Tip-Back to School

00_00008,
originally uploaded by nettesbt.

It’s time for school again! Most schools require students to read about 20 minutes a night. I have my own rule for my fourth grader. He has to read two chapters. That way he’s not using the time to look back and forth on the page while daydreaming. Yes, he’s been known to do that. Know your child and if necessary put your own rules into place. It is our lack of interference that makes it easier for our children to blow off their reading assignments.
Also, even though they are required to read every night, it doesn’t hurt to try to read with them once a week. It helps gage their progress.

Tip-the memorable toddler

the world in my fist,
originally uploaded by pulihora.

Try this with a book you've read to your toddler a million and one times. Start the story, but just enough to jog the memory. Then look at your toddler expectantly, if he doesn't continue the story on his own ask him "do you know what comes next?" I've recently started this with "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" and here's what I've found; he enjoys the challenge, he's paying more attention to the parts he doesn't know and getting more and more each time, he's enjoying the participation for a change, and he has a huge smile on his face - which I believe is the effect of his pride in his performance. These are the qualities we're looking for in the learning process! Try it!

Tip – Life Experiences and Reading, Part II

The view from Matira beach at Bora Bora,
originally uploaded by Jean-Sébastien Roy.

Another way to give your children life experiences to draw upon is to tell them stories of your life's experience. The key is to be graphic, all-encompassing. For example, if you want to explain a trip to the beach and the child has never been to the beach: I jumped out of the car, forgetting to close the door. My dad called to me, but I ignored him looking out over the vast ocean and sand I was about to conquer. When I stepped off the bottom step to the beach I kicked my shoes off and wriggled my toes in the sand. It tickled… The ocean went on forever. I couldn't see an end. The waves came in slowly and washed sand back in with them when they receded to the ocean, etc.
The point is to make them feel it too. Let them think they are there. That makes it theirs. And then answer any and all questions in detail also. You could even play afterward at whatever the experience was. "Let's pretend we're at the beach. Get your swim suit…"

Tip – Life experiences and reading, Part I

Into the Woods,
originally uploaded by dwhopkins.

It is imperative to have life experiences to draw upon while reading. Of course living requires we do have experiences, but it never hurts to add to it. Following are some suggestions that are helpful in reading children's books. They have school experiences so why not ask about them during dinner? This causes reflection and often meshing of other children's experiences during the conversation, maybe even some from your own childhood. Also family outings, which can be as simple as going to dinner, walking through a town square with shops, a walk in the woods or neighborhood together, spending quality time at the park, teaching them skills like bike riding or fixing the car, etc. Put some thought into family activities and help your children to see the stories better!

Tip-sharing what you see with your child

reading,
originally uploaded by hans s.

It can really help your child if you share what you are seeing while you read. Be sure to be detailed. You can then read the section or story again. Ask your child to close his eyes, this will help some who have difficulty seeing it in their mind.

Remember there are many adults who have trouble seeing images while they read. Maybe it's time we address this issue!

Tip - Reading takes no vacation!

HPIM0154,
originally uploaded by nettesbt.

Summer break is here. Make sure to keep your child reading so they can keep up with and possibly get ahead of their reading level. There are programs at local libraries with incentives if the school doesn't have a summer reading program on place. I have my son read 3 times a week for 20 minutes since he is way too cool to do a summer reading program at the library. I also read with him one of those days to keep up with his progress and to spend quality time together.

Tip – Children telling stories

amberphotos 033,
originally uploaded by nettesbt.

Have your child make up a story of his own. I have a four year old with enough unchanneled energy to tear down the defenses of the US Army on high alert. One day I asked him to tell me a story. This did not slow him down. His story was a traveling story (him traveling from room to room). But he did not destroy anything. And although the story was pretty basic he thoroughly enjoyed creating it. As he begins reading I believe his own stories will become more detailed and charming. Kids love to tell a story!

Tip – How to know if your child sees the cinema of the mind

HPIM0154,
originally uploaded by nettesbt.

The cinema of the mind is the movie that plays while you read. A lot of adults do not have this either. They were never taught. And so, now, they do not enjoying reading themselves. But the cinema in your mind is what propels the story on, what makes a book worth reading.
You can tell if your child has not mastered this. There are telltale signs. Ask your child how he sees a character. If he cannot describe the character or the scene or the movement of events he does not have the cinema running. If he hates to read than the cinema is most likely missing. If, when you announce that you’ll be reading a great book like Harry Potter to him, he sighs and rolls his eyes the cinema is most likely missing. If you stop reading and ask him what he thinks happens next and he really doesn’t care than the cinema is probably not there. And most of all if he cannot tell you what has happened so far, besides the last paragraph or so, than the cinema is again missing.
The purpose of this blog is to help with this problem specifically. For when the cinema is there the reader cannot help but answer all these questions with enthusiasm and to want to read or be read to.

Comprehension exercise with Dylan - Smells

Chocolate truffle brownies,
originally uploaded by chatirygirl.

I walked into the house from playing and was consumed with the smell of sweet chocolate. “What are you making?” I asked.
“Brownies,” Mom said. “We’ll have some later.”
I went back outside and later Mom called me for lunch. The smell that greeted me at the door this time was pasta and cheese. “Is that home made macaroni and cheese?” I asked. “Yes, come, let’s eat.”
Again I went outside to play. I could smell fresh cut grass. The neighbor was mowing. I love that smell. When I went back inside to get something I smelled lemon. Mom was burning the candle. I smiled. It was a day of sweet smells.

This went well also. He said he could imagine the smells each time. He also reported some visuals although that was not the point of this exercise. Good though. Soon he'll have to put it all together anyway.

Tip - Language

Hungry for Conversation,
originally uploaded by Mike_el Madrileño.

The language you use with and around your children helps form his ability to read also. Starting at infancy consciously talk to your baby. Have conversations. Tell him what you are doing, how your day was, what so and so said to you, etc. As the child grows be sure to introduce more sophisticated language in conversation. Think of words you read a lot and be open to explaining the meanings. Open a dictionary in front of your child, or look up an Internet dictionary, not to enforce his doing so, but to model how to find information. Our children do model our behaviors so one day he will open the dictionary himself.
If your vocabulary is small you can increase it with a thesaurus or typing words on the computer and looking up synonyms in the tools of Word. Or you can increase your vocabulary simply by reading more yourself, which isn’t a bad idea since children do model us.

Comprehension exercises with Dylan - Sight visualization

Hawaiian Sunset 2,
originally uploaded by Automania.

I had Dylan close his eyes while I read the following visualization that I'd made up:

I walked out my door and into the wonder of the sun setting in the west. The sun sat on the hill in the distance in a half-circle of orange. It was huge and somehow unreal, like a painting placed on the tapestry of the sky. Colors joined and melded in the sky around it in celebration of its grandness. Yellow joining orange, joining red and blending into many hues of each. Melting together. Reaching out to touch all that witnesses its glory. All things changed by it’s light. The light touches me. My skin is now golden. It glows.

-This was a lot more successful. Dylan described walking out a blue door with a golden handle. He said there were all types of colors in the sky blended in. He saw a yellow hill and his hands as golden. They were purple at first, but turned gold.

Tip - Reluctant participants

HPIM1123,
originally uploaded by nettesbt.

If your little darling does not stay still while you are reading to him or her try some of these ideas:
-act out the story and try to get the child involved
-change your voices a lot and put more dramatic effect into the story
-reach for the book with fun rhymes

Comprehension Exercises with Dylan #3 - using all senses

Teens-to-Tots Storytime,
originally uploaded by Danbury Public Library.

This week I read a chapter from one of Dylan’s books to him while he closed his eyes. I told him to really try to put himself there. I said that he should use all of his senses; try to hear the events, feel, smell, see and feel the emotions. He is a stubborn one. After the chapter I asked him if he smelled anything and went through all the senses. He was very hesitant. I had to mention specific occurrences in order to get anything out of him and it was sparse even then.
So that leaves me going in a backward direction. Next week I will go back and attempt to engage all the senses separately.

Tip - Interactive Reading

Audrey Reading,
originally uploaded by BurningQuestion.

When reading to or with your child develop discussions from the material. For example; after reading to your toddler tell him what you pictured the story to be like, how you felt, what senses were engaged in you. Did the words allow you to smell, feel, hear what the writer was putting across. Focus on these things as you read so that you may share with your child a full experience, thus showing him how to do the same. After you share ask him to share his interpretations of the story. This is a great key to developing a love for reading.

Comprehension Exercises with Dylan - #2

This week we did visualization on a place my son had only been to once, a couple years ago. It was the Lido deck of the Carnival Ecstasy. I told him we were walking out onto the deck and asked him to go from there. I did not even tell him which entrance we were walking out onto. He animated it well. There were things missing from the deck, but I soon realized that he was seeing exactly what he remembered well there; the pool, the mini basketball court, kids playing.

It bothered me at first that he didn’t remember the tables and chairs, lounge chairs by the pool, the bars, and the stage. But what I realized was that it was actually perfect. It made the point and I could show it to him from there. We could both read the same story and see it in our heads completely differently. I explained this with passion. I told him that in a movie or show the actors portray the script in their own way, but when you read you are the director and the actor. I think he really got that!

Tip - Creativity

Getting the child involved:
When I read a good book I find myself obsessed with continuing or changing the story in my head. Try this with your child. For younger children you can say, "What do you think "character's name" will do next? The older they are the more creative they will be. For an older child you can ask them to imagine what the main character will do next, either immediately or the next day, week, month. What will their next adventure be? How will they handle it? Does the child stay within the characters traits? If not is it a natural growth from the book? Kids can be interesting. They may change the character to be more like themselves. This is good too. It is natural to put yourself in the shoes of the hero/heroine in the story.

Comprehension Exercises with Dylan - #1

I took my son through a guided visualization of a place we have been to many times, the local golf course. This exercise is a beginning step in visualization. When we were going through it he actually used his imagination also. He included a golfer on a golf cart in his description of what he saw in front of him. Familiar visualization is a great first step for the reluctant reader or reader who has comprehension difficulties. If you can visualize the story you are reading you will remember it better. Then it is no longer simply an exercise in suffering through an assignment that you don’t want to do in the first place. I started with a familiar place because I have no idea about his ability to create his own world. I wanted to show him that in his head he could see a scene unfold. And it worked.

Tip-The family that reads together...

I know we’ve all heard it a million times, read to your child regularly. But it is important in developing your child’s interest in reading. Listening to your steady smooth reading inspires your child to want to read just like you. If you have the ability to animate your voice it will help the child to find his or her own voice in reading. I do this and I can’t tell you how excited my four year old gets about our before bed reading. Soon you’ll find your child saying the words along with you. Repetition is key when a child begins reading. These are also the books your child will read first when he or she begins reading.
When they learn how to read you can read with your child, taking turns. My son likes this because he doesn’t have to read all of it. We take turns by pages. It’s also important to hear your child read out loud so you can scope where he or she is with reading ability and speed.
Even pre-teens and teenagers can enjoy reading with you, especially if it is an activity you’ve done together for a long time. But if this isn’t the case and the teen does not seem willing to try you can rent or buy audio books to enjoy together. It’s still a story that you share! And once this catches on you may be able to coerce the child into reading with you. Telling stories is an art that can be helpful also. Try telling a story relevant to the child’s age group. Be sure to add tension and action to keep their attention.



Reluctant participants
If your little darling does not stay still while you are reading to him or her try some of these ideas:
-act out the story and try to get the child involved
-change your voices a lot and put more dramatic effect into the story
-reach for the book with fun rhymes

Welcome to my blog!

You cannot function in this era without being able to read, that is a given. The problem is that there is so much competition for our attention. Reading is a practice that offers so much. It gives you the ability to retreat into other worlds and exercise your imagination. It makes it possible to find answers to burning questions. It not only keeps the brain functioning, but also expands the use of this barely used organ. It opens up the path to understanding of others.
I will post tips to help inspire our children to read more: what parents can do, book recommendations, etc. My son has problems with reading comprehension, which I think has a lot to do with problems visualizing and following the story. I will share the exercises that I take him through and updates on our progress.