What About USA Kids Without Books?

What is it like for a 5-year-old child to enter kindergarten with no familiarity with books, flat images or literacy? What if that child cannot even follow simple 2-part directions? What if color names had never been mentioned to this child?
They would feel like they don't belong. They would feel dumb compared to the other children. They would suffer the same "classroom battering" reported to occur with learning disabled children. As a matter of fact, they could be defined as learning disabled because of social circumstances.
Researchers could go to their homes and find no books suitable for young children. The researchers would find that their parents were so busy keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads that they never even thought about reading to their child. Many parents might say they were never read to when they were children. Others might say that they don't feel qualified to teach their own child, so they didn't try. Another might just be too into his own despair as unemployed; or an overburdened single mom trying to do it all by herself.
In these situations, the children never feel they can make it at school. They never catch up with the more literate agemates. They drop out of high school. Jobs require High School Diplomas. they will be more likely to become outlaw entrepreneurs, or unwed teenage moms needing financial aid to exist.
No one wants these outcomes for their own child or anyone else s child. Yet over 50% of entering Kindergarteners in USA today are in this at-risk-to-fail category. See tomorrow's blog for an effort to help.

Help Your Child Feel Worthwhile

"Worth while" means "worth" your "while", your time spent (as in "stay a while").
You can help your child feel worthwhile, worth your time.
It only takes spending time focused on the needs of your child.
Through meeting their basic physical and emotional needs, a positive attachment has formed between you. Its like an energetic umbilical cord through which all feeding occurs, including direct learning of who they are to you.
In your busy day, I ask you to simply set aside a few moments: find a quiet spot with few distractions; hold your child or take their hand lovingly; make eye contact. This lets them know you really are interested in them. You really are wanting to be with them. You really are spending time focused on them.
This focused attention is a lovely place in which you can share and learn more about each other. Give your child a chance to let you know what's on their minds. (I use a plural choice of words because I am addressing many parents, however this is meant to be a time for you and only one of your children at a time, if you happen to have several.) It may last only briefly, but the energetic interchange will stay with you both forever, as a building of greater positive awareness of each other.
This same idea can be a fruitful and positive dynamic in any relationship, especially parent /child. Try it.

Parents: You are in Best Position to Show Your Child Books

Parents, you are in the best postion to share the world of books with your child, whether you feel qualified or not. You may say that you are not an educator, or, that you do not know how to teach your child to read.
Children learn what you do with them and around them. They copy cat everything you do , because they trust you with their lives, they want to be like you.
Here are some guidelines:
Quiet possible distractions (music, TV, Computer).
Sit with your child on your lap or right next to you.
Find a simple picture book (An example is Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures available amazon.com).
Read the pictures. Talk to your child about what you see in the picture, pointing to the parts, or helping your child to point to each part you name.
Use simple words they can mimic. Children love to mimic sounds. Name animals, make their sounds.
If you point at and name an ear in the picture, then point at and name your child's ear .
Mention color names. First they will mimic the sound, associate with the picture, and later they will be able to get the meaning.
It's a process. Get into it; Enjoy it.
This is all you need to do. Repeat this quiet book time together everyday for 20 minutes (or working up to those goals as much as possible) and your child will develop learning skills and be more confident when he gets into a classroom situation.
You can be refreshed by this break from your usual concerns, and your child will love this together time.

"Parents have Really Appreciated the Books"

I just received a letter from Infant & Toddler Connection's director. She stated that "The books have been wonderful and the parents have really appreciated them." Due to a one-time grant from Target, Literacy for Tykes was able to give ITC enough copies of Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures for about half of their caseload of families with children with special needs, ages birth to three years. I first dedicated the book to one of my grandsons who was at the stage when he could be introduced to the world of books. It is beautifully illustrated by Delia Bowman Wach. We purposefully only have one illustration that can be seen at a time to eliminate visual distractions. Each pair of pages are the picture on the right page and "Parent Points" on the left facing page. Step-by-step clear guidelines for sharing the characteristics of the picture with their child make it easy to do.
As author, I am very happy to hear that parents are enjoying the reading experience of this book. It can be shared daily . Kids love repetition. Working up to 20 minutes a day is a great way to help any young child build lifelong learning skills and confidence for the future, as well as a love of reading. The secret ingredient is the parents' enthusiasm.

Enjoy a Walk in Crunchy Autumn Leaves

Enjoy a walk in crunchy autumn leaves with your children. Take some colorful ones home and press them between two pieces of wax paper, or put them between 2 layers of clear contact paper, or just glue them to construction paper. You can also have fun tracing their shapes with a crayon. Then read about the crunch of Autumn leaves in one of several books at a quiet time before bed later on. Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures has a beautiful autumn leaf in it illustrated by Delia Bowman Wach. Lots of colors, and an interesting shape to finger trace with your child.
Enjoy exploring life together.

Great New Parent Role Models Sarah Michelle Gellar and FPJ

It has been worth the wait to see such a beautiful article about two new parents with great attitude. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy to her fans) and her hubby of 7 years are featured by People Mag November 16 edition, now out on newsstands. Their precious baby Charlotte Grace has certainly come to a home full of love. "We have a lot of love here, and for me that's what family is all about,"says dad Freddie Prinze Jr.
Sarah Michelle Gellar says " We're just taking one day at a time...She's the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me, and I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to do right by her."
They have great commitment to their new baby and I am sure they will start reading to her now with little picture books and talk about the pictures to her. That is the first building block of early child literacy.

Cudos to People Mag : Celebs who read to their Early Child

Jessica Alba "I read everything to (toddler Honor) her". Ana Ortiz was given 40 books by America Ferrara baby gift for little Paloma. Both women "Are voracious readers: we're always exchanging books." America said, "we have to make her a reader like we are." One favorite is a story about a teddy bear Corduroy. "Read it-it's fabulous," said Ortiz. Alba especially likes Goodnight Moon to read to her toddler.
Literacy for Tykes is very glad to see People Magazine (Oct 5 Books Section) feature good role models for young parents. Most young parents know Jessica and Ana from their acting careers. All of us have personal power to communicate positive suggestions to others. Young parents can see that they can have enjoyable time reading with their young children. In this way they can greatly influence their child's literacy development, so that they become more confident by time they reach kindergarten.
Send for your copy of "Enjoy Books with Children" see www.Literacy For Tykes.com for instructions.