There is much research supporting the idea that there is great benefit in reading aloud to your teenagers. For some reason, parents still seem to think that this is something you need only do with younger children. The benefits listed below may change your mind, especially if your child is not yet an avid reader.
Reading aloud to teens has the following benefits:
Positive modeling of word pronunciation
Modeling the usage of tone, intonation and expression
Builds vocabulary
Improves comprehension skills
Improves listening skills
It is bonding time
It helps with discussions around difficult issues
It sparks curiosity
It contributes to a thirst for learning
It is a way to work through the classics with older kids & introduce different genres
It is enjoyable and relaxing for both parent and child
If more parents read aloud to their children there would be less need for services such as reading therapy and literacy / language support.
To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.
‘Reading aloud to Children’ workshop hosted by Lianne from LB Literacy in Randburg, Johannesburg.
Workshop – 26 June, 2019 – Randburg, Johannesburg
Another worthwhile morning was spent with wonderful people interested in and passionate about raising literate children.
On the 26th June 2019, I was joined by several ECD teachers, a forensic social worker and a School Principal to find out why ‘reading aloud to young children’ is so important and how it forms the foundation for literacy, success at school and possibly success in life too.
Along with a few demonstrations I gave tips, tricks and advice on how to inspire a love of reading in young children. There were lots of ‘aha’ moments during our discussions and based on the feedback I believe the attendees left more knowledgeable and inspired to make changes.
If you would like to find out more about upcoming workshops, please click HERE. Alternatively, if you would like to book a workshop to be presented at your organization, please contact Lianne at Lianne@LBLiteracy.co.za
Literacy and social media / digital era
I have had umpteen parents tell me over the last few years that reading and writing isn’t that important anymore. I usually ask these parents to consider the fact that due to social media and the digital era, we have way more text coming our way throughout the day, via multiple platforms in both our private and our work lives.
Just some of the social media apps we interact with daily.
We interact with these communication /publication platforms publicly and constantly – some of us are required to do so as part of our work obligations. We, therefore, need to be MORE literate than ever before because we have to be able to read, comprehend and process information fast and accurately. We also need to be able to respond meaningfully, quickly, professionally and often publicly, right there and then. The public aspect of these platforms, as well as the speed at which one is expected to communicate, means that we are under a lot more pressure to perform in the area of language and communication than ever before.
A mother is practicing pre-reading skills through picture reading with a young child.
Is reading going out of fashion?
Reading is not going ‘out of fashion’. One of the main reasons that we have a low academic pass rate, a high drop out rate before matriculation, matriculants who are unemployable and a workforce that cannot cope in South Africa is because our literacy levels are abysmal. This is because we do not have a reading culture in South Africa. We are in the middle of a literacy crisis in this country. To read more about South Africa’s Literacy Crisis, please click here.
Literacy as a foundation and S.A.’s literacy crisis
Literacy forms a large part of the foundation for all other education and the sooner we understand this and start reacting appropriately to this crisis the better. We need to go back to the basics such as reading aloud to children. However, it is not only up to our government to fix this problem. It is up to all of us to do our bit :
with our own children
the children in our communities
and by supporting teachers, schools and local literacy programs in whatever way we can.
Summary
This workshop was about creating awareness, growing knowledge & skills around literacy development, inspiring attendees to do more and to make necessary changes at home and in the work they do with children.
For feedback on this workshop, please go to Mrs K. Mazhuwa’s feedback on the TESTIMONIALS page by clicking here.
If you would like to find out more about upcoming workshops, please click HERE. Alternatively, if you would like to book a workshop to be presented at your organization, please contact Lianne at Lianne@LBLiteracy.co.za
In her TED Talk, Rebecca Bellingham tells us, “As a teacher and a mom, I cannot think of many things that matter as much as reading aloud to our kids, at home and at school.” I completely agree with her. Being read aloud to stimulates the brain, triggers the imagination, transports you to another world, broadens your horizons with experiences that you may never personally have, triggers your emotions, allows you to put yourself in another person’s shoes and escape your own life, if only briefly. It is magic!
Rebecca passionately states, “Reading aloud gives kids a special kind of access to the transformative power of a story and the experience of what real reading is all about, which is to deeply understand, to think, to learn and discuss big ideas about the world, about the lives of others and about ourselves.” If you are reading aloud to your child daily, as you should be, these BIG conversations occur naturally. They are so important to the process of growing up.
What struck me most in this talk is that she puts forward the idea that reading aloud to groups of children makes it possible for some children to “get inside a book” in a way that they’ve never done before. For some children, this is their only opportunity to “get inside a book” and to see that movie inside their head. If no one is reading to them at home, this is it.
“Getting inside a book” is one of those very important stepping stones to reading. Children eventually want to control when and how they have this experience for themselves and therefore are motivated to pick up a book they may be dying to read because their friends are talking about it.
Reading aloud could be a catalyst to life-long reading and high literacy levels. The power of reading aloud to children cannot be underestimated.
To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.
“Even infants get profound cognitive and behavioral benefits from sharing a vivid story,” says Ms. Gurdon of the Wall Street Journal (18 January 2019).
If you are a parent you simply must read this article I came across in The Wall Street Journal. It is written by Ms. Gurdon who writes the WSJ’s “Children’s Books” column. The magic and power that lie behind the picture book have been expressed so well by her that I cannot help but publish the link here so that you can read the original article.
To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.
