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Every Child Ready to Read
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the ambitious slate of programs we had planned for Family Literacy Week, January 26-31. One of the events was a workshop entitled Every Child Ready to Read. Libby McKeever and Adrienne Theed conducted the workshop; Libby will take over as guest columnist for the details:
As the title of this workshop suggests, the workshop is about how to help very young children ‘get ready’ to learn to read. Babies start the process of becoming literate very early and there are lots of ways in which parents and caregivers can help children be aware of and get comfortable with books and with language.
Every Child Ready to Read is a program that was developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Services to Children. Libby and Adrienne are two library staff members who work in the children’s department; both of them have completed early literacy workshops and enjoy presenting stories and song and rhyme programs as part of their day.
The presentation is not a “teach your baby or preschooler to read” class and although it is easy to compare children and their progress, the workshop emphasizes that all children learn in their own time and “normal” looks different to every child. To this end the information is geared to be “no stress” and fun. Research shows that children who are read to from an early age have a larger vocabulary and better language skills when they start school. They also have a greater interest in books. It is a fact that children who want to have books read to them are more likely to want to learn to read. A child’s interest in reading is an important predictor of later reading achievement.
There are six skills that reading research has determined children must know before they can learn to read. These are Print Motivation, Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Narrative Skills, Print Awareness and Letter Knowledge. The workshop covered each of these points using different stories, songs and rhymes to illustrate each. Apart from sharing books with your child, the importance of engaging your child, even as babies, in dialogue was emphasized. Discussing what you are doing as you go about your day, whether it is in the grocery store, on a walk or in the car will promote the development of a rich vocabulary.
Parents and caregivers are important in helping their children get ready to read. Pamphlets outlining the six pre-reading skills can be found in the children's area of the library. These cover Early Talkers: Birth to two-year-olds, Talkers: Two and three year-olds and Pre-Readers: Four and five year olds. The Every Child Ready to Read program will be offered again in midsummer. Please contact Libby McKeever at 604.935.8436 or lmckeever@whistlerlibrary.ca for more information.
Lauren Stara, Library Director