As a parent-to-be I want to get my daughter started off right. That is why I read to her. Though she is still snuggled tight in the nice, warm cocoon of my wife's womb, my personal believe is that she can hear us as we read to her. (Unless she is deaf...) I believe that intelligence is linked to literacy. I want my child to be as smart as she has the capability of being. So, as we read Disney storybooks to my wife's stomach the hope is that her listening and reading habits are being formed.
I don't remember being read to as a child. I believe this hindered my intellectual growth as an adolescent. In fact, this had lasting effects on me. I struggled to read up through high school. I would have "ADD" moments where I would read and my mind would be off thinking about the Jazz game or what was for lunch that day. I couldn't focus and it would give me headaches to read. I would read a page and absorb absolutely nothing. I even avoided long comic strips in the Sunday paper.
I HATED reading out loud in class (which is still a phobia of mine) because I would frequently come across words that I didn't know. To this day when I read in public my anxiety level and heart rate skyrocket. For some reason I replace words from the text with words of my own. I will omit and add words at random. One day I was reading a paper with a friend, as I read he would constantly correct my reading mistakes. Finally he stopped and quite bluntly exclaimed, "You really need to learn how to read." I think that was a defining moment in my life.
The total number of books that I read in grade school can be counted on my hands. Reading is still not my most favorite pass time. I will say that I have read more now that I ever have before. I am proud to say that I read the whole Hunger Games trilogy. It may be a small task for some (my wife) but it was a big one for me.
I actually do like to read, the subject matter is just a little different. I LOVE to read in foreign languages. I will read grammar books, text books, and even shampoo bottles. I have the Bible in 4 languages and will read any one of them on any given day. I think I read better in other languages because I have to focus to understand. I retain more when I read in another language.
My efforts to read to my child are focused on putting her in a better state than I am in now. I want her to love reading so that she can be as smart as she is fully capable of being. I also want to implement this in my teaching. I want my students to be able to read in a foreign language and to comprehend it. This includes reading out loud, something that I was never really taught how to do in French.
CLARK! I totally understand! I have to admit that really do not like reading! I always hated reading in my school years. Though Fahrenheit 451 was my favorite book because...well...they burned books and I was totally okay with that. I did do some reading when I was little. I read the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. I think that I liked them because there was danger and excitement and I could solve a mystery. When I pick up a book to read it has to catch in that first page, if not the second, otherwise I will put it down and never pick it up again. I think it is because I picture everything, so if the picture is boring why keep reading. That is why I have a hard time reading for class. There are no good pictures! I do have to say, though, that I see the value in be able to read and understand what you are reading. It is necessary to succeed in our society. That is why there is such a big emphasis on it. I just hope to find a way to get my students involved and engaged in the text more so that it does not seem so boring. By the way starting off your little girl with some great stories sounds like a great plan to me!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same. I really love reading. I don't read as frequently as I should, and I'm not particularly good at it, but it's great. I really love it. I feel sharper cognitively and more capable of articulating myself when I am frequently reading. Maybe it's because I am constantly being exposed to words.
ReplyDeleteI also speak a foreign language and I hear you. I love being able to look at short clips and translate them. However, my hat is off to you because I suck at it and can't do it for much more than a few paragraphs at a time. I suppose if I practiced a little more, I would get better.
I attended an ESL course once in which the professor told us that written words tend to have more Greco-Latin roots, whereas spoken words tend to have more Anglo-Saxon roots. He said that was one reason why it's so very important to read to your children: Even though parents with great vocabularies can speak with their kids, written language tends to have more sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure that can support kids' language development in ways that speech cannot. So--way to go! I love that you are getting a serious head start in supporting your daughter's literacy. It will provide a very strong foundation for her life. (I also think that, in today's society, playing letter games on the computer or on your I-pad will also provide a strong foundation.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great posting. :)
I agree, reading a book in another language, requires a lot more focus. I love being able to discover new meanings to old phrases, when you read a translation. What are some good books you have read in other languages? How did you find books in other languages?
ReplyDeleteI loved your article, and congradulation on being a father! That is so exciting. Good luck!