, and
everything, the easier it is to read. Give your child as much experience of
the world as possible. Read a vast amount of material to your child, such
as, the newspaper, non-fiction books, magazines, maps, brochures.
When an understanding of the world, language, and print act together as a
team, reading happens.
Ideas taken from "Reading Magic" by Mem Fox, Harcourt Inc.,2001
Mem's web site: www.memfox.net