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Teacher Says: Reading With Your Kids
Hosted by Evelyn Vuko
Washington Post Education Columnist
Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2003; 2 p.m. ET
How do you read with the kids in your life? What is the right way, the wrong way or the best way?
Let's chat about how we spend time reading with our kids. Whether you are a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or tutor, share some of your tips and favorite books with us. And learn some surprising techniques for teaching comprehension skills to pre-readers or older kids who are convinced
they are allergic to printed words!
This week, Post "Teacher Says" columnist Evelyn Vuko and her readers share tips on helping children learn how to read.
Need help in guiding your kids through their school life, school work, or in becoming better students? Join Washington Post "Teacher Says" columnist Evelyn Vuko every other Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET to talk about education and child development issues.
The transcript follows below.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Evelyn Vuko: Hello, there! I'm looking forward to chatting with you today about reading, especially with kids who'd rather scrub floors than read a book. You'd be surprised at how many ways there are to sneak in the comprehension skills without pushing a book into a kid's hand. It starts by thinking outside the print...
Washington, D.C.:
What's the best way to read to a baby? My nephew is 14 months old, enjoys the company of grownups, but seems delayed in verbal development. He says one or two words, but mostly babbles syllables. He's also a very happy baby, with two smart parents.
He still crawls (cannot walk unassisted), if that makes a difference.
Evelyn Vuko: There are many fun ways to read with a baby no matter that he's only at the tottering, babbling stage. Little ones are attracted to bright colors, so start with books that have bright, simple illustrations and few if any words. Point out the picture to him and name all the bright colors for him. Then use single action words like "jump, run, bark," to describe what is going on in the picture. Repeat the colors and verbs in a rhythmic, bouncing tone. Count aloud the number of items in each illustration. Change the pitch of your voice, make animal sounds or sing the words. Little babblers are imitating the sounds they hear around them and are delighted when they hear a variety of sounds. Put on a kid's video and verbalize the action he sees. Play nursery rhymes or simple songs with lots of rhyming words, repeated phrases or a chorus. Sing along and take his hands and lead him in a simple dance to the tune. The more you activate the word experience, the happier and more responsive he will be. Enjoy!
Silver Spring, Md.:
What do you suggest for elementary students who have learning disabilities, specifically those who have problems recognizing letters and letter paterns?
Evelyn Vuko: Make alphabet cookies using ready-made dough or yeasted pizza dough. Place a large picture or drawing of a capital letter in front of the child's work space and make the first letter yourself. Think of how each letter is written and replicate it when constructing the cookie. Roll out small lengths of dough and form the letter, carefully placing each piece on the cookie tray. If you are making a capital A, for example, start from the left, placing the first slanting side. Always narrate as you are placing the letter, "I am putting the first part on the left." Continue to the next slant, then place the cross piece. Then make another one in the same way. Don't try to do any more than one letter each time you do this exercise. Kids will let you know when they are ready to try one on their own! Involving as many senses as possible will helps kids, not just those with LD, to get a better handle on learning. Add a favorite scent to the dough, like cinnamon to add a scent to the tactile and movement activities.
Washington:
Is there an age at which it is too early to teach a child to read?
Evelyn Vuko: Some people believe that kids shouldn't be required to read, meaning decoding and comprehending printed words until they are eight years old. Others believe in reading aloud to newborns. I think it depends on the interest the child shows in books. I think that we should begin acquainting them with books from infanthood. Picture books, soft and touchy books teach even the tiny ones the important literary lesson that whenever that square thing is opened up, there will be fun inside. Watch your child for signs of interest in books and don't make any "reading" sessions last too long. As soon as they get distracted or figgety, move onto another activity.
Rockville, Md.:
My son just turned three years old. He knows his alphabet, not only in terms of reciting it, but also in terms of identifying all the letters, and he can write a few of them. He also loves to listen to me read. We go to the library weekly, and read daily. Is it too soon to start teaching him to read? I don't want to push him, but I do want to make sure he is not bored.
Evelyn Vuko: Why don't you investigate his readiness with brightly colored individual letters; magnets or wooden cut-outs? Put an "M" on the refrigerator and make the mmmmmmmmm sound. Then say, "I am mmmmmmmmmmom." Find other easy words that have the "M" sound and repeat them to him and have him repeat them to you. See how he responds to this. The next day, put up an "O" and say the ooooooooo sound like you do when the doctor wants to look in your throat and says, "say ahhhhhh." Find a few words with the ooooooooooo sound and repeat them to each other. The next day, review the "m" sound, the next day, review the "o" sound. On the third day, put the word "mom" on the refrigerator and say the sounds as you point to each letter. MMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM. See if he can figure out what word you are saying. If he hears, mom, he's on the road to learning phonics.
Montgomery Village, Md. mom:
My three year old daughter loves books. We have been reading to her since she was three months old. Lately I have noticed that after a book has been read to her once, I will see her later "reading" it to herself usually with most of the right words. Is it possible that she is recognizing words at this young age or is it memory and repetition at work here? I would love to encourage her interest.
Evelyn Vuko: She has made the critical literary discovery that the book symbolizes the story! Good girl! Encourage her by finding books that have engaging cover illustrations and ask her to guess what the book might be about. Better yet, tell her you think it's about rabbits when the cover is loaded with pictures of dogs. She'll love correcting you. Ask her how she knew it would be about dogs, then look inside to find more dogs.
Great Falls, Va.:
My 11 year old son has been reading since he was two. It's hard to imagine that his reading comprehension skills are just average. What gives? Once again thanks for your valuable information!
Evelyn Vuko: He's been going through the mechanics of the art, but has he been understanding what he's been reading all this time? You can help him by buying a book for him and reading it first yourself. Then have him read it. Then review the story with him by seeing if he can "move" through the story like a movie camera. Can he backtrack and recall what happened in the beginning? Can he track the action in the sequence it occurred, can he jump ahead and predict what might happen after the story has ended? Getting older kids to mentally move through a story sharpens recall and improves memory function. Do this when he watches videos and movies, too.
Columbia, Md.:
How do you get a child to take the next step from memorizing a story or even guessing from the pictures, to actually taking the time to sound out each word itself?
Evelyn Vuko: Try covering up a key word in a sentence and ask him to guess what the word might be. (Cover a word toward the end of the sentence so he will have enough clues to give a logical response) if he guesses correctly, ask him how he might spell the word. If I were you, I'd select and cover key words on one page of a simple story then photocopy the page. Then he can write in the spelling. Coach him along with sounds. When he's filled in all the missing words, compare his attempts to the actual page of the book. Congratulate him on the ones he got correct or mostly correct.
Burke, Va.:
What is a good Atlas for children. I want my kids to know where the countries of the world are, and a little about them, and the schools are pretty much ignoring this.
Evelyn Vuko: A good, inexpensive one is called "Quick and Easy World Atlas" by the American Map Corporation. It's $6.95 and you'll likely find it at an office supply store like Staples or at an online bookstore like Amazon.
Ballston, Va.:
I have a question regarding suggestions for "boy" books. My 8-yr old son is a voracious reader, but is more likely to pick up "junk food" books (the pot-boilers that are cranked out as series and are hardly literary). Am I just being a snob, or should I encourage a different direction? My concern is that these books are too fluffy, and are akin to a diet of twinkies. On the other hand, he -is- reading.
Any suggestions as to challenging books with "boy" appeal I could suggest to him?
thanks!
Evelyn Vuko: Gary Paulsen's books are popular with boys, especially if he likes adventure and survival stories. One called "The River" is great. Depending on his reading level, you might have to partner read with him or help him with some big words.
Evelyn Vuko: Thanks for your excellent questions today! I am happy that so many of you are obviously working hard to help your kids enjoy reading. You are doing them a favor that will last a lifetime. Please join me again on April 1st.
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