Taking Time to Read With Your Child = Interest in Reading Your Child Takes

Taking time to read with your child = interest in reading your child takes.

Do you agree with the above “equation”?  I do.  I have found that the amount of time I put into an activity with my children, the more interest they take in it.  For example, if I make it a point to spend time with my oldest son reading, he grabs a hold of that time and really takes interest.  I show him that I am genuinely interested in spending “reading” time with him and he grabs all of the attention that I give to him.  And, on busy days, he even questions me as to when we are going to have our “reading” time together.

During the early years of children’s lives, they grow accustom to routines.  It is during this time in their lives that we should plant good roots for important routines and habits.  Taking time to read with your child should be one of your main routines.  This not only helps them to develop better literacy skills, but it also shows them that this is an important time to spend together. And, what better way is there to end a day as to have your favorite little one on your lap, reading along with them to one of their favorite books, opening up their imaginations, and building on their vocabulary, all usually with a few giggles here and there and a happy ending to boot!

When we take time out of our lives, and come on, our kids do know how busy we are these days, it shows them that they really are important.  And, when we express to them the importance of reading and how it builds a solid foundation to their future and show them that it is important enough for us to spend that time with them doing that activity, they WILL take interest, and I can almost guarantee you that they will do it to the best of their ability also.

To some children, reading comes natural.  To others, they have a more difficult time.  But either way, if you just show a little interest, that interest will go a very long way.  To the ones that read easily, this will give you quality time with your child in a way that they will never forget.  And to the ones that have a little more difficulty, this will give them that extra boost, help, and confidence for them to gain a better understanding of reading.  As they strive to “impress” you by their reading capabilities, they are turning the wheels in their mind to grasp what they learned the night before…and soon, they reading will be a natural thing to them and their doors of the future will be open wider than before.

Week 4 High Frequency Word List
1. you
2. that
3. it

~ Amy E. Snyder

February: Lanterns ‘n Tigers and Mandarin…Oh My!

Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14, but did you know it’s the first day of the Chinese New Year, too?  Yup – the  Year of the Tiger is upon us! Maybe your child or class would have fun with some global fusion  –  half hearts, half dragons.

 Kids like quirky, well, most of them anyway. Hang Chinese lanterns from the ceiling and cut and paste valentines. Mix in talk of tigers, dragons and firecrackers and you are sure to engage the boys, as well.

I figure most of you have the Valentine’s Day theme down pat, so I’ll give you a few hints on how to use the Chinese New Year celebration as a spring board for learning.

Get to Know and Appreciate China

• Make Chinese paper lanterns to string in a doorway or from the ceiling. Very festive.
• Read “China” by Gisela Lee, who writes about this influential country’s rich history and vibrant modern-day culture. The book posted online by Big Universe has a map, colorful pictures and a good vocabulary list aimed at sixth-graders. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Fly a kite, bring collapsible umbrellas to school or play dominoes. They were all invented by the Chinese.
• Use “Kingka,” an award-winning board game, as a class supplement. Created by New Jersey educator, mom and children’s book author Sholeen Lou-Hsaio, the Mandarin-language matching game resembles bingo and introduces the 54 basic Chinese characters. It uses “the spirited nature of a memory game to encourage effective learning. It takes away the fear students have of learning Chinese,” said Lou-Hsiao.
• Learn more about giant pandas by clicking on this link, or read “Pandas’ Earthquake Escape” at Big Universe. (Sylvan Dell)
• “Confucius, Chinese Philosopher”  is another Big Universe book by Gisela Lee, who collaborated with Wendy Conklin to write this biography. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Look at “Holidays”  by author Dona Herweck Rice. It’s aimed at younger children with simple text and great pictures. Keep an eye out for the Chinese New Year street parade picture. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Go to Page 33 in the book “Animal World,” published by Saddleback Educational Publishing.  It offers a little zoology on the tiger – with colorful photographs and a fun “factoscope” box. Or read “What Tigers Do,” a beginner book written by Kris Bonnell and published by Reading Reading Books, LLC.
• Print out this coloring page of a tiger, a boy in traditional holiday clothing, or one of men dressed to do the Chinese New Year lion dance.

Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus by Mo Williems

These “pigeon” books are a huge hit with my son.  They reflect exactly the way that a determined young child would act in order to get their way.  Notice I said “determined“.

Basically it is a simple book with simple drawings, but it is great.  The story is about a bus driver having to leave the bus and he urges his readers to NOT let the pigeon drive the bus.  And, of course you guessed it, the pigeon wants to drive the bus and tries to persuade the reader to allow him to do so.

This book allows true interaction with your child as your child soon learns a variety of words that the pigeon is “shouting” throughout. Therefore, this is not a bedtime book – this book will really get your child involved and in high gear!  And in the process, it produces a lot of giggles!

This book ALWAYS brings a laugh when read. It is a must-have for any child. You, as an adult, will enjoy it just as much! It is one that will not sit on your shelf very often.

Week 2 High Frequency Word List
1. a
2. to
3. in

My Introduction and What You Can Expect On Future Posts

Hi everyone. I would like to take this time to introduce myself as I am new to Big Universe. My name is Amy Snyder and I am a 35-year-old mother of two boys, ages 7-years-old and age 20-months-old, and this makes me truly aware of the importance of literacy.

I have found, in my own experience, that reading is much harder than learning how to speak.  Speaking comes natural to children – they hear, they listen, and then they speak.  Reading is much different as it has to be learned.

I am going to start my post off with a list of 3 words out of the 100 on the high frequency word list. Each weekly post that I write, I will include 3 more. It is said that if a child can learn these words, then the child can read approximately 70% of what is needed for the future. Amazing isn’t it?

Also, I will be writing about children’s books that I have read, and we have a favorite about not letting a pigeon drive a school bus that I will write about next week, and about literacy in multiple ways.

I hope you enjoy spending quality time with your children as they begin to explore and learn a whole new world while learning to read.

Week 1 High Frequency Word List
1. the
2. am
3. and

Tip: Write these three words on separate index cards and quiz your child on these words. You will be amazed at how quickly they can learn by repeating this process a few times.

- Amy E. Snyder

Encourage A Love Of Reading

The most solid way to encourage a love of reading in your child is to make sure books are a part of their everyday lives from day one, yes that means from the first day that cute little bundle of joy arrives in your home make sure you are reading to them.

When your child is first born it’s very easy to show picture books to them, the best pictures books for a newborn baby are those that include pictures of other babies. Your newborn will enjoy looking at facial expressions and gestures while you say what each baby in the picture book is doing.

The toddler years can make book reading really fun, because your child will now start to memorize their favorite books and in some cases actually be able to read the book to you.  Reading along with your toddler or preschooler is so much fun because it makes you, the parent, feel accomplished in the area of parenting. To think, all you did was put a book in front of your child every day for the whole of their life and now here they are reading to you!

As your child grows older they will come to realize that books can be fun, educational and enjoyable. Reading to or with your child for twenty minutes each day will encourage them to become better readers, learn manners and even learn how to express themselves.  Children books have been written in ways that make learning about life fun and adventurous.

Think about the last book you read to your child, was it a book that had hints of how to handle anger, did the book mention please and thank you? Reality is books have a great way of sneaking in hidden meanings and hidden actions that every child should learn. A love of reading will open many doors for your child as they grow up to be mature, well rounded adults.

So the only question left is … have you read to your child today?