January 27th is Family Literacy Day and Macaroni Kid would like to help encourage literacy in your home with the help of Barefoot Books. Fill out this form and be entered to win two of Barefoot Books most popular titles.
When you hear the word “literacy” what comes to mind?
When you hear the word “literacy” what comes to mind?
Most of us associate “literacy” with the ability to read and write. This type of literacy is hugely important, as we know. Reading ability is a strong predictor of overall academic success, so when families read together, it makes a big difference for children. Not only does reading together help children’s cognitive development, but it also strengthens your parent-child bond.
As much as we want our children to be book literate and academically successful, we are also concerned about our children’s character development. What kind of people will they grow up to be? We want them to be caring and socially conscious citizens of the world: self-confident, curious and compassionate. At Barefoot Books, we believe in cultivating “cultural” and “emotional” literacy, as well as “book” literacy.
Cultural Literacy
Research shows that children often draw incorrect conclusions about other cultures,
and that it’s important for adults to gently correct such misconceptions and challenge stereotypes through open conversation. Sharing stories from around the world is a great way to start a conversation about diversity!
Emotional Literacy
Through books and thoughtful discussions, we can help children feel confident in their unique identities, identify and express their feelings, and develop empathy towards others. Like reading, math or science, emotional literacy can be taught, but it requires dedicated time and attention. Reading books that address social and emotional issues opens the door for conversation and helps children understand their own experiences.
10 Tips on Reading with Children
- Be a role model — show your child how much you enjoy reading.
- Share what you read so that your child links words with interesting information. Reading instructions from a recipe, a new game or a packet of seeds all help.
- Create reading routines. Set aside a special time every day (or more than one). Bedtime is popular, but breakfast works too!
- Don’t worry about finishing the story; if your child wants to linger over a particular scene or episode, let her lead.
- Choose books that you enjoy and show that you are enjoying them.
- Be adventurous; find books that explore different themes and topics.
- Ham up the narrative. Use funny voices when the dialogue invites this.
- Vary the pace of your delivery to create a sense of drama.
- Ad-lib if you want to, and let your child feel free to do the same.
- Acknowledge and encourage your child’s responses to the story and talk about what you think of the characters and the story line.
