Linda Wacyk: Parental
involvement is key to child literacy
From Lansing State Journal,
2/20/2003
Justin's parents have college degrees and enough money to buy him lots of
educational toys. They read 3-year-old Justin a bed time story whenever
they can and vacation in exciting places.
Kayla's parents quit school early and now work in service jobs. Reading is
hard for them, but every day they sit down with Kayla to look at picture
books and talk about what they see. They include Kayla in shopping trips
and sing silly rhymes when she starts to get bored.
So which child do you think has the best chance of becoming a successful
reader in school?
Many would say Justin will be the winner, hands down. They might point to
statistics showing that children from wealthier, better educated parents
usually have an easier time in school. And they would be right - almost.
The truth is, both of these toddlers have a great chance of learning to
read. That's because, more than income, more than education, it's what
parents do that matter most when it comes to helping kids learn. And both
sets of parents are doing what it takes to build literacy skills in their
children.
They know that literacy is about more than just books. It's about writing,
speaking and listening. It's about patterns, predictions and rhymes. And
it's also about having lots of interesting experiences to remember. These
are things that both sets of parents are providing.
This doesn't mean they couldn't use a little help. Justin's parents, for
example, need to remember to spend more time than money on their children.
Kayla's parents could use a boost for their own literacy skills and
finding ways to get books into their home, despite their limited income.
Recently, Gov. Jennifer Granholm urged all of us to get involved in
helping young children get a Great Start. She knows that learning to read
starts long before a child enters school. Here are some ideas from the
Early Childhood Literacy Coalition:
Invite a child to read with you every day; read for 30 minutes if you can.
Talk and listen to children.
Donate books to child care centers, church nurseries, homeless shelters or
community centers.
Model reading and writing for all sorts of purposes.
Write thank-you notes, letters, e-mails and stories together.
Invite a child to a free event during Family Activity Days (March 1-15).
You'll hear stories, visit with story-book and TV characters, and pick up
activities you can do at home to build literacy skills. The event kicks
off at the Library of Michigan March 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit
www.cadl.org or call (800) 585-9997 for
a schedule of events in the capital area.
Linda Wacyk of Grand Ledge works with the Early Childhood Literacy
Coalition.
