I get this question a lot. ‘Is my child too young to start learning how to read?’ The answer really depends, so let’s take a look at the different ages to see what might work best for your child. 3 years old: If the question is regarding sending a three year old to a literacy centre, then yes, the child is too young. Sessions can vary between 30 minutes to an hour, and with a shift towards virtual learning, the three year old will not be able to remain focused. However, this is not to say that the child cannot work with the parent at home. It is important to read to children no matter the age. Recognizing letters: As you read with your child, teach them to recognize some letters and point them out as you go. There are also great books that focus solely on letters, and words that begin with said letter. Understanding the story and characters: Equally as important as reading is understanding what is happening in the story. How are the characters feeling? Can the child look at a character and read their emotion? If Sally broke her mom’s expensive vase, can the child understand how Sally might be feeling? Books With Repetition: A great way to have your child involved in reading is through repetition. Some books have a phrase or a word that gets repeated (think of No, David!). They can participate in the story with you. Fine Motor Skills: Not necessarily a reading point, but 3 year olds would benefit from doing activities that work on their fine motor skills. Some examples are:
Fine motor skill practice is very beneficial for young children, and there can be an entire post dedicated to ideas on how to do this at home if you’re interested! 4 years old: There are some four year olds who would seem to be ready for a literacy centre sit down session, but I sincerely believe it should be done in person and for thirty minutes (not more). It can be difficult for a child at this age to focus through a virtual lesson, however in person, the tutor or teacher can create fun activities that incorporate phonics with motor skills. 5 years old and up: Under 10 years old, virtual learning can be very difficult for students. You know your child, and you know their abilities, but from a teacher/educator point of view, they will not get the same benefits virtually as they would in person. In person, fine motor skill activities can be offered; something as simple as the educator teaching the student how to properly hold a pencil. From 5 years old and up, we begin phonics; what sounds the letters make, followed by consonant clusters, vowel digraphs and so on. Sight words should be taught at every age, and there are DOLCH lists available online for each age group. By the time the student reaches grades 4-6, we can offer curriculum support, meaning focusing on reading and writing lessons that match what they are learning in school. They will have to write narrative writing stories and reading responses, both of which are not easy, especially when the student is struggling. Writing these two tasks have nothing to do with the child’s reading ability, but with structure, sentences, grammar, organization and understanding. One thing to always remember, however, is the importance of reading with your child and finding books that they genuinely want to read. Don’t feel guilty about buying your child comic books if that is what is going to get them started. I had a sixth grade student who really disliked reading. They started off with comic books, read a few magazines for kids, but the love for it, or even like, was not there. During parent-teacher night, their parents spoke about their worries and uncertainty of what to do. I told them to give him the first Harry Potter book and just see what happens. A year later, he read the entire series twice, and moved on to The Hobbit. Sometimes, it is not about the child disliking books; they just haven’t found the right one yet.
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Books, as we all know, can have the power to transport us to places we never thought possible. They are a comforting friend in times of struggle and helps us relax in times of unease. However, can books provide us with a sort of therapy? The quick answer to that is: yes. What is Bibliotherapy? Bibliotherapy, in short, is therapy given through books. It involves “prescribing” a book to someone else that will help them with their current issues and struggles. If someone is going through a rough bout at work and they are experiencing anxiety, you may “prescribe” them a book such as ‘Own It: Make Your Anxiety Work for You’. In addition to reading it, there are also follow ups, questions to answer and discussions. It is not simply reading a book and continuing on with your day; there is more in depth learning to do. How Can a Book Help Children? Something children have difficulty with is expressing their emotions and struggles. It can be easier for an adult to tell someone, “this is making me feel uncomfortable”, or “I am feeling nervous because of this”. For a child, being expressif in this way can be very difficult. Choosing the right book that fits their current developmental stage can make them feel as though they are not alone in their experiences. For example, if a child is being bullied, it can be beneficial to choose a book where the main character is also being bullied. Together, with careful discussion and analyzing, the child will learn how the main character overcame their struggles, how they dealt with it and ways in which the main character coped. The child can view the situation through the eyes of another and resonate with the character. How Do I Choose the Right Book? Here are 3 ways you can make sure you choose the right book to fit your child’s needs. 1) Research books in the area of need. A quick Google search of picture books for children with anxiety will give you a lengthy list to choose from. However, that is also where the difficulty comes in. If you cannot decide which one to choose from, 2) Find someone who is knowledgeable in the area of books. You could contact your local bookseller, a librarian or even an educator. 3) Find a book with characters your child can resonate with. If your child hates books with animals as main characters, steer clear of those books, even if they are on a best seller list. The main goal should be that your child connects with the story and the characters. Still Feeling Stuck? Still looking for that perfect book to help your child through a developmental stage in life? Contact the Caterpillar Club to discuss the issues your child is facing in order for us to choose a selection of books that could help you and your child. We will help you fill your home library with books you will love, and books that will help you see things in a new way. Schools have been closed since March and the thought of returning to a normal school year seems strange now. We have been out of the classroom for so long, haven’t seen our students in months; it seems as though we now have to adapt to a new normal: online learning. While this is not the most ideal situation, we can learn to make the most of it. Online learning has its perks, too!
Any Time, Any Place. One of the upsides of online learning is that it can happen from the comfort of our homes. Our schedules are more flexible when we know that we just need to open up our computer or tablets, grab our notebooks and voila! We’re ready. Of course, there can be more distractions at home than at a specific learning location, but there are ways to go about this. Find a spot in your home that you dedicate for online learning. Limit distractions in this area and only use it for online learning sessions. Try and organize your learning sessions during the morning. Students are typically more alert and focused in the mornings. Online learning can be engaging in different ways. Teachers and educators have the world of technology at their fingertips. They can create interactive google slides, videos, online worksheets and websites to make distance learning effective and fun. There are also many educational websites that include games, strategies, and tools to aid with at home learning. Some students work better in their own space. Sometimes, the classroom can be distracting; they are around their friends, they hear conversations in the hallway, and in a classroom of sometimes thirty children, it can be hard to meet the needs of students in a way that the teacher wants to. Being at home, the student is in their own space with no outside distractions. They are working on their own schedule in the comfort of their home. Learning about technology. Through online learning, students will be able to learn more about how to use technology. They will learn about the different tools available, practice their typing skills, learn how to create a project online and so much more. It is no secret that writing essays by hand is slowly becoming a thing of the past, if not already is. Computers and technology are important for students to learn as it will help them in their schooling life. Distance is not a problem. You can quite literally find a teacher from another country and still be able to have tutoring services from them. I have personally taught students from China who wanted to work on their English language skills. Online learning is excellent for ESL students who want to learn English from teachers in other countries. Online learning will continue to increase in popularity, pandemic or not. Does it work well for every student? Not always. However, being in the situation we are in, it is the most effective way to continue our education. Without a pandemic, will online learning still be useful? Yes, absolutely. If you are looking for elementary English / ESL support, contact the Caterpillar Club today.. We are hopeful that next year, we can offer in person services once again, while maintaining our online learning services as well. The Caterpillar Club looks forward to meeting you. |
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