Parents and schools MUST unite. (A literate generation?)

Name: Vicki H

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Product:	A literate generation?
Date:	02/09/01 (70 review reads)
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Advantages: Books provide information., Reading is a wonderful hobby., Literacy is the key to education.

Disadvantages: None

I write this opinion from both the point of view of a parent and a teacher. I studied English at degree level and now co-ordinate the subject within a school, my specialism is in the primary age range. The National Literacy Strategy and the introduction of the Literacy Hour have gone a long way to improve literacy standards in primary school children. The good news is that the scheme is now to be extended to Key Stage 3 so that the success can be built upon. Children are now taking part in clearly structured literacy lessons on a daily basis, this can only be a good thing.

I believe that schools are really making huge leaps forward in this area although it will take time to see the results fully. I think where the system fails is that some parents expect all of the learning to take place in school and others want to help their child but don't know how. Education is best provided when parents and schools work in close partnership with each other and reinforce the learning taking place.

Types of Parents
There are broadly speaking three types of parents that I encounter in school. Type 1 will seek advice, buy books for their children and actively encourage their children to read and write. Type 2 would love their children to develop these skills but aren't quite sure where to start so they share their child's reading book regularly but fail to do anything else. Type 3 are the type that totally depress me! These are the parents that you hear telling their children who are begging to be bought a book at the shops that they are a waste of money and they can have some sweets instead! Books are not a waste of money, I still enjoy reading them from my own childhood.
My target audience in this op has to be parent Type 2. I hope that I can give some help to those parents who want to educate their children but don't know how.

Choosing books
If we are going to improve literacy standards it is important for our yo
ungsters (and their parents) to develop a true love of books. Books can teach so many skills and provide hours of pleasure. With so many books around it is difficult to know which one to buy. Start by finding a book that looks attractive and flick through it. Ask yourself if you really want to read this book? Do the illustrations look appealing? Read the blurb on the back cover - does the story sound interesting? You can bet that if you think that it is interesting so will your kids. Don't bother trying to find something that looks educational, the key to learning is fun and enjoyment. If you still aren't sure what to pick ask teachers, other parents, staff in the stores or librarians who will all be pleased that you sought advice from them. Also check out the book reviews on dooyoo.

Where to buy?
There are a number of places to get books from:
1. Book shops are an ideal starting point obviously. You can browse at your leisure and ask for advice. Some of the well known stores are quite expensive so I go to discount shops where you can pick up best selling children's books for a fraction of the cost.

2. Car boot sales are an excellent place to pick up cheap, good quality books. Check that all the pages are there and that they are not torn or defaced in anyway. It is very demotivating to a child to be given a tatty book. Books should be in good condition and children should be encouraged to keep them that way.

3. Libraries are great places. In my opinion every child should be a member but in my experience very few are. The children love going to the library to choose their own books. The library is a great place to visit on a Saturday morning to stock up on reading material. Many also run activites in the school holidays that are cheap to attend.

4. Book clubs offer you the chance to buy books at reduced prices. You can find adverts for these in parenting magazines (Books For Children sprin
gs to mind). Also schools often run book clubs where the goods are sold at discount prices. If you buy through school you will also be helping to raise funds for the library. I run a book club although it does get rather demoralising when so few parents order.

5. Start your own swap club whre you exchange books with other parents who have children roughly the same age as yours.

Learning Must Be FUN!!!!!
If children are going to develop literacy skills, the learning has to be made fun. There are all kinds of simple yet educational games that you can make and play to develop skills. I intend to write some ops on well known children's books at some stage which will offer ideas on how you can extend from the reading of the text to develop a mini-topic that children will love.

Storysacks are also a great way to encourage literacy skills. For those of you who have not encountered these, the idea is that a bag contains props relating to the story. So in the 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' bag for instance you may find a caterpillar, the various items he eats, a butterfly and a book about caterpillars. The children can then have fun acting out the story with the visual aids. You can buy these for around £25-£30 and there is a website at www.storysacks.com . But it is far more fun to make your own sacks along with your children.

Children learn best when they don't realise that they are in fact learning. Consider your child's interests and choose books accordingly. For example if you live with a Man Utd fan then find books about the football club. Encourage your child to read them and then make a scrap book about the team. If children are interested in the topic you will have no problem getting them to read.

A Few Fun Ideas To Try
1. Introduce books at an early age. Fabric books and bath books are ideal for the very young and also for Special Needs Children who have difficulty turning pages.
Books come in many shapes and sizes some even fold out to make models - they are all valuable in developing literacy skills (Shakespeare can wait!).

2. Trace patterns and letters in a sand tray.

3. Allow your child to paint letters in bright colours reinforcing the letter shape.

4. Play snap with flashcards of letters.

5. Cut easily recognisable logos out of packets and then on a trip to the supermarket get your child to match the logo to the correct box.

6. If your child loves T.V. utilise this. Encourage them to plan their viewing by reading the television listings page.

7. Use their television addiction in a positive way. Many of the programmes now have books published too. Or if they are interested in specific programmes such as hospital dramas, buy reference books that are appropriate.

8. Put items into a magic bag and identify them - what letter does each item begin with?

9. Make letter shapes from playdough.

10. I spy never fails and can be done whilst travelling, waiting for the bus etc.

11. Make bedtime stories routine. If you don't feel confident reading one ask someone else to read it onto a tape or borrow the tape from the library. Follow the words in the book with your child.

12. Pretend you've gone mad and read the book upside down, back to front etc. Kids love correcting you and it reinforces their knowledge of the orientation of text.

13. Play rhyming games. Take turns to think of words to rhyme with cat, pin, van etc.

14. Cut out letters from newspaper headlines and get your child to put them in the correct order to make their name.

15. Let your child see you reading and writing on a regular basis, they will want to be just like you!

These are just a few of my personal favourite activites. I hope that they may be of some help to someone out there. Remember always stay positive with your
child. Some parents come to me and say that they sit there child down every night with their reading books and go over the flashcards until they get everyone of them right. They have to shout and ground them because they don't want to do it - I wonder why? The school reading book should not be regarded as the be all and end all, it is a small part of the whole process. happy reading.
Thanks for reading.

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