Children acquire this language as they hear stories read aloud—which eventually aids in reading comprehension. Furthermore, this meta-analysis shows that the effect of book reading is not restricted to children of preschool age. However, the effect seems to become smaller once children become conventional readers and are able to read on their own. The data makes clear that parent-preschooler reading is a necessary preparation for beginning reading instruction at school (Mapp et al., 2017; Bus, van IJzendoorn, and Pellegrini, 1995). Dominic Massaro (2016) compared the vocabulary that mothers used in conversation with their young children versus the vocabulary that they shared while reading picture books aloud to their children. The results were striking. Massaro found that picture books are two to three times as likely as parent-child conversations (Pinnell, 2018; Hiebert, 2019) to include a word that isn’t among the 5,000 most common English words. Indeed, picture books include language that’s even more sophisticated than the typical adult conversation. For example, Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen features words such as “aghast” and “grimace.” And another added bonus: reading to children encourages them to listen. And, as Massaro notes, “Good listeners are going to be good readers.” Closing Thoughts We can begin to read to babies on the day they are born. Set aside time every day for special reading time. Read aloud to children, and, as they grow, ask them to read aloud to you, or encourage independent reading. Discuss with your children the different materials that you are reading and why, the books you are reading to them, and the books that they are reading on their own. As Jairrels (2009) notes, when children are read three stories a day, by the time they enter first grade, they will have heard more than 6,000 books. Create a “reading culture” inside the home (Jairrels, 2009): with cozy places to nestle with books, reading routines throughout the day, dinner table discussions about what family members are reading—including all the different print materials that pour into the house every day. Talk with children about their interests, plan trips to the library, and find books that will support and extend what interests your children most. Make books their first go-to resource (Allyn and Morrell, 2016). As author Emilie Buchwald wisely observed many years ago, “Readers are born on the laps of their parents.” Mem Fox (2001) may have said it best of all: The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. It isn’t achieved by the book alone, nor by the child alone, nor by the adult who’s reading aloud—it’s the relationship winding between all three, bringing them together in easy harmony.
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CHAPTER 5: TEACH 6 FAMILY LITERACY
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