Image by freepik
Literacy doesn’t start the moment children get enrolled in school. It goes way back, depending on their parents’ guidance. From early childhood, children are already gathering skills necessary for literacy and all other aspects of life. In fact, their most critical stages for reading development don’t only start during their fifth year, the typical schooling age; they start even before that.
Literacy is the key to success. It’s among the first faculties of life kids develop, a significant matter to highlight and celebrate. Hence, parents are expected to teach children how to read even before teachers can. After all, a parent’s touch and influence throughout their children’s development is wonted, and their presence is a significant motivation.
Their guidance is unrivaled, yet many parents fail to live their part. Whether due to constraints posed by other responsibilities or simply because of how challenging and confusing this process is, let’s slowly unravel workarounds or solutions to help develop literacy in children.
When Is the Right Time to Start Teaching Them?
This question has been repeatedly raised, and the answer does differ from one child to another depending on various influencing factors. Overall, experts have established that most learn to read only by age six or seven during the first or second grade. But some are already ready at the age of three.
As with their first word, the spark to start reading can happen anytime. There’s no “right” starting age, and if they do it a little late, it shouldn’t warrant a worried adult. Reading, like speaking, is a learning process dependent on children’s skill acquisition. They randomly begin to utter “mama” or “dada.” So, perhaps, they’ll also be motivated to start reading at random.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. While speaking may appear to occur randomly, encouragement still triggers it. Babies’ first words are whatever is most commonly repeated to them. Hence, it’s only logical that the “right” time to read is when parents teach children how to read.
How Do Children First Learn to Read?
In Dr. LeAnna Hale-Ball’s We Ate Dinner at Granma and Grandpa’s House, a book teaching children the ABC order, the author believes reading can be learned quickest and easiest when children become most comfortable with the alphabet. After all, this is the foundation of every word that exists. If they become familiar with it, reading will most likely naturally follow suit.
There are two theories to answer this question, and these can be used as a framework for how parents teach children how to read.
A Natural Process
One theory states that reading is a natural process. This posits that children naturally and over time acquire the skills to read fluently, just as they do with speaking.
Under this theory, all parents and teachers must do to teach children how to read is surround them with good books and wait for them to pick up reading. It’s not achieved by magic, but perhaps it’s through learned cues polished through demonstration and reinforcement. As they start from scratch, children will start reading weakly. They’ll commit many mistakes and inaccuracies, mispronouncing words and absorbing little to no meaning from what they’re reading.
However, the more they go through the process and observe those around them, the more they subconsciously establish rules and systems that help them improve.
Strategic Context-Based Guesses
On the other hand, another theory considers reading as a sort of “guessing game,” where adults teach children to read through clues and tricks. Dr. LeAnna Hale-Ball has maximized this theory in her book We Ate Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s House. To teach children how to read, she has first encouraged parents to guide them through the alphabet, familiarize them with each letter, and gradually practice longer terms.
Under this theory, children will still begin their journey with numerous mistakes, but they’ll learn to correct them through guesswork. Reading becomes a trial-and-error process, where parents and teachers teach children how to read fluently by teaching them the right strategies.
However, unlike these two theories, reading is more than seeing a word and pronouncing it. Instead, it’s a code that requires children to make sense of words in print. It requires them to not only make out words but also have a thorough comprehension of them.
What Is the Best Way to Teach Children How to Read?
Reading is a complex process that depends heavily on children’s skills and familiarity with the language. Choosing the best way to teach children how to read is unique for every child. No two children will learn the language in the same manner. Not to mention, there would also have been a difference in how parents reinforce their children’s progress.
Hence, there are countless ways to teach children how to read. But among these, the best way is indubitably for parents to read to them. Not only is this process enjoyable, but it also connects it to a positive memory and emotion. It hits two birds with a single stone: skill development and the creation of a core memory. When parents read to their children, they serve as vocal models, which plays an integral role in guiding young minds to pronounce and process vocabulary.
During this activity, children will also be given enough time to ask questions and learn the most about the language. This allows them to think about the language’s structure, developing their critical thinking skills, which will only broaden their grasp and competence.
Overall, reading can be a complex process. It’s confusing to both children and the adults teaching them. However, there’s no right or wrong way to teach children how to read.
Genuinely guide them, and things should be fine.
If you’re a parent looking for a way to help your child slowly, grab a copy of Dr. LeAnna Hale-Ball’s We Ate Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s House now!
- How Reading Together Strengthens Parent-Child Relationships - November 27, 2024
- Why Family Storytelling is Essential for Building Strong Bonds - November 21, 2024
- Learning the Alphabet: A Vital Part in Early Literacy - October 30, 2024
