Cars and Books

Awhile back my husband and I purchased a used car to replace the one I was driving. However, this new car is a "stick-shift" and I have very limited experience driving a manual car. So my husband drives it, and has taken me out a few times to try and teach me to do the same. 

Each time we go out, I feel incredibly inept. While shifting gears and pushing down the clutch might come naturally to some people, I have struggled to train my feet, hands, and brain to think that way while driving. Because I'm so caught up in the process of how to drive the car, it is more difficult for me to give my attention to where I'm going or what is going on around me...which is why we practice in parking lots or low-traffic neighborhood streets. I also feel so nervous and tense the whole time I'm driving because my skills are not always consistent, and I never know when I'm going to make a mistake and stall the car. I am still a long ways off from feeling comfortable enough with the process of driving a manual to drive around town confidently. 

I heard an analogy this week that was more meaningful to me because of this experience. 

Learning to read is like learning to drive a manual car. 

At first, you have to learn the process of reading- essentially following the print and decoding words. That process comes very easily to some people, but to others it can be incredibly slow, cumbersome and frustrating. At this stage of reading development, early readers are so consumed by that process that it is much more difficult for them to give their attention to anything else--like the meaning of the text, for example. Just like learning to drive stick, learning the process of reading is crucial, but we eventually want that process to become automatic. The ultimate goal in driving is to be able to drive without having to think so much about your physical actions so that you can give your attention to the road. Likewise, the ultimate goal in reading is to read with fluency, and make the process of decoding and recognizing words automatic so that you can give your attention to the meaning of the text. 

I wish I could drive a manual car more fluently, but I know that will only happen with practice and repetition. There's also something to be said for positive feelings of support, safety and success while working towards fluency.  Just some things to keep in mind while working with early readers. 

Alphabet Rocks

The other day I was at the Dollar Tree, and found bags of rocks and seashells they were selling for decorations. I thought both would make great manipulatives for different learning activities in my classroom. I spent $8 total to build my collection of shells and rocks. A bargain if you ask me!

The seashell packs came with quite a variety of interesting shells.

At first I was just going to leave the rocks as they were, but then I remembered the pebble alphabet magnet idea that I saw on the Playful Learning website, and felt inspired to turn some of my rocks into alphabet letters. I changed the idea a little though, and decided not to make them magnets. 

I just used a permanent marker, and selected rocks that were mostly flat and smooth. I made two sets of lower-case letters using the smaller rocks, and one set of upper-case letters using the bigger rocks.

I was really happy with how they turned out. I plan to use them for a variety of alphabet activities, such as letter recognition, matching upper- and lower-case letters, word building, etc. I also thought that they would work for a type of memory game as well, since you can turn the rocks over to hide the alphabet letter. This was a super cheap and easy way to make a set of interesting literacy materials for my classroom!

(It would have been even cheaper if I had taken the time to go find my own rocks out in nature, which you could also do. But Dollar Tree saved me the time of doing that and cleaning up the rocks so they would be usable. Thanks Dollar Tree!)

Reading Dads

Love this article about the influence that fathers can have on their children's reading experiences.

I have great memories of reading with both of my parents. I think the fact that they loved to read and read with me definitely influenced my own desire to read, and subsequent love of reading.

There's a fun story we like to tell in my family about my dad's reading habits. He would often get so caught up in a book that he would lose all track of time or whatever was going on around him. (Do you know the feeling?) One night he went shopping at K-Mart and bought a new book. Apparently he was so interested in this book that he started reading it in the parking lot, and kept reading until about 3 in the morning! We love to tease him about that, but then I've also had experiences where I forgo sleep because I can't put a book down- I'm just usually in my bedroom. That's the kind of reading love I'd like to foster in my students and children someday. Granted, I don't want them reading in parking lots, but I'd love for them to experience the joy of being caught up in the world of words. Thanks to both of my parents for helping me to find that love!

Happy (late) Father's Day to all the wonderful father figures out there. Although we tend to focus a lot on mothers, never forget that you play an equally significant role in the lives of your children!

Summer Learning Fun: Read!

In my opinion, one of the easiest and most beneficial things that you can do always, but especially in the summer,  is just simply to read! Whether your child is a toddler or capable of reading on their own, reading can and should be a daily activity. I think literacy skills affect all other areas of learning, so why not make reading a priority?

The simple act of reading can help support literacy development. But here are some very general tips and guidelines for some simple things you can do along side reading.

For pre-readers (usually ages 0-4):
*Talk about the pictures and the story. Don't be afraid to ask them questions and let them talk as well.
*Point out words and letters, and emphasize different aspects of print such as looking at the cover, starting at the beginning and turning pages, tracking the words from left to right, etc.
*As often as possible, link words to their pictures to help build vocabulary knowledge.
*Try to find books that engage their interest and can build upon their current knowledge and life experiences.
*As children move from infancy to the preschool years, encourage them to "read" the books to you, by telling their own story using the pictures.

For early readers (Kindergarteners & First Graders):
Read out loud to them
*This is a great time to model how to read and practice the strategies they have learned. For example, you can pretend to get stuck on a word, and let them help you figure it out using those strategies.
*You can select books that they can comprehend and enjoy, but are above their own reading level.
*Build their comprehension skills by talking with them before, during, and after you read the story.
*Discuss elements of the story such as plot, characters, and setting by asking questions and having them make predictions about what will happen.
*Emphasize new vocabulary words or concepts.
Have them read out loud to you:
*Try to find books that are on their reading level. (A good rule of thumb to follow is that if they turn to a random page and get stuck on five or more words, it is probably too hard.) You might ask for suggestions from their current teacher or a librarian about books or readers that would be appropriate for their level.
*Encourage them to read as much as they can without your help, but not to the point where they get frustrated. Helping them to use strategies when they get stuck on a word is usually better than just telling them what the word is.
*As they progress, let them try reading silently to themselves as well as out loud. Just make sure to still talk with them about what they read to encourage good comprehension.

For developing readers (Second & Third Graders) Generally the same principles as before, just at a higher level.
Read out loud to them
*Model fluent and expressive reading, and build comprehension skills using the same ideas listed above.
*This can be a fun age to select chapter books or series that are engaging, but may be a bit too hard for them to read on their own.

Have them read independently
*Both through reading out loud and silently on their own
*It is still appropriate to give guidance and help with reading strategies where needed, but encourage their independence as much as possible.
*It is always a good idea to talk with them about what they are reading. Encourage them to summarize events of the story, to describe the setting and characters in greater detail, and to think critically about the plot and the writing style.

Don't be afraid to use a wide variety of books: picture books, poetry books, informational (non-fiction) books, chapter books, etc. It's also great to let them re-read books if they really like them. Re-reading can be beneficial for improving fluency skills.

Well, these are just a few things that you can do during reading time. So whether it's 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or hours on end---take the time. It will definitely be time well spent. I will surely be posting much more about other ways to promote literacy, as well as some fun ideas for enriching reading experiences. If you haven't noticed already, I'm a huge advocate for facilitating literacy skills. That is because literacy is linked to success not only in school, but in life!

And I'm not the only one...Check out this article from KSL's Book Matters Column  and UEN's Summer Reading Site for some more tips on how to promote reading this summer.

Weekly Reading Column

Check out this article about the importance of reading to kids. The author will be writing a weekly column that will be in the Motherhood Matters section of ksl.com--all about books and reading. It should be a great resource! I've also posted a link to the author's blog- Book Matters- in our sidebar. 

Book matters: For mothers who read - ksl.com