EARLY READERS “Children exposed to lots of books during their early childhood will have an easier time learning to read than those who are not.” —Dr. Henry Bernstein, Harvard Medical School
KEY FINDINGS
> > “Learning to read represents the weaving together of multiple skills, understandings, and orientations, many of which have their developmental origins in infancy and toddlerhood” (Pinnell, 2018; Rohde, 2015; Snow and Juel, 2005; Pinnell and Fountas, 2011). > > The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) recommends that pediatricians encourage parents to read aloud daily, ideally multiple times throughout the day, from birth on (2014). As noted in the APP policy, “Those 15-20 minutes spent reading with a child can be the best part of the day. It’s a joyful way to build child-parent relationships and set a child on the pathway to developing early literacy skills.” > > Children who are routinely read to day in and day out—and are immersed in rich talk about books and the various activities in which they are engaged—thrive (AAP, 2014; Cunningham and Zilbulsky, 2014; Needlman, 2006, 2014; Bernstein, 2010). > > Children with less exposure to books and talk may face learning challenges in school and beyond (AAP, 2014; Dickinson, McCabe, and Essex, 2006; Neuman and Celano, 2012). > > Literacy development is less about a limited critical period and more about “windows of opportunity” that extend across early childhood, culminating perhaps around the age of 10 (Dickinson and Neuman, 2006). > > Educators and parents alike should feel a sense of urgency, as experiences with books and reading aloud strengthen the neural systems. These systems, which underlie auditory perceptions, attention, and language, develop rapidly during the first five years of life (AAP, 2014; Dickinson, McCabe, and Essex, 2006; Mol and Bus, 2011; Cunningham and Zibulsky, 2014). > > Phonemic awareness and letter knowledge are the two best school-entry predictors of how well children will learn to read during the first two years of instruction (National Reading Panel).
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CHAPTER 1: READERS
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