Setting Reading Goals for 2014!

It was the Honorable Ruben Hinojosa, Member of Congress who told me the story of his visits to the ministries of education of various countries where he asked the question:  "What is the secret of your high graduation rate for high school students?"  Some of the countries he visited had a 90% or above graduation rate!  The answer to his question was simple - "Early reading plus early writing equals school success."  Congressman Hinojosa took this to heart and came back to his congressional district and organized the South Texas Literacy Coalition!

The next question you readers may have might be - "How 'early'?  Well, the literacy research confirms that a child's literacy skills begin the first time a story is read out loud to them.  Listening to the voice of the reader - hopefully one of their parents, the reader's intonation, pronunciation, and the drama used to tell the story - all of these factors contribute positively to a child's development of literacy skills including listening, understanding the stories by the illustrations, following sequencing, and recognizing that there is a beginning and an end to a story.  During this very valuable family time together, the child's brain is making cognitive connections listening to words and being able to recognize them again, understanding the plot of the story, and falling in love with the characters and even the illustrations and colors in a book.

The key is to have a variety of reading materials available to young children at home - where the home is the first classroom and the parents - the first teachers.  Children need to be exposed to popular stories by popular authors - Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, Mother Goose nursery rhymes, and poetry.  They should also have  music, puzzles, art supplies (scissors, construction paper, drawing paper, crayons and markers, glue, etc.) available to complete a story time by drawing something that they remember about the story.  Younger children can be involved in singing or dancing or in puzzle activities that might relate to the story.  A story like Red Lemon by Bob Staake is a story about diversity but can also introduce a puzzle with fruits or even a recipe to make lemonade or perhaps lemon pie together.

If parents can arrange their schedules for one of their most important jobs - mentoring their children to help develop literacy skills early on - then indeed, their children can engage in "early reading plus early writing" to achieve success in school and life!

Take your child to the public library this next weekend and visit the Children's section.  It will open up a whole new world of communication, fun and quality time for the entire family!