On Reading and Parenting

10. It takes a village to raise a child

    And so we come to the last talking point. I will say two things. First, what I presented above are “ideals”. In the real world, these ideals are tested. Often times, we commit epic failures. Well, that is part of learning. Therefore, admit that you, myself included, as parents, we need all the help we can get from members of the community. There are agencies and institutions who can help us raise readers and lifelong learners. Who are the people in your neighborhood? That is for you to find out!

    Second, let me end by recommending these books for your children. These are the winners of the 2016 National Children’s Book Awards as conferred by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Philippine Board on Books for Young Readers. 

Caveat: these titles are starting points. Allow children and young adults to read non-fiction and subject area books also. Talk to your child’s teacher and consult your school’s librarian or librarian in the public library of your community.

 For emergent literacy, age 0-6: Dumaan si Butiki by Gigi Concepcion, illustrated by Ray Sunga (Adarna House, 2015)Haluhalby Eli Camacho (Adarna House, 2015) 

 For beginning readers, age 7-9: Mang Andoy's Signs by Mailin Paterno Locsin, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Tahanan, 2015)SalusaloPara Kay Kuya by Ergoe Tinio, illustrated by JC Galang (Adarna House, 2015)

For middle grades, age 9-12: Supremo by Xi Zuq, illustrated by Al Estrella (Adarna House, 2015)

For Young Adult readers, age 13-18: Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon by Edgar Calabia Samar (Adarna House, 2014)

Despite our imperfections, let us strive to create a home where children feel valued. Let us work as a community in raising readers and lifelong learners. Let the children READ BOOKS!

 Sources:

Carandang, Ma. Lourdes and Quenna Lee-Chua. The Filipino Family Surviving the World, Anvil Publishing, 2008.

Fernandez, Karina Galang. Agenda for Hope Ideas for Inspiring the Youth: Connecting with today’s teens. ADMU Press, 2010.

Excerpt from Direct Instruction Reading, by D.W. Carnine, J. Silbert, E.J. Kame'enui, S. G. Tarver, 2004 edition, p. 13-15 . © ______ 2004.

On Reading and Parenting (2 of 2)

1. The Stages of Reading Development by Jean Chall
   
   
   
   
   Jean Chall’s (1984) seminal research on the developmental stages of reading is used by many teachers as bases to facilitate activities and experiences for children who are learning how to read.
2. Know your toddler: The Emergent Reader

Pre-reading stage - marked by rapid brain growth; use of spoken language.

Your baby or toddler would be needing a lot of oral and aural experiences to acquire language skills. These language skills contribute to their visual skills once they see letters and words as symbols representing speech and ideas.

2. Know your child: The Beginning Reader

Initial reading stage - children learn the letters of the alphabet; phonetics; phonemic awareness; basic sentence structures; language learning peaks.

This is the ideal stage to introduce printed books!

3. Know your pre-teen and teenager: The Transitional Reader

Reading for confirmation and fluency and Reading for learning the new - reading skills are used to gain knowledge, facts and information using varied texts and literature.

This is the stage where in readers have gained a level of independence in reading. But they still need support from peers and the adults they interact with on their choices of reading materials. This is a crucial stage where success and failure in reading happens. If the child gets the best reading instruction from parents and teachers in the pre-reading and initial reading stages, the quality teaching of reading skills MUST continue in the middle grades in in junior high school.

This is an ideal time to introduce different reading materials and media formats. This is also a good time to encourage readers to write and create their books and their media.

4. Know your young adult: The Fluent Reader

Reading to comprehend multiple viewpoints - students read multiple viewpoints from varied texts and literature.

The reader has gained confidence, autonomy and independence in reading. Not only he or she makes sound reading choices, but also expresses a voice of informed opinions as a response to a reading experience. A deeper critical and creative thinking patterns occur in this stage of development. Readers are being prepared to fully join a community or a collective of thinkers and learners.

5. READ to LIVE!

Construction and Reconstruction - highest stage of reading development; Reading to learn and construct new knowledge.

The child is now an adult who reads and uses this skill to learn, relearn and unlearn.

What’s amazing at this stage is that, the adult reader is capable of making a difference in the lives of others. He or she is a functional member of the society. He or she can contribute to the community and can join in a conversation and a discourse of varying views, opinions and feelings with peers and even elders of the community.

    Good job, parents!

On Reading and Parenting (1 of 3)

Here is full transcript of my talking points on Reading and Parenting which I presented in the LibTalk Conference 2017. Parts 2 and 3 will be posted in the coming days, so watch out for it!

Reading and Parenting: 10 Talking Points

1. The home is the child’s first school.

In the story Lizard’s Song, Bear learned from Lizard that knowing one’s identity is tied to a knowledge of one’s home. When you know who you are and where you come from, you will always find your way in the world. Should you get lost or confused, go back home and there, you will find yourself. Once the self is found again, a new cycle of living, loving and learning begins.

It is in the home, as nurtured by the family, where a child builds and forms his or her self worth and self concept. These are two important things that parents can provide and bestow in their children. Psychologist Dr. Honey Carandang, in her book, The Filipino Family Surviving the World (Anvil Publishing, 2008), emphasized the impact that parents and significant adults have on children when influencing and  modeling positive values. Positive self concept and self worth develop when children interact and engage with adults in their family circles. Their parents are their first teachers.

Where to begin then? It is essential to always respect the child’s personhood.(Carandang, 2008)

For my talk, I will focus on the child’s developmental contexts and the cognitive signs that are attributed to reading skills. We will use  two lenses. Lens number one is focused on the child’s reading growth. Lens number two looks at books and reading materials appropriate for his or her needs.

2. Reading begins at home.

Dr. Quenna Lee Chua, co-author of the said book, conducted a study among scholars of the Ateneo De Manila University. It included their families and the variables that contribute to their academic success. This research was done back in 2005.

    Remarkable findings are as follows:    

• The scholars are successful both in academics and in the application of life skills.
• Their parents set goals and realistic disciplinary measures to meet them.
• The parents are hands-on in helping them develop habits of learning.
• Their parents believe in strong family bonds, self-reliance, and perseverance. Even before Angela Duckworth learned about grit, Dr. Quenna Lee Chua already discovered its relevance in lifelong learning.
• The parents value learning and at home, it is encouraged among the children to apply and live out in their daily lives. Many of the parents who were interviewed prioritize two things from the family budget, food and books. Nourish the body and nurture the mind.
   

3. Create an environment that promotes and fosters a genuine love for books and reading.

   

As a parent, how do you create a home environment that encourages learning?

My top five tips are as follows:

1. Listen to your child. Hold your own truth lightly in your hands and focus on what your child is saying. You will understand him or her better when you put aside yourself, your own dreams for them and what you wish them to be. Your child is yours to take care and love, but they belong to the world.

2. Talk to them as often as possible. Keep the lines of communication open at all times.

3. Allow them to ask questions. Accommodate even the tough questions that you have no answer for. Discover these issues and questions your child have. Avoid put downs, labels and blocks to their thought processes. Learn from them too. One of the graces I discovered in being a parent is that, I grow and learn from my children.

4. Develop a family reading time, model the reading habit and manage the use of technological gadgets. I think this would require another session all together since technology is another variable we have to understand. But, the important thing is, your children see you reading a book, food labels, social media pages, mobile phone messages, billboards, TV ads and teleradio announcements etc.

If you can teach your child how to read different media formats, well and good. If not, leave it to the formal instruction of teachers. Cooperate and collaborate with them. Teachers are your allies.

5. Invest on books. And I mean the print book that children can touch, smell, turn the pages over and embrace. The print book has the physical landscape that enables the brain to remember more information. Memory plays an important role in learning.

A lot to do, yes! But this is what parenting is all about. It will be all worth it. Trust

the process. To quote Dr. Lee Chua, genuine learning requires reflection, patience  and perseverance. (Carandang, 2008)

Convo on Phonetics and the Whole Language Approach 1 of 2

A friend who is based in the US sent me a private message three years ago asking for my opinion on phonetics and the Whole Language Approach. After three years, I am making the "big reveal" in the blog. Let's call my friend, Mommy LPM. She asked the question so she can teach her then 3 year old daughter the basics of reading.

Mommy LPM: Zars, I need your opinion about phonetics and whole reading approaches. One is an old school approach while the other is a constructivist approach. Which one is better? I'm teaching my 3 year old how to read and I'm confused which one to use. Btw, where do teaching sight words fall under?

ZarahG: You can start with whole language for your daughter. The advantage with whole language is that, you are building on experience and context if reading wholistically. This way when she reaches an age where she shows signs of decoding readiness, she can do basals or word attack skills. Good luck and have fun! One of the greatest joys of parenthood is to see and hear a child read aloud!

Mommy LPM: Thanks. We're still in the process. Clueless where to begin because I was never a Pre-K teacher.

ZG: Read signs and logos when you shop around town. Sing songs and chant nursery rhymes. Keep talking to her at home on routines and stuff you do together. Read aloud picture books with her. If there's tv and iPad at home, engage her in conversation. She's acquiring language at this point and her brain is like a sponge! So soak her up on language experience activities. Involve the senses, too: play dough, water games, plant in the garden. Do some process activities with her: zipping up her coat, up and down, lacing her sneakers, shower time is a learning experience too.

Mommy LPM: I see. So my husband and I were actually doing some of the things you've mentioned like the STOP sign. I actually posted names of things around the house such as CLOCK, TABLE etc. I let her play abcya.com and she likes it so much. Still she can't read on her own yet. Am I rushing her?

ZG: Emergent reader pa lang siya. Relax. Show her the wonder of the world with words

Part 2 will be about Whole Language teaching and resources for parents and teachers in the K-3 levels.