Part I

As we all sit in our isolation contemplating what our future world holds for us, it came to me to take this time and write on a subject that is dear to my heart.  That subject being, how can we teach all children to be successful readers?  Think about your own life and where you would be if you could not read.  Now, know that there are children in multiples of thousands in this country alone who cannot read.  As I give my isolation purpose by homeschooling my youngest granddaughter via facetime it came to me what a wonderful opportunity, we have to focus on reading with our children during this ‘enforced’ family time.  I say that with tongue in cheek because of some parents pulling their hair out by now.  

A professor stated years ago that our brains are wired for survival, not for learning to read.  My years of studying to be a knowledgeable reading and dyslexia teacher have verified his statement.  We have to build the connections in our brains to learn to read and not all children build the connectors at the same pace or in the same manner.  

Ways you as parents and guardians can guide children into the wonderful world of reading.  Set a schedule, create a structure for this important time.  Make it special. 

Pre-school  –  Kindergarten:

A delicate age, an age where it all begins.  

First item that I must state.  Please do not teach your child the alphabet song!  I know I am being sacrilegious, horrifying every kindergarten teacher.  But, take a moment right now and sing the alphabet song out loud to yourself.  Did you hear it?  Did you hear the spot where the confusion sets in for a struggling reader?  If you guessed, L,M,N,O, then you are correct.  I have had second and third graders, who are struggling readers, try to convince me that is one sound.   Find your own unique song with the alphabet.  Maybe use, ‘Mary had a Little Lamb.’  The important aspect about learning the alphabet is to involve all five senses.  Coloring in the letter “B” on a worksheet is not conducive to learning letters and sounds.  

Activities:

Set of plastic alphabet letters. (use capital letters, lower case come later).  Sit at a table, place your child’s elbow on the table and let his/her hand drop to the table.  Place the letter “M” at that point, it is the middle of the arc.  You will create an arc of the alphabet, not a straight line.  (There is a purpose for the arc formation but I would have to dig through boxes of notes.)  Now that you have the alphabet laid out in an arc in front of your child their job is to touch each letter, name the letter and say the sound that it makes.  Three senses involved, touching the letter, seeing the letter, saying the letter, making the sound of the letter. 

Your part;  observe, make note of any letters where there is hesitation, time the activity without stressing you are timing them.

Child’s part;  to become so adept at this activity they can complete it smoothly, without any hesitation in less than 2 minutes.  

If you notice your child struggles with some of the letters it is time to use some creative ways to help.  Now that we are all at home there are many ways to saturate a child with the alphabet.  My thought would be to bake brownies or cookies then with the tubes of icing from the store I would write the letters my child needs help with on top of the brownies/cookies.  This adds the sense of touch and smell.  Just think of the conversations the two of you can have about eating the letter “G.”   You have just saturated your child with the letter “G,” by using all five senses.  

First Grade  –  Second Grade:

Listening and Reading with children

Many of you have memories of an adult reading you a bedtime story.  Go back in your mind and recall the atmosphere.  The room was quiet, the lights were dim, and you had an adult’s undivided attention.  It was your special time.  A way to take advantage of our isolation and nourish a love of reading is to make it special.  Just like the younger children there is a need to engage all five senses in a struggling reader.  Remember, you are trying to build connectors, a bridge, between two parts of the brain.  The more senses involved, the stronger the bridge.  

Activities:

Create an atmosphere.  This is not bedtime.  This is serious reading time and you want to make it enjoyable and successful for all involved.  Start with the sense of smell again.  Bake something that fills the room with a relaxing aroma. (I’m learning to make vegan/plant based brownies.)  Have the aroma become the signal that we are preparing to read. Select a book to be read.  Let the student read the book in a quiet place the first day.  Next day, prepare the reading atmosphere with aroma.  Sit next to your reader and listen attentively.  When they come to a word they do not know they will put their finger on the word, look at you waiting for you to respond.  It is what they expect, what they have learned in the classroom.  Either a friend or the teacher will say the word for them.  Your best response is to say, “Sound out the letters.”  They will not like your response and grudgingly will sound it out.  Listen closely for any letters or blends causing them to struggle.  If they still cannot read the word then sound out together.  The second time the same word appears your student will repeat the process, point to the word expecting you to say it.  Once again, your response is, “Sound out the letters.” It may take four or five times before they realize daddy is not going to say it for me.  A few important building blocks are happening here.  First, you are forcing your reader to break a very bad habit.  Second, you are learning letter sounds and blends they do not understand and the two of you can work on.  Lastly, believe it or not, you are building their confidence, increasing their self esteem.  

If you are the parent of a struggling reader I cannot stress the importance of self esteem in the area of reading as they transition into third grade.  A lack of self esteem in third grade can be devastating to a student.  I will discuss the older student in Part II.

Do you understand what you have created in this reading atmosphere?  (I can’t help but say it, think of Povlov’s dogs.) 

  There is so much more I would like to share with you. So many ways to touch your child’s mind, to teach them about the world around them.  Teach them to become good stewards of the earth.  It was my phrase in the classroom.  “I know Ms. Swaney, you want me to become a good steward of the earth, you already told me that.  What is a steward?”

You will never have this time again with your child.  Embrace this time.  Embrace change.

Antoinette Swaney