Have you ever wondered why some people are artists, writers or inventors? How is it that some people quickly understand the way a story works or the heart of a poem? At least part of the answer is that those persons are able to make connections between bits of information to build a broader understanding.

School teachers understand the importance of making connections. Those students able to find the connections between various pieces of information arrive at correct conclusions faster and also come up with unique understandings. They’re good thinkers and often creative thinkers.

Very young children develop a sense of  object, that is they identify the things they see in their environment: toys, clothing, food items. They also develop a sense of space that is location and direction. And thirdly, they develop a number sense: the concept of the number of objects or how much of something. These basic skills later grow into understandings in physics, geometry and general mathematics. Combined with executive functions such as focus, communication, and perspective taking children make connections that lead to basic understandings and sometimes to unique, creative ways of thinking.

Making connections is at the heart of all learning. We determine what is the same and what is different. We sort things into categories and see the relationships between parts. Making connections goes beyond memorization to using the information to gain broader understandings. Real learning happens when we see connections between various facts, findings and concepts.

Learning to make connections involves remembering two or more “rules” at a time, such as sorting blue toys into one basket and red in another. Focus skills pave the way for seeing and making connections. Making connections help children understand their environment, how one thing relates to another. It helps them learn right and wrong and make good decisions.

Parents can support the development of making connections skills in many ways. Here are some of them.

How to Promote Making Connections

• Include the arts in your child’s early learning years. Dance, music, drawing and drama have been shown to have a positive influence on cognitive learning. For example taking music lessons can increase mathematical understanding.
• Follow your child’s unique interests and introduce him or her to that world. If he loves Star Wars, find books and information about space. If she loves seashells, find books and videos about the ocean.
• Teach your child that making mistakes is an essential part of learning. All great thinkers have tried many theories before coming to important conclusions. Too much focus on the “right answer” can stop children from thinking creatively.
• Purchase toys that promote open-ended play. Allow experimentation and don’t insist on the “right way” to play with them. Instead ask, “Where do you think that block should go?” “Can you find a shorter one?”
• Play games that require spatial language such as moving forward and back, up and down, near and far. “Take five steps forward and then turn around.” A sense of space is important to mathematical learning.=
• Play games that build a sense of number and quantity. “How many doggies do you see?” Or, there are three cookies, you may have one.” “Can you show me five doggies and then one more?
• Encourage early learning games that include sorting in many different ways. Which one doesn’t belong, memory games, matching games, what is alike or different. Have your child build patterns and extend them.
• Allow flights of fancy where creative ideas and solutions are okay even if they don’t “work.” Making new and startling connections is the way inventions come into being.
• Encourage early writing skills that focus on creating interesting characters, settings and story lines. Allow the child to dictate stories while you write, and later allow for inventive spellings as unique stories are created. Encourage your child to change a story ending or add a character to a favorite, well-known story. Or have them “write themselves in” to a favorite story.

Making connections is an important skill in all of learning. It’s especially important in reading comprehension skills. Whenever your children can find a similar character, setting or story line or see differences between them, they’re making important connections that lead to broader understanding. Your efforts to encourage your child in this important skill will pay dividends all throughout life.

*Ellen Galinsky is the author of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child

The post Happy, Successful Kids: Making Connections appeared first on Jan Pierce.

This one is obvious. Communication is a key skill for “kids of all ages.” But communicating is more than just understanding speech and being able to read and write. It’s a broader term that includes the skills of determining our intended message, and then knowing how to convey it. It’s a crucial skill in all social and work environments and is sometimes lacking in our highly technical world.

Pre-school and other learning environments are great places to work on communication skills. Children learn to listen, respond, speak their mind and begin to write their ideas on paper. Communication is about understanding, not drill and practice. It’s much better for a child to write a pretend sentence with a few correct sounds or letters than to copy a perfect sentence. Meaning is the heart of communication.

How to Promote Communication Skills

Build a literate home. Reading, writing and speaking skills should be a normal part of everyday family life.

• Read aloud to children daily
• Encourage children to talk about their ideas. Ask questions and reply with words to enrich their vocabularies.
• Go to the library, buy books as gifts, encourage a love of language and literature.
• Talk with your children—a lot. Talk about what you’re seeing and doing. Elaborate on the words your child says. If they say “car.” You say, “You see a car. What color is the car?”
• Play games with your child beginning with peekaboo and pat a cake and progressing to rhyming games, guessing words that begin with a certain letter, clapping syllables, and reciting tongue twisters.
• Encourage storytelling activities. “Tell me the story of Goldilocks.” Or “Can you make up a story about a teddy bear?”
• Encourage writing. Keep a supply of paper, envelopes, stickers, crayons, markers, pencils…anything to foster writing skills. Soon squiggles will become pictures which will then become words and illustrations.
• Choose books that reflect your child’s current interests. Encourage discussion about the topic.

Language development is the heart of communicating clearly. It’s a process that begins with baby’s first smile and grows over time until we’re able to share our deepest thoughts and dreams.

The post Communicating is Key appeared first on Jan Pierce.

Last time we learned that life skills must be intentionally taught. Sometimes these life skills are called executive function skills. We’re teaching children to take charge of their own behaviors and attitudes.

Good news for parents! There are simple everyday activities to add to daily routines that will build these important skills. This week’s skill is Perspective Taking.

Perspective taking is more than empathy—feeling sorry for another person. It’s also about figuring out how others think and feel. Children learn to understand the intent of others actions and this often avoids conflict.

All of us prefer to spend time with people who are tuned in to our point of view. We tend to avoid those who are critical or highly competitive. We want to be with those who understand us. Children who can go beyond their own needs and care about the needs and problems of others will be more successful in both learning and building friendships. This is called “understanding the other.”

How to Promote Perspective Taking

• Ask leading questions such as “What could that person be thinking? Feeling?”
• Practice problem-solving in steps. What is the problem? What do we want? What can we do? And did we succeed? You might want to make a simple chart to use when walking through a real-life conflict.
• Model language that leads to a resolution, not more conflict. For example you might say, “You’re upset. Maybe you need some quiet time.”
• Listen to your child’s ideas and reassure them of unconditional love.
• Use everyday experiences to talk about other people’s perspectives. “What is that character thinking?” “How does it feel when a friend takes your toy?”
• Encourage pretend play. Acting out various character’s words and actions is a healthy way to explore other perspectives.
• When you observe conflicts, take the opportunity to talk about the problem. “Why do you think Jimmy got angry with his friend?” “What else could he have done?”

Perspective taking helps children make sense of their world. It helps them understand other people’s thoughts and behaviors and to predict what might happen in a given situation. Children who learn this skill adjust better in both learning and social situations.

The post Happy, Successful Kids: Perspective Taking appeared first on Jan Pierce.

Parents want to teach their kids how to be good people and succeed in life. Ellen Galinsky’s groundbreaking book, Mind in the Making is a research-based work outlining seven life skills children must master to be both happy and successful in our pressure-filled world.

Lifeskills must be modeled and taught. While some children seem to learn them more easily than others, they don’t just “happen.” Children who learn them are better adjusted and more successful in all areas of life, but especially in a learning setting.

1. Focus and Self-control

Our world is filled with distractions and information overload. To engage in learning, children must be able to intentionally focus attention, screen out noise and other distractions, pay attention at the right times and remember rules and directions. That’s a lot to expect.

There are four main components to Focus and self control:

• Focus: the ability to remain alert, direct attention, concentrate on a goal, break the problem down into steps and keep moving toward the goal.
• Cognitive Flexibility: The ability to switch attention from one situation to another. For example being able to see another person’s perspective or trying a different solution when the first one doesn’t work. This skill is necessary to learn new information.
• Working Memory: The ability to hold information in our minds while updating it. This skill is necessary in problem solving, when prioritizing tasks, doing mental arithmetic, following the plot of a story and in organizing materials to complete a task.
• Inhibitory Control: The ability to resist doing something and choosing to something more appropriate. We see this when children ignore distractions to focus on a task, when they persevere in difficulty and when refraining from acting out verbally or physically. It involves control of attention, emotions and behavior.

How to Promote Focus and Self Control

• Play guessing games such “I’m thinking of an animal… or I spy…
• Do all kinds of puzzles that require concentration.
• Play games such as Red Light, Green Light that require careful listening and response.
• Play games such as musical chairs that require children to keep responding to a changing situation.
• Read aloud to children and ask them to fill in a word, repeat something or predict what might happen next.
• Play sorting games with cards or pictures. Challenge the child to sort in another way to build flexibility. For example sort first by color and then by shape.
• Promote creativity and imaginative play. This requires “making a plan” and then following that plan such as “Let’s build a fort.”
• Teach basic manners that require the child to inhibit a tendency to interrupt, hit, say something hurtful, etc.

In all the above activities it’s important to remain positive. Focusing and paying attention is hard work, but your child can do it. Allow plenty of room for varying learning styles and unique personalities and stay the course. You’ll be pleased with the results.

The post Happy, Successful Kids: Focus and Self-control appeared first on Jan Pierce.

How many of you want your children to be healthy and successful in all they do? I see those hands. We all want good things for our children.

Over forty years ago the now famous Stanford “marshmallow test” was given to young children aged four through six. In this study the children were placed in a room with an adult who told them they had a choice: They could have one marshmallow right away or they could choose to wait fifteen minutes and receive two. The adult then left the room and monitored the child’s behavior.

The choice was a simple one. One treat now or two later. Some children just popped the first marshmallow in their mouth and were done. Others tried mightily to wait, but succumbed to temptation, and others were able to wait the full fifteen minutes and gain the double prize.

The surprising results of this study came years later when follow up studies showed the children who had mustered the self-control to wait for the allotted time outperformed the other children in many areas. They had better grades in school and higher SAT scores. They were reported to be happier and had higher rates of freedom from substance abuse. They had better social skills and generally were more successful in life than the children who couldn’t wait.

The overall conclusion is that children who learn to wait for gratification are learning an important life skill: self-control and ability to focus on a goal. These are important keys to successful performance in both school and in future adult life.

How can we encourage a young child to wait? Some of the clues came from the original Stanford study where the children who were successful in waiting used various strategies. Some of them chose to engage in another activity such as talking to themselves, singing or moving about the room. Some children moved the tempting marshmallow further away from them to minimize temptation. Some played with toys to pass the time.

Very young children can practice waiting. Here are some tips to help you incorporate waiting skills in your everyday lives.

• Use visuals to help children mark the passage of time. Use digital clocks, wall charts, calendars and the like. Allow children to mark off the days or make the tally mark. Marking the passage of time helps children get a clearer sense of the future and how long the increments of time will be.
• Teach children to use language when they’re frustrated. Teach them it’s okay to verbalize anger, disappointment and other negative feelings in appropriate ways. When they don’t get the things they want right away, they can release emotional pressure in a healthy way.
• Games that require impulse control such as red light, green light or Simon Says are great ways to learn listening skills plus the tricky fact that circumstances change. Children who learn to manage behavior when expectations are not met will benefit from such practice.
• Engage your children in problem solving Teach them there are many ways to solve a problem. Ask, “What else can we do? Or suggest “Let’s read this book while we wait for…”
• Help your children make a plan and follow through to conclusion. It may be a complicated project built with Legos or a craft project of some kind. It may be a cleaning project such as a bedroom or garage. Help them make the plan and then tick off each item as it’s completed to experience the satisfaction of doing a job well.
• Use allowances or pay mini-wages for tasks and then help your children to manage their money. Teach saving, giving and generosity. Show the benefit of setting a goal and working steadily toward it. Saving for a nicer toy rather than buying a cheap one is a tangible way to teach patience.

One of the benefits of requiring a bit of waiting when your children want something happens inside them. They’ll learn they have the power to wait. They can do it. They can learn to wait when you’re talking to another adult. They can wait for their food in a restaurant. They can be in charge of their impulses and not satisfy them immediately every time. Such knowledge builds character and confidence.

You can help your children learn self-control and patience. With your help they can learn to set long-term goals and work toward them. They can gain the willpower to ignore impulses that scream “I need it now” and learn to wait.

40 years of Stanford Research by James Clear at www.jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification

The post One Marshmallow or Two? The Benefits of Learning to Wait appeared first on Jan Pierce.

You are your child’s first teacher and your home is your child’s first school. You spend a good bit of time every day setting the tone for behaviors, encouraging first steps, and pouncing on those teachable moments to mold your children into the happy and successful people you want them to be.

But, are you missing some opportunities to support your child’s learning? Kids will thrive in a home that makes learning a priority and creates the proper balance between direct teaching and “give it a go on your own” kinds of involvement. Every child needs a different blend of the two—some children need direct instruction before they’re willing to try something new, and others are rarin’ to go without a lot of introduction.

Here are some guidelines for making your home a comfortable place to work, play and learn—a place where efforts are valued over a finished product and where it’s just fine to try and fail along the road to success.

Model a Lifestyle of Learning

My father was an avid fisherman and fishing was a family sport. We often hit the water before the sun was up and fished (and ate) all day long. I learned early on that fishing equipment was next to sacred and that I could impress my Dad with my fishing skills.

It’s like that with any sort of learning. If your kids know you think reading, or playing music, or playing chess at a high level is cool, they’ll think so too. It isn’t the subject matter that’s important, it’s the fact that children will believe learning new things is important, if you model it.

So read some books, do some home improvement projects, learn to grow flowers, or learn a new language. Your kids will notice both the effort and the expertise, but more importantly, they’ll know that you value learning.

Provide  Materials

Children need to do hands-on exploration as they learn. They enjoy molding clay, they love cutting and pasting. When out of doors, they enjoy gathering materials and building forts. Parents don’t need to join in the creativity, but they can help the process by providing materials. Make it a habit to have a good supply of paper, pencils, markers, glue, and all the other stuff of artistic endeavors. Allow kids to use simple tools (with appropriate safety precautions) and marvel at their creations.

You might keep a supply of old clothing and props for the dramatic sessions that will take place after reading a particularly good story. Encourage kids to act out their favorite fairy tales, or encourage them to write a book about their latest interest. Use their love for heroes to encourage creative extensions such as giving a play, writing a poem or singing a new song.

Expect a bit of a mess along the way. Creative processes are worth a few spills and piles of rubble.

Follow Their Lead

Right now my youngest grandson is enamored with dinosaurs and volcanoes. He talks about them, knows dinosaur names, understands that volcanoes erupt and learned that one of the theories about dino demise was a large volcanic eruption back in the day. So, when he came for a visit I made sure to have dino and volcano books ready to read and enjoy.

He spent a lot of time creating caves out of playdough for plastic dinosaur figures and re-enacting dinosaur adventures. We read the volcano books and learned to identify the cutaway parts of a volcano.

What are your children excited about right now? Do they love to plant seeds and watch them grow? Do they want to learn how to speak Spanish or how to cook a pizza? It pays to notice    the things your kids are interested in and support their learning in those specific areas.

Be Their Cheerleader

Whatever your child enjoys doing, it is your privilege to be their cheerleader. If they love art, then make their next birthday gift an array of art materials. If they love to write, provide the paper and pencils or a keyboard. If they love to play chess, learn a few moves and play along. It’s easy to root on the sidelines of a soccer game, but might require a bit of inspiration to cheer on a quieter child who enjoys reading biographies or studying insects. Find a way. It matters.

Remember, you’ll always be your child’s number one teacher. Make the most of that role and create an environment in which learning is as natural as breathing.

The post Make Your Home an Ideal Learning Environment appeared first on Jan Pierce.

I was a logical child, so I started at the beginning. A trailer stood on wheels—I’d have to make those first. I found an old saw and some plywood and began trying to saw in a circle. It wasn’t easy, but I hacked out some circle-like things and moved on. Next I’d need the floor of the trailer. I found some two by fours, nails and a hammer and pounded them together in ninety degree angles. So far, so good.

Then something unimaginable happened. My nasty older cousin came for a visit and found my project. He not only made fun of it, he tore it apart. I had already begun to entertain some self-doubts about my progress, but this loss sent me into wails of despair.

And here’s the important part for parents: My mom hadn’t known about my project. All she saw was a little heap of wood. She didn’t realize my creative dreams had just gone up in smoke and she told me to stop making such a fuss.

I was heartbroken.

What’s the lesson here? Ellen Galinsky’s book, Mind in the Making, talks about encouraging children to take on challenges. It’s an essential life skill. She says, “Life is full of stresses and challenges. Children who are willing to take on challenges instead of avoiding them or simply coping with them do better in school and life.” She encourages parents to support their children when they want to build a lemonade stand, build a fort on the back forty, or run in a 5K race to raise money for a good cause.

Why? Because whenever a child is willing to step out and try something, our role as parents is to cheer them on. Such projects build confidence, independence and coping skills for future life challenges. Children don’t always have the words to express the reasons they want to try something big. They just know the dream is there and they want to give it a go.

Galinsky also talks about the role stress plays in the lives of both children and adults in our fast-paced daily lives. As adults we develop our own ways of relieving stress, and as parents we need to teach our children to do the same. When parents dwell on the things their children can do, their strengths, the children are empowered to experiment and create with a stronger sense of well-being. A failed effort doesn’t threaten the child’s confidence. Children with too many “rules” are often worriers—they can’t risk a failure. Those who are encouraged to strike out on their own and try new things are more likely to explore, invent, and see new connections in the process. This child won’t fall apart if things go wrong. This child doesn’t base self-worth on being “right,” but is willing to see where the creative process leads.

Another reason to encourage creative play is that the planning and the execution of any project is worthwhile in itself. Consider building a fort. The child has to first envision the completed project, gather materials, work and problem solve along the way, and finally either succeed, partially succeed or fail to complete the project. Sounds a lot like adult work, doesn’t it? And there is value in achieving any measure of success as the project proceeds. The child willing to take on a challenge is also willing to learn through each effort.

In the famous children’s book The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, the four siblings are always depicted as independent thinkers, able to take care of themselves. They work to earn money for food, they cooperate in all the tasks necessary to create a home away from home and they make important decisions based on sound reasoning. Kids love the prospect of that kind of freedom to succeed. As parents, allowing them to take on challenges is our gift to give.

So next time your kids want to “build a fort” or embark on any other creative project, here are some ways to support their efforts.

• Speak encouraging words

Whether the project seems doable or not, the effort will be worth your encouragement. Any positive, encouraging words you offer will make a huge difference to your child’s willingness to try.

• Provide materials

Whether done indoors or out of doors, there are ways parents can encourage creative projects by merely allowing access to “stuff.” Are your children free to use art supplies, blankets, pillows, toys to build a structure? Are they released to use found objects, scrap wood, and simple tools to create their projects?

• Allow time and space to do the work without over-managing

While kids sometimes respond well to suggestions from adults, these creative projects should usually be done on their own. They have a plan in mind. Children are often satisfied with a finished product that looks nothing like the house or barn or spacecraft we might envision. Remember the pretending is a big part of the fun.

• Expect some messes

Yes, creative play can be messy. There may be rubble to clean up, household items to put away, spilled paints or marks on the floor. There may be a few scrapes and bruises in the midst of creative outdoor projects. As long as there are no major safety issues, the process is worth the cost.

• Praise the finished project, or the lessons learned along the way

My four little wheel-like pieces and the two by fours nailed together as the beginning of my floor didn’t look like much of anything. But they meant the world to me. All my dreams and creative efforts had been invested in them. I would have been thrilled to hear, “Wow, you put a lot of work into that. Tell me about it.”

• Failure is an option (and not the end of the creative process)

Yes, a failed project is a great learning opportunity. And kids need to learn the important lesson that nothing is gained without the willingness to make mistakes. This might be a great time to read a book about inventors or great thinkers and examine all the “failures” they had on the way to success.
Hands-on creative play is worth its weight in gold. It is also hard to find in these days of computer games and screens. So keep your ears open for the creative ideas your children mention. And whatever you do, encourage their plans to take on a challenge.

*Quote taken from Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs by Ellen Galinsky.

Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is a freelance writer specializing in education, family life and parenting topics. She is the author of Homegrown Readers and Homegrown Family Fun. Find Jan at www.janpierce.net

Children’s Books on Success and Failure
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Free Throw: 0 by Jake Maddox
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
The OK Book by amy Krouse Rosenthal
Someday by Eileen Spinelli
For Parents
Raising an Entrepreneur: 10 Rules for Nurturing Risk Takers, Problem Solvers and Change Makers by Margot Bishow

The post Creative Play: Let Them Build Forts appeared first on Jan Pierce.

Summertime has come and the kids need a break. They need to run and play and swim. They need to forget about homework.

You’re right, they do. But what they don’t need is several months without any reading practice. Teachers know that kids who don’t read over the entire summer take giant steps backward in their abilities. They forget sight words and sounds. They can’t remember what to do when they get stuck and even worse, they fail to hang on to the fluency they gained over the past school year.

Reading is so key to all of learning, that it’s the single most important skill to practice regularly. And it doesn’t have to be only independent reading, it can also be family read alouds, listening to good books, writing and reading their own stories and attending library story hours.

There are not enough “shoulds” to convey how important it is for your child to practice reading over the summer holidays. And here’s why:

Emergent Readers

Emergent readers are Kindergarten through second or third grade readers who are still learning the basics of all those squiggles and shapes. They sound words carefully and often get stuck. They’re ready for simple sentences, but may forget the sound of the letter y or w. They use their finger to follow along and need reminders to re-read or try again when they make a mistake. They’ve got a lot of reading skills in place, but they’re not there yet. Their skills are fragile.

These little readers will forget much of what they’ve learned if they don’t practice during the summer break. They’ll probably go back to school in the fall and need to begin from scratch. The difficult truth about emergent readers is, they can easily lose confidence.

Don’t let that happen. Ten to fifteen minutes of daily oral reading practice plus some fun story times together will do the trick. Not only will they keep their hard-won skills in place, they’ll continue to grow and be ready for further challenges next fall.

Average Readers

These kiddos have made good progress throughout the school year, but are not yet independent readers. Their fluency is up and down. They may need reminders to ask themselves questions as they read to maintain the meaning of the words. They’ll tend to focus word by word rather than read smoothly through sentences. They have limited vocabulary, but are able to read easy books independently.

These kids need to read books they know well for fluency and also tackle some harder books that are high in interest. They’ll benefit from both independent practice and some side by side help to encourage good reading strategies such as rereading for meaning, trying something else if the words don’t make sense, and thinking about such story elements as beginning, middle and end, characters and plot.

These readers will definitely lose ground if they don’t read during the summer. But with just fifteen to twenty minutes of daily reading, they’ll both keep the skills they’ve already learned and may even make some progress on their own.

Choosing high interest books is very important for average readers. Remember that comic books, magazine articles, and even reading instructions for putting together model airplanes count as reading. Be creative and find reading materials that motivate your average reader. You’ll be glad you did.

Fluent Readers

It’s tempting to think that fluent readers don’t need to practice their reading skills over the summer. After all, they’re cruising. But think of the learning opportunities they’ll miss if they don’t find good books to read all summer.

In addition, studies have shown that vocabulary is the single best predictor of success in higher learning and reading is the best possible way to grow vocabulary knowledge. Even fluent readers need to keep honing their skills and may need to branch out into new genres such as biographies, poetry, science fiction, or topical non-fiction books to broaden their reading abilities.

Great thinkers are good readers. Independent learners need excellent reading skills to take off on their own projects. Find some lists of excellent reading in various genres. Encourage your fluent reader to both read and extend knowledge through art projects or other creative activities. Guide them to select quality literature. Reading is the foundation for excellence in academic performance.

Be Intentional

You’ll find more success in incorporating reading into your summer schedule if you’re intentional about it. Set a time of day for a reading break and stick to it as much as possible. Make trips to the library part of your summer outings. Take advantage of your local bookstore’s summer reading program or their read-aloud times.

You might enjoy having a family summer reading challenge to encourage reading a certain number of pages or books. Be sure to offer a motivating prize when your reader meets his or her goals.
Check out great reading websites such as pbs.org, ala.org (American Library Association) or look up your child’s favorite author websites. Jan Brett, Kevin Henkes, and Jon Scieszka have wonderful sites to encourage reading.

Happy Summer Reading!

The post Does it Really Make a Difference if My Child Reads This Summer? Let Me Count the Ways appeared first on Jan Pierce.

One of the most basic benchmarks in your child’s academic development is learning to read. And reading is the skill that opens the doors to all other learning. So what can you do when it becomes apparent that your child is struggling to become a good reader?

Never Too Late

 It’s never too late to add read-alouds to your daily life. Kids love stories and there are endless choices for topics. If you’ve “failed” to read to your kids, begin today. In short order you’ll find you enjoy reading together as much as your children do. And the more time children spend in reading activities, the easier it is for them to become readers, too.

Aside from lack of exposure to reading experiences, there are many reasons why children do not learn to read easily. These can range from simple understandings about letters and sounds to processing problems that may require professional interventions.

It’s important to know that the earlier reading problems are diagnosed and treated, the better the results.

Some Basic Reading Problems

 Letter/Sound Awareness

In order to read, children must have the understanding that words are made up of smaller bits called phonemes. Phonemes are the sound chunks made by letters. For example the word cat has three phonemes: the k sound of c, the vowel a, and the “t” sound of t. While a child hears the word cat as a whole, it’s important to be able to break the word into sound chunks for the purpose of learning to read.

Decoding

Decoding is the process of seeing the letters and then “saying” the sounds aloud. (Of course silent reading comes later.) Decoding is a complex skill that requires knowing all of the alphabet sounds plus the combinations they make, plus understanding reading rules such as a silent e at the end of “bike.”

Vocabulary

A healthy, growing vocabulary is one of the best indicators of success in learning. Knowing the meaning of words and being able to learn new words regularly is a great plus in becoming a fluent reader. The more a child reads, the bigger the vocabulary.

Fluency

Once decoding skills are developed, we expect children to be able to read aloud fluently. A strong reader should sound as if he or she is talking naturally with the proper ups and downs in tone, and with the impression that there is strong understanding.

Comprehension

It is fairly common for children to read as if they understand, but upon further questioning, it becomes apparent that they really haven’t made sense of the words. Comprehension is more than just remembering facts; it’s being able to discuss the information in meaningful ways. For example the color of Cinderella’s ball gown isn’t nearly as important to know as the fact that she’s leaving her scullery position to capture the heart of the prince.

Other Issues

• Auditory or Visual Processing

These problems require specific testing by professionals and therapy to help the brain identify sounds or visuals correctly and be able to interpret them.

• Attention Problems

Children with significant attention problems find it difficult to focus on reading skills long enough to be successful.

• Memory

Some children have difficulty remembering the shape of a letter or the sound it makes. They require extra practice to become successful in learning.

• Second Language

For the child learning English as a second language, it is important to know that it takes approximately six years to become fluent in English speaking and reading skills.

• Vision Problems

Some children have difficulty with focusing on words even though they may test 20/20 on basic vision tests. If there is blurring or double vision, or difficulty in “tracking” along the lines, children can be helped by reading therapies.

It’s extremely important for parents to request testing by their school if reading difficulties are evident. The stigma that develops when a child is placed in a “slow” reading group or the self-confidence problems that arise when the child knows he “can’t do it” are detriments to learning in themselves. Early diagnosis and intentional interventions can make all the difference for a struggling reader.

What Parents Can Do

Your home and the life you live with your family is your child’s first and most important school. There are many ways you can support your struggling reader at home.

• Have fun with books, leading your child to an appreciation of the printed word. Find books, comics, or any other printed material that your child loves and read them together.

• Develop awareness of letters, sounds and word parts in daily life. Notice the stop sign at the corner and the McDonald’s sign as you buy your happy meal.

• Learn the alphabet in many ways such as magnetic letters, by singing songs, using letter blocks, reciting the alphabet as you climb stairs, doing dot to dots, tracing the letter in cornmeal.

• Build word awareness. Teach your child to recognize and write his or her name, and then expand known words such as the names of siblings, common food items, color words, etc.

• Play rhyming games and sing songs together. Play “I’m thinking of a word that begins with the letter b.”

• Sound out words and learn word patterns. “Let’s think of all the –ill words we can.”

• Take time to talk about and reflect on the meaning of the stories you read. “Why do you think Goldilocks went into the Three Bears’ house? “Why does Curious George get into so much trouble?”
  
  
• Finally, there is no substitute for lots and lots of reading. Enjoy old favorites and find exciting new titles. Even struggling readers will work hard to succeed if they’re motivated. Make the most of your child’s current interests. If dinosaurs are the new topic of interest, be sure to find lots of books about them.

An excellent resource for all things related to reading and reading success is the website www.readingrockets.org.

*Reading is a very complex skill and there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to solving  reading problems. Be sure to contact your child’s teacher and the school’s professional staff to diagnose and begin to solve your child’s reading issues.

The post Why Can’t My Child Read? appeared first on Jan Pierce.

If you listen to parents as they interact with their children, you’ll witness lots of different parenting styles. Some exchanges as used as opportunities to teach, while others are used to correct. Both are valid.

But listen further to the tones of voice and the word choices used and you may realize some parents are missing opportunities to encourage their children in their efforts to manage behavior. They’re using negative words and images rather than positive and over time, build poor self-concepts and the idea “I’m not good enough.”

Recently I’ve been thinking about the reasons some children grow up healthy, stable and able to withstand all that life can throw at them while others struggle with everyday life. What can parents do to build healthy feelings of self-worth and self-management into their children?

Here’s something that jumped out at me recently when reading about the picture of faith the size of a mustard seed. I realized I’d always taken that image as a scolding from heaven that I don’t even have enough faith to fill a very tiny teacup. Shame on me.

Then I realized there’s another way to receive that message. I could hear a loving God encouraging me. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to have faith the size of a watermelon, you only need a little bit and you’ll do fine.”

Why is it we sometimes hear a negative message given in harsh tones rather than encouraging words given in love?

Well, I guess there are lots of answers to that question:

• We grew up in homes with harsh punishment.
• We grew up afraid of God, not knowing His love.
• We’ve become frustrated with our own shortcomings and want to do better.
• We fail to understand how much God loves everyone.

I asked myself how many times I’ve chosen to receive a negative, shaming message rather than an encouraging one that helps me along the way. The heart of the error is believing God wants to punish, find me wanting and is basically unhappy with me as His child.

That’s wrong.

If you tend to internalize negative messages about your daily journey and your efforts to live in a way pleasing to God, take another look. We move forward when we hear our Father telling us He’s happy with our efforts. We become paralyzed when we believe we’re failing God (again). Our children respond the same way.

I changed my mind about the mustard seed message even though I know my faith is often small. I reminded myself God loves me and wants me to succeed. He’s pleased when I make a bit of progress. He’s all about my well-being and not out to bop me on the head when I make a mistake.

Words of encouragement lift our hearts and make us want to do better. They build us up rather than shame us. Good job, parents, when you speak words of love and encouragement to your children, even when they misbehave. Show them the positive message that God loves them just as they are and wants them to grow and change all throughout their days.

The post Which Message Do You Hear? appeared first on Jan Pierce.