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Environment of Early Readers
We have known that the home
environment plays an important role in the development of early readers for over a quarter
of a century. According to Jim Trelease, author of The New Read-Aloud
Handbook, two major studies* (one from the 1966 and one from 1975) have been
done on early readers as well as students who respond to early education without
difficulty. These studies show that the following four indicators were present in the
home environement of nearly every early reader.
The child is read to on a
regular basis. This reading included not only books, but billboards, signs, labels,
and more. The parents, by example, were avid readers.
Books, newspapers,
magazines, and comics were always available in the home.
Paper and pencils were also
available. Dolores Durkin explained, "Almost without exception, the starting point of
curiosity about written language was an interest in copying objects and letters of the
alphabet."
Finally, Trealease explains
that people in the child's home answered endless questions, praised the child's efforts,
used their local library frequently, bought books, wrote stories that their child dictated
and displayed their child's work prominently.
*Dolores Durkin, Children Who
Read Early (New York: Teachers College Press, 1966), and Margaret M. Clark, Young Fluent
Readers (London: Heinemann, 1976).
Visit Jim Tealease's website
a great site for anyone interested in children's reading and education. Special
emphasis is placed on the importance of reading aloud to children of all ages. |
