Across the country, educators note the importance of reading and writing. Businesses plead for more articulate and literate workers. However, in many American homes, the only reading material is the week’s copy of TV Guide. Literacy and language skills are closely tied, and both lay the foundation for many other skills that human beings need. An article in the March 2007 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, the professional journal for education, noted that, "the negative ramifications of low literacy skills are pervasive and well documented--poor self-esteem, low motivation, behavioral difficulties, academic underachievement, and, ultimately, reduced occupational and economic status." (Sloat, Beswick, Williams, "Using Early Literacy Monitoring to Prevent Reading Failure).
By the age of six, most children have developed language perception and have ability to use words, including a vocabulary of approximately 5,000 words. They are ready to acquire another new skill: reading. Educators can only do so much—a family in which reading is considered one of life’s joys will produce articulate, literate workers. A family that doesn't read will not.
I am a highly skilled reader, able to read rapidly and with great comprehension. I had switched from juvenile books to adult books by the fifth grade. My husband, Carl, is also highly skilled. We both read a lot as children beginning at an early age, and continued to read a lot as adults. We each average about 3-6 books a week for pleasure, not counting all the business reading we each must do. We both were avid comic book readers as we started school. Comic books, with their combination of pictures and words (and depictions of sound effects like BAM and SPLAT) associate the word and the meaning and use a narrative format. My mother was passionate about crediting comic books in the development of my reading skills—she was an opponent of phonetics. The pictures contribute to the child’s understanding and enable the word (the symbol) to be quickly associated with the picture (the meaning). In addition, by telling a story, the child would forever associate reading with fun. And this association of fun with reading, with the discovery of new words, and high levels of comprehension, has been an invaluable part of my life and Carl’s life.
I would be willing to bet that all of you visiting my site are highly literate yourselves, are from families that read, and have children who are articulate and literate. When I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, I volunteered with the Madison Literacy Council to help adults become literate. It is a much needed and appreciated way to spend your time. States and counties have local and regional resources for literacy. One of the national sites that can help you find a way to help is the National Center for Family Literacy at http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1204561/k.BD7C/Home.htm
I am a highly skilled reader, able to read rapidly and with great comprehension. I had switched from juvenile books to adult books by the fifth grade. My husband, Carl, is also highly skilled. We both read a lot as children beginning at an early age, and continued to read a lot as adults. We each average about 3-6 books a week for pleasure, not counting all the business reading we each must do. We both were avid comic book readers as we started school. Comic books, with their combination of pictures and words (and depictions of sound effects like BAM and SPLAT) associate the word and the meaning and use a narrative format. My mother was passionate about crediting comic books in the development of my reading skills—she was an opponent of phonetics. The pictures contribute to the child’s understanding and enable the word (the symbol) to be quickly associated with the picture (the meaning). In addition, by telling a story, the child would forever associate reading with fun. And this association of fun with reading, with the discovery of new words, and high levels of comprehension, has been an invaluable part of my life and Carl’s life.
I would be willing to bet that all of you visiting my site are highly literate yourselves, are from families that read, and have children who are articulate and literate. When I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, I volunteered with the Madison Literacy Council to help adults become literate. It is a much needed and appreciated way to spend your time. States and counties have local and regional resources for literacy. One of the national sites that can help you find a way to help is the National Center for Family Literacy at http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1204561/k.BD7C/Home.htm
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