Long Term Benefits of Early Literacy

Posted on June 16, 2011 by admin

The benefits of teaching a child to read and write at a very young age are in some cases very difficult to measure precisely, but the overall benefits are widely accepted as huge. Teaching a child to not only read and write, but to enjoy activities involving literacy helps immensely with critical thinking, both written and aural comprehension and their ability to retain information.

A child that has been taught to read and write at an early age in a fun environment as well as rewarded for their efforts with games and attention develops a positive association with knowledge and intellectual pursuits from a very young age. The product of many independent studies and researched situations shows that children of parents who focused on literacy before school age will excel in all areas from the very first grade and will tend to continue to do so throughout their schooling career.

Beyond the school environment, a children who reads whether extensively or recreationally are associated with increased maturity at a young age provided they have read appropriate, comprehensible and relatable material. Though stereotypically bookish children are often perceived as being socially outcast and awkward, in the majority of cases the exact opposite is true. Intellectually developed children have been shown to have very little trouble developing many meaningful relationships aided by the knowledge of human interaction gained through reading, which is the focus of almost every novel available in one context or another.

It has been proven that literacy in youth can be directly related to long term socio-economic success and the ability to overcome adverse situations. Education is an incredibly powerful tool that shapes the world in ways that would be otherwise inconceivable and early literacy opens doors for young adults and children allowing them to make choices for themselves in later life rather than being held at the beck and whim of their intellectual superiors. As Time magazine titled an article on the future of the world in 2005: “The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth.”

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The Picture Book

Posted on February 21, 2011 by admin

The art of creating fantastic picture books for children is one that remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. Combining simple, cleverly rhymed and alliterated sentences with illustrations that range from incredibly simple literal translations of the text to complex and abstract impressions of given situations and stories is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of modern story books and not one that can be demurred or taken lightly.

Really the defining aspect of a truly great picture book is in the artwork. The old idiom goes that a picture speaks a thousand words and when you have very few actual words to work with the picture has to not only speak a thousand words, but it has to speak them precisely and concisely to further the plot, reveal information about the characters and environments, and draw the reader in to the believability or suspension of belief in everyday or fantastical situations.

Think for a moment of a classic picture book that so many have been read, and then read to their own children in turn. The Cat in the Hat features Dr Suess’ distinctive art style and signature fantastical characters that are visualized in a way that would be practically impossible to describe to a young child who has a normal limited ability to turn words in to images at a young age. The illustrations massively expand on the story, giving detail to the basic storyline outlined by the text.

The implicit rhythm and tone of good story book writing is also very important and as considerable an art form as any poetry or prose. Dr Suess’ Green Eggs and Ham is another great example of using rhythm and rhyme to great effect.

Most picture story books designed for children are first written by the author and then the illustrations are contributed separately by an artist. These essential co-authors have to be very careful to be sure that the story they are trying to tell is congruent between the pictures and text otherwise a certain lack of direction and confusion can ruin what would otherwise be a perfectly good story.

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Using Books to Engage With Your Teen

Posted on February 4, 2011 by admin

Books are a wonderful thing, no matter if they’re books for adults, books for teenagers, or children’s books. Most people enjoy reading casually, and many spend hours every week doing just that. But did you ever think about using a book to help you to talk to your child? Let’s face it, as our children get older we have much more of a difficult time talking to them, and the biggest reason is because they’re interested in so many different things than we are. But you can actually use books for young adults to bridge the gap so that you can actually have something to talk about.
Reading Together
Remember when your child was young and you would read them a book or two? Most children adore being read to and will ask for the same book over and over, never getting sick of it. But as they grow older they’re able to read the books that they want to read themselves. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read together, however! You can read with them, it is just a different type of reading together.
If you’ve got a pre-teen or teen, sit down with them and talk about reading some of the books that they’ve been reading. Ask what they’re into and don’t just settle for the answer, actually delve into it. For instance say your son says that he loves to read stories about monsters. Ask him what part of those stories he likes – is it the hero that saves the day? Is it the monster and how strange they are? Get right into the hows and whys of the situation so that you can learn more about your child. Then ask if you can read some of the books as well. Most of the time teenagers will be very surprised by this request but they tend to have no problem with their parents reading something that they’ve read.
Then take the time to actually read the book that your child has read. Put it on the top of your reading pile and get it done. Once you’ve read it have a discussion about it! Talk about your favorite scenes and ask them theirs. Before you know it you’ll not only be reading a book that your child likes after they’re done with it, but you may wind up reading the stories for young adults at the same time and sharing your observations. It’s a great way to grow closer.

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