Chicago for IRA

Just a quick post to update on a couple of items.

I have been in Chicago all week attending the International Reading Association's 2010 Convention. In addition to holding a seminar on spelling on Tuesday, I have met with several of my publishers and contacts to explore new projects and plan for the coming year.

While in Chicago, I received the final cover for my new book, Raising Confident Readers from my publisher, Da Capo Press.

 I like it. It shows a young dad reading with his son. I think it is important to recognize the fact that most children, if they are read to by a parent, are read to more often by their mother. So to have a picture of a man reading to his child is powerful and hopefully inspiring to a lot of dads out there.

Remember, the book is available July, 2010 but can be pre-ordered through Amazon.com.   Pre-Order Raising Confident Children

Also while in Chicago, my publisher Zaner-Bloser launched the new Spelling Connections textbooks. I am very excited about the series and proud of the work ZB has done on it to make it the most professional, technologically advanced, and effective spelling textbook on the market. The buzz at IRA is that many school districts are already very interested in purchasing the textbooks, which is great news in these challenging times for schools all over the country.

I firmly believe it is essential to put spelling back at the center of early childhood education. The research shows spelling is crucial to the process of learning to read and write. In states like California, where spelling was de-emphasized, reading abilities have suffered. So I am delighted that with Spelling Connections schools will have the tools available to enhance their students future academic and vocational success.

I have enjoyed my trip to Chicago. Having lived here from 1995 until 2003, I always love coming back to My Kind of Town. But, I do not miss the cold weather and Fort Lauderdale is calling me home. Although I did not get to see my beloved Cubs play, I did get to visit some great restaurants and see some of my old homes.

Chicago I will be reading about you and returning soon.

Do all children learn to read the same way?

I promised in my last blog post an answer to the following question:

Do all children learn to read the same way?

Contrary to popular opinion, the answer is YES!

All children learn to read the same way. They follow one clear path as they progress through literacy milestones in a consistent sequence of five literacy phases. The journey can begin as early as from birth to age 3 rather than waiting until children enter kindergarten at age 5. This phase development—whether early and informal or later through direct instruction—is not unlike the remarkably regular way that very young children progress through motor milestones or learn to speak in a consistent sequence. Seeing and understanding the five phases will open your eyes to any child’s literacy development.

So, what happens in Phase 0, from birth to age 3 if parents or caregivers start early?

 

Literacy development begins at birth with the laying down of neural circuitry for language which is foundational for later reading circuitry. In addition to language development, Phase 0 includes interest and joy in being read to, and later interest in marking, drawing, and scribbling—the precursors of writing and reading.

Did you know that almost all early readers write first and read later? Early readers not only have been read to, they are almost always “pencil and paper” kids. Very successful Montessori schools teach early literacy based on this model. The Phase 0 child loves books and literacy related activities because you enthusiastically engage her in literacy activity and entice her and this activity is meaningful, joyful, and fun!

In my next post, I will discuss what happens in Phase 1, age 3 to 5.

About My New Book
 

Pre-Order Raising Confident Readers

Many of the concepts and activities I discuss on this blog are elaborated in much more detail in my new book, Raising Confident Readers, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write, from Baby to Age 7. The first book to show parents how to teach reading, RCRs highlights what I have learned in over 30 years as an educator and researcher about best practice. Raising Confident Readers will be in bookstores and available online this summer with a release date of July 12, 2010. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Upcoming Events:

 Hope to see some of you at my session at the IRA Convention in Chicago!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

TEACHING SPELLING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

1:00-3:45 PM

Room E255, McCormick Convention Center, Lakeside, Level 2

Until next time, keep on reading...

Beginnings of a Confident Blog

CONFIDENT READERS are not born, but they can be made—naturally, lovingly, and joyfully—by a child’s first reading teacher: you. (Taken from J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D., Raising Confident Readers p.1) Come blog about beginning literacy with me!

Another blog? Just what the world needs, you say. But this blog, Raising Confident Readers, will serve a valuable purpose for parents, teachers, primary caregivers, and others interested in early childhood literacy—it will answer your questions about how to teach beginning reading and writing.

Over the next several months, and beyond we will discuss a wide range of topics. Most of our discussions will have a direct bearing on what you can do to help your child learn to read and write—birth to age 7 and beyond— and keep them on track for achieving success with literacy. Simple, common sense ideas will be put forward as well as more complex solutions involving collaboration between parents, teachers, and the school district.

Statements will be made, questions will be asked, and answers will be provided. So many teachers and parents with whom I come in contact, whether in my travels across the country or via phone, email, Twitter or FaceBook, are seeking help with their children and students. School districts are at a loss trying to decide what methodology is best for creating data driven progress monitoring systems and best-practice instruction. How best do we track each beginning reader, writer, and speller’s progress along a continuous literacy path? Parents are concerned that their child will not be properly prepared for kindergarten. How can the parent and preschool teacher take advantage of the critical period of brain development from birth to age four? Teachers see students who are well behind grade level and need guidance in determining where each child is in development and how to move him or her forward. Schools need assistance in choosing the right literacy programs, but beyond identifying the five critical areas of reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension—do decision makers in your district really understand how each of these components works in tandem on a natural developmental continuum for each child?

I look forward to having a discussion with you and sharing some of the insights and solutions I have gathered in my nearly 40 years of being a professional educator. Please send me your questions, share your experiences, and tell me the concerns you have about raising the confident readers in your life.

The road to Confident Readers starts here. Let's travel it together!

Our first feature, coming soon, will answer this question:

“Do all children learn to read the same way?”

You may be surprised at the answer!