Wanted: "A Helpful Adult"

       "EATING it up," was how a boy described his young brother's reaction to learning to read in the first grade. That's what all of us wish for beginning readers, the avid, eat-it-up appetite for reading as a highly pleasurable experience. Teachers and parents alike feel it their compelling duty, a very important role, to help children experience this enjoyment of reading books. 

       Reading skill doesn't just spring from a child's great desire or his parent's family background. There is specific learning which must be mastered in the process. But the job of helping children is not so mysterious or so technical as some teachers and parents have been led us to believe. A mother reported she never really taught her twins how to read. "I just read to them with one sitting on either side of me. They began to choose the book and the story that they wanted to hear, find the page, say a word here and there, and all at once they started to say, 'This is sheep.' 'This is lamb.' 'This is where it says tiny kitten.'" 

       Or, take the case of a father who was asked by his ten year old son about plant parasites. The subject of parasites had been discussed in school; the boy was fascinated, and wanted to learn more. The father suggested that they see what they could learn  about parasites in their encyclopedia. He showed his son how to locate the correct volume, and said, "Now, you see if you can find parasite, and we'll talk about it after you read what it says." Later, in reporting the incident, the father said, "I hope I'm not out of step with school methods in showing my young fellow how to use an encyclopedia." Most teachers would be overjoyed to have such excellent help from parents.

Finding the volume together.

Return to the "Reading Is Fun" Index Page

Back                                                                                                       Next