Our Libraries
March 23, 2004
Learning to read is easier when fun
Do you remember how and when you learned to read? Most people do because it was a pretty exciting time. Much research has been focused on the process and necessary conditions for acquiring reading skill. In our society, one's future success depends on literacy. We know that part of learning to read is related to decoding funny little marks on the page. Sesame Street and other learning programs are excellent for helping youngsters learn to decode.
But another part of the equation is the desire to learn to read. It has to be something that a little child wants to do. It has to be fun. If somebody played baby games with you and sang you nursery rhymes, if books were read to you as a child, if you saw your parents or other adults reading, then probably learning to read was no problem. But without this experience of reading being fun, learning to read can be difficult.
There's much more emphasis these days on the skill side of learning to read—the decoding and phonetics of reading. But Jim Gill, child development specialist, workshop leader, musician and author believes that the other side of learning to read, the participatory piece, is key if early literacy happens. “We don't separate what's in our hearts from the work of our minds. That intersection is where connections are made,” says Gill. “For example music play for preschoolers includes a lot of anticipating activities that are fun. Anticipating what comes next is a way of thinking that helps when learning to read. Pretending to read, learning to turn the pages, these are all so important for early learning. The context of reading comes before the skill can be acquired and parents and caregivers are key players here. If you want your baby to be a reader, spend time with words—reading and singing and playing games. You'll be doing all that's necessary to help your child develop excellent reading skills.”
Gill is a practical advocate for his beliefs. One activity he suggests is helping children make their own books. When he does this with groups he typically starts with four lines from an Old Russian folk song: “May there always be sunshine, may there always be blue skies, may there always be Mama, may there always be me.” Children join in and learn the song easily. Then they are invited to add their thoughts about what might always be and the song is sung again.
These are typically little children who have not learned to read yet. But they can draw pictures of what they want to always be. It's easy enough to fold some paper and put the pictures into a book format. Voila! The children have a book they can “read” because they have created it. Obviously this can be done in a group or with a single child both with great results.
Gill has produced a lovely picture book utilizing this concept titled, “May there Always Be Sunshine” and illustrated by Susie Signorino-Richards. You can hear Gill sing the song on his Web site at www.jimgill.com. Gill is a popular presenter at area libraries. He not only knows the theory, but has kid appeal, too. Record crowds show up when Gill is scheduled to appear. Ask the children's librarian when he'll be visiting a library near you.
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Sarah Long's "Our Libraries" column in the Daily Herald is published the first Sunday of the month. The 