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By Mary Joyce
Evidence is plentiful
throughout the years that when parents and families
actively support and encourage their
children, the
children are far more likely to succeed edu-
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cationally.
When you as a parent or family member are actively
involved in a child’s learning process, you give them a
significant advantage.
Even more specifically, the
foundation from which to build the foundation for this
success is reading. How well your
child learns
to - and enjoys reading, is absolutely directly related
to not only how well your child will do in school, but
how successful they will be throughout their lifetime.
When a child
develops good reading skills they have developed a
foundation on which all other learning is built upon. |
From the day a
child is born
they begin to learn. From the moment you begin to talk
or sing to your new baby they begin to hear and to
respond to sounds. The more your talk and sing to your
child, the
more you strengthen and advance their understanding of
language. You are laying the first blocks for your
child to
becoming a reader.
As a parent you yourself
don’t have to be the world’s best reader in order to
help your child
become a successful reader. It is your time, your
interest, your enthusiasm, and your dedication to your
child’s success that is important. Remember, it is
reading that is the essential element that all other
learning is dependent upon.
Every
child learns
to read at different paces. It is a step by step process
with each step mastered leading to the next.
Early on babies and toddlers
learn primarily by experiencing the sights and sounds
that become a part of their world. Babies are natural
born curiosity seekers and learners. They are in a
constant explore and discover mode. As a parent you
should take great advantage of this natural desire.
As a part of this early
discovery and leaning stage babies quickly learn to
imitate those events that they both see and hear. So,
right from the beginning, parents should be reading,
singing, gesturing, smiling and making funny faces with
their children. Believe it or not, these are the very
first activities that begin to establish a child’s path
toward understanding the language and ultimately begin
reading.
So you see, even though your
baby hasn’t officially began learning to read in a
structured manner, becoming an eventual good reader
starts from the first day your
child begins
to hear what is to become their primary language. The
first steps of translating sounds into words, words to
sentences, and sentences to meanings is, in a sense, the
foundation for the foundation of reading.
Mary Joyce is a former
educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written
many articles on
Homeschool Curriculum for the
Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (
http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com ) for more
of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and
curriculum information.
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