How to make sure your child is prepared for Grade 1
Once upon a time, literacy was considered to be reading and writing. In recent times the meaning of literacy has broadened to include speaking, listening, interpreting diagrams, cartoons, illustrations, cloud patterns, timetables, which represent a variety of ways to extract meaning from everything that the eyes can see, the ears can hear and the brain can add meaning. Therefore, literacy does not only mean what is recorded in print.
At the primary level, the teachers’ role is to prepare the children to pass the grade four literacy test and be qualified to sit GSAT. During the pre-school years, the focus is on emergent literacy which includes, language and communication, emergent reading and emergent writing. Long before children enter preschool and even before they were born, parents could begin the process of emergent literacy. The parents who know this have done a good job and so their children are way ahead of some others when they enter Grade One. This is the dream of every parent, but since so many are not aware, this column is aimed at helping parents find fun-loving ways to work with their young children. The task cannot be left to the schools alone.
Language and Communication
Parents are encouraged to read to their babies in the womb. They can play soft music, sing and create that environment. All these should continue after birth. Many babies will not have a nursery for themselves, they will share space with everyone in the family. If there is an awareness of the benefits of a suitable environment during this period when the brain is picking up all the signals, babies will grow and develop very fast. Mothers and caregivers should talk to their children as they carry out the daily routines. Very soon these babies begin to make eye contact and the smiles appear.
The first language comes in utterances which may mean “bottle”, “milk”, “juice”, “dad” and a number of sounds which will take time to be interpreted. As soon as parents interpret these utterances, they should respond in sentences, such as. “I want milk”, “Dad is home”, “The dog is barking.” Parents and pre-school teachers should teach the children how to listen. They should make eye contact with each child by getting down to the child’s level, and speak slowly and distinctly without shouting. This takes a while, but listening skill will be learnt, if adults maintain a level of consistency and show respect to their children.
Reading stories with bold pictures, watching cartoons together, pointing out pictures in newspapers and sign boards are all very effective ways of introducing young children to print. Some children become attached to animals, toys, a blanket or towel from very early, but they will be weaned over time. They should not be suddenly detracted from their first love. In nurseries and pre-schools, rest times must be followed, and where these routines have not been learnt and followed, teachers cannot break the bad habits when the children enter the primary school. Indiscipline robs children of learning opportunities. Pre-schools set the tone for primary schools. I am emphasizing this because I have taught young children in low-income settings, so I know that all children are trainable. It is very difficult and challenging when children enter Grade One and are unable to listen and follow instructions. Children do not like to be shouted at, it reflects a lack of respect. All Grade One teachers are now telling the same story. They are saying that most of the children entering school cannot hold a conversation, they don’t know how to listen when someone else is speaking and they are always complaining. Parents and preschool teachers must understand that they should be models of good language and communication. (blurb) I have repeatedly asked teachers to lower their voices and communicate to their children with eye-contact and respect.
Emergent Reading
Now the children are talking. Our Jamaican dialect is a language that we learn so there is no need to teach it. However, we must teach our children Standard Jamaican English (SJE) by example and by being consistent. Emergent reading takes place as young children are introduced to print. Once a child has become familiar with a story that has been read by a parent or caregiver, that child will now turn the pages and read the pictures by substituting his own words. Writers for young children have developed stories with repetitions to enable the child to join in. No child should be denied this opportunity of enjoying stories and nursery rhymes that they can repeat, since these support the development of language.
Parents have been purchasing alphabet and number books to teach their children the ABC and 123. There is a misunderstanding that children must learn the alphabet before they can read. The alphabet can be sung, but letters of the alphabet are taught at random when a letter has special meaning, when for example, it begins my name. If Rodger is my name the letter with the ‘R’ sound begins my name. As the child learns the ‘R’ sound, he begins to hear this sound in words like, ring, Ryan, rice.
Emergent reading also helps children to learn the directionality of print. In English we read and write from left to right so even when the children are creating their own stories their eyes learn to get to the next line from the left. When parents are reading to their children, it is useful to move a finger across the page then go to the next line. These little hints are very helpful. It is natural that children who live in households where adults read, will become early readers.
Next week, we’ll talk about emergent writing and how to handle a child who can’t read by Grade 3.
