Reading into things
Perhaps you’ve heard the radio advertisement promising, “Your baby can read!”
It caught my attention the other day as I was driving, my kids in the back of the van, one picking her nose, another eating her shoe. Yes, we’ve always been a gifted family.
From what I can tell, the program promises to teach even infants how to read. The first five years of a child’s life is “the best and easiest time to learn a language,” it says.
It consists of a set of DVDs with flash cards and books, and can be all yours as part of a 30-day trial costing “only $14.95.”
I haven’t attempted the program, and hadn’t yet heard back from anyone representing the company by the time I wrote this column.
But I’m thinking if it goes well, I could have my 2-year-olds sorting through our pile of junk mail and the 4-year-olds paying the bills within the next few months.
By next year, they’ll be reading novels, encyclopedias, Einstein’s theory of relativity and slowly moving toward the ultimate Kunzer goal of world domination. In between nose-picking and shoe-eating, of course.
I’ll admit I was intrigued and felt a twinge of mom guilt as I realized my youngest children can’t yet read. But then I remembered their ages and didn’t feel so bad.
This isn’t to knock anyone who’s tried the program and found success. Because, hey, if your infant can read, I’m impressed. Truly. (A little jealous actually. In fact, don’t tell me. I prefer to live in ignorance.)
I did, however, call upon someone with actual knowledge of the topic to provide some insight.
The program likely does help some children notice print and “figure out that those strange squiggly lines are connected with familiar ideas and words,” said Don Richgels, a professor of literacy education at Northern Illinois University.
“However, that same thing can be done in other ways that can be more socially interactive and more enjoyable for both the child and the parent,” he said.
Put simply, just read to your kids, he said. Books, cereal boxes, store fronts, even people’s clothes. Anything with words offers a learning opportunity.
“Notice and talk about what’s in the world,” Richgels said. “You can say, ‘Oh look, there’s a K-Mart sign.
“I can’t emphasize enough, but talk, talk, talk. Talk is probably the most important thing for kids to become talkers and readers,” Richgels said.
I can definitely do that.
Have kids join you in making grocery lists and writing birthday cards, Richgels said.
When reading, follow the words with your fingers occasionally just to show that the lines on the pages have meaning, he said.
Say things such as, “Look, there’s the letter ‘J,” just like in your name,’” he suggested.
The program might teach kids single words, but they also must learn the function of reading and writing, how to connect words to topics, sentence patterns and even simple things, such as how a book works and how to turn pages, Richgels said.
Reading evolves and consists of a range of activities, such as a child talking to herself as she “pretend reads” a favorite book or “scribble writing,” he said.
He suggested using “concept books,” such as “Big and Little” by Margaret Miller, or even picture books without words, such as the award-winning “The Lion & the Mouse” by Jerry Pinkney.
Most of all, he said, just make reading fun.
