Before having this job I was not aware or thoughtful about the process of learning how to read and did not think about the implications learning the English language presents. As I have learned and contemplated a lot about reading the past few months I am amazed that I was able to learn how to read. The English language is not the most straight forward language. I was reviewing one of our new manuals the other week and it was discussing all of the different sounds for each letter and I felt so much sympathy for anyone who is learning to read. It has to be overwhelmingly and difficult to remember all the rules for each letter and sound especially when those rules often contradict other rules. It is truly amazing what our brains are capable of retaining the rules of language and that anyone can learn to read.
As I learn more about reading and language development I am amazed that I was not a struggling reader as a child. Even to this day I know I do not completely understand the English language. Since having this job I am very aware of the discrepancies in my understanding of phonics and pronunciation. In the past I didn’t mind if I didn’t know how to pronounce a word and would make up my own pronunciation without a second thought. Now I am very conscious when I do not know the actual pronunciation of a word. I don’t think I will ever be entirely confident in my ability to pronounce every word I encounter in the English language. It’s a complicated language.
Today I read an article called "Reading to Kids a Crucial Tool in English Language Development" about the importance of parents reading to their children. The article referenced the research and opinions of George Georgiou, an educational psychology professor at the University of Alberta. The article brought up three important benefits of reading aloud to children:
1. Reading to a child is a positive activity which helps strengthen the bond between a parent and a child.
2. Reading to a child teaches a child that the parent values reading and creates positive reinforcement for the child to enjoy and engage in reading.
3. Reading to a child increases a child’s understanding of the rules and sounds in the English language.
The rest of this post will focus on the third benefit: reading to a child increases a child’s understanding of the rules and sounds in the English language. This concept is called orthography, the study of the letters and spelling in a language. English is a difficult language to learn because it does not have consistent rules of orthography. The rules of the English language allow letters to have multiple sounds, unlike some of the other languages. For example, Greek and Finnish only have one sound for each letter and are thus much easier to learn. The importance of reading aloud to children learning the English language is a result of this concept. Reading to children helps them learn the various sounds and language rules of the English language. Georgiou makes the following points about reading aloud to children:
"We have found that in English, you need a rich home literacy environment. It's absolutely necessary."
"In English, having someone read to you frequently as a child- explaining what the meaning of words are and playing around with the letters- makes a big difference as to whether you will become a good reader."
Read with your child today to provide your child with these 3 benefits!