PARENTS AND READING

PARENTS AND READING

To what extent do you feel that you have been shaped by your experiences as a child? 

Most parents and guardians wish to give their child every opportunity to help them to be successful at school and in life.  Like it or not, we are shaped by our experiences as a child.

We know from some blindingly obvious research that:

1.  Parents/Guardians who create high quality home learning environments engage regularly in activities that stretch a child's mind.

2.  Children gain skills at home, but also absorb a positive attitude and enthusiasm for learning.  Parental involvement has an impact across all ethnic groups and social classes.

3.  Fathers' interest and involvement, as well as mothers' interest has an independent effect on the improvement of children's literacy levels.

This is all common sense – we know all of this from everything we hear – but sometimes we fail to 'walk the talk'.

If children are being read to every day, from books that interest them, they will want it to continue.  Also, to have a parent read to a child means that discussion will happen as questions, comments, conversation and a range of non-verbal facial expressions and gestures from parent and child occur.  This for me was what brought reading alive and a stimulating experience.  Pictures provide fertile ground for discussion and humour.

 

 In the words of Sir Winston Churchill: 

"We shall succeed together, and fail separately".

For parents, there are, as always, a range of challenges such as: time, confidence, understanding, language skills etc.  Good schools can do much to help here.  For example they can help ensure that parents and children come together as one unit for:

-  an opportunity to use the library to read to their children before or after school

-  Dads and sons who are having difficulties with literacy are invited to a 'common room' where they can read and write together

-  Fun literacy evenings for parents and children

-  Parents and children are invited to join a school book club

-  A Blog for families (parents and children) to share skills and strategies.

Why not ask your children's school if they can offer any of the above, if they don't already do so.

But for me, home can and should provide the safest, richest pastures for acquiring a life-long love of literature in its many forms.  And do remember that good reading leads to good talking, which in turn develops vocabulary and understanding.

Some useful support websites are:

www.direct.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/EarlyLearningForUnderFives/HelpingYourChildToLearn/fs/en

www.literacytrust.org.uk.familyreading/parents/dads.html