Make reading and writing part of your daily activities

Dear editor,

As we celebrate National Parenting Month, I would like to add my tips to what Shauna-Kay Douglas wrote on September 2, 2024 in this newspaper entitled “Literacy Matters.”

Here are seven tips based on the opinions of several Jamaican mothers who shared with me what they do to help their young children develop reading and writing skills:

1) Talk and ask children questions. By doing everyday things like hanging clothes on the line or cooking, we can talk to our children, expand their knowledge of the world, and expand their knowledge of words. As one mother said, “Hanging up clothes helps them learn about the things they observe, from clothespins to the sky and everything in between.”

2) Teach basic concepts: when children understand what these words mean – beginning, end and middle; from left to right; top and bottom – This can make learning to read easier as these are important concepts for beginning readers. For example, one day when I was helping a five-year-old boy read, he correctly identified all the letters in the word “family”, but he arranged the letters from right to left, resulting in: ylimaf. Words are also a combination of letter sounds that have a starting letter sound (B), a middle letter sound (A), and a ending letter sound (T) that form the word BAT.

3) Read together. Sometimes we as parents are guilty of using reading as a form of punishment. We say: “Go read a book!” Rather, we should say, “Come and read with me.” Read anytime. The important point is that the child hears what book language sounds like and associates reading with a positive experience.

4) Learn words using labeling. One day I went to a church kindergarten and discovered that the tree had TREE written on it. I was confused for a second, but quickly realized that they were matching words to objects in the children’s environment to promote word recognition.

5) Provide resources for handwriting development. Kneading and rolling dumplings as an activity can help strengthen finger muscles, so holding a pencil and writing becomes less tiring for your child. Playing with small pieces of plasticine or plasticine, as well as tearing and gluing, are also suitable. Tracing pictures, letters or words helps improve eye-hand coordination. Hand out paper, crayons, paints and pencils.

6) Make it a fun activity that requires low or high technology. Forming letters into words can be done through simple activities such as playing the word scramble game. Your child can unscramble the letters and form a word using either purchased letter tiles or letter tiles made from cartridge paper. For example, give your child four letters such as A, B, T, X to spell the word BAT. You may also decide to get involved in high technology – websites and YouTube channels like Starfall and Alphablocks are my favorites.

7) Sponsor a child. Sometimes you can help your child by paying for extra help. Some teachers provide additional support to children in their final year of primary school or first year as these teachers recognize how important these literacy skills are for a smooth transition into primary school.

What will this cost you as a parent? It will cost you time and effort. But investing this time and effort will pay off with an easier transition for your child from basic school to first grade. It is not the most expensive toy or educational toy that will make the difference, but consistent, purposeful interaction between the child and the older family member in these activities, which can have a huge impact. So what really matters is not who you are as a suburban or inner-city parent, but what you do to encourage your children’s early social and literacy development.

Yewande Lewis-Faucum, Ph.D.

Literacy and Language Teacher

School of Education

UWI, Mona

[email protected]