ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

Forward this issue to a friend

In her Exchange article, "A Joyful Journey to Literacy," now up on the home page of our web site, www.ChildCareExchange.com, Pam Schiller offers this advice for encouraging healthy reading habits....

"Just think how we celebrate children's first words and even their first sounds. We pick them up and hug and squeeze them. We laugh with glee. We have them say the words over the telephone to a distant relative or friend. We can't stop celebrating and reinforcing these remarkable achievements.

"Think about how we celebrate children’s first steps. Again we are exuberant. We have them demonstrate this new skill to everyone. We are happy at first just to see them stand with balance. Then one step delights us. Two steps is even more exciting. And when a child takes several steps between two loving parents she receives support from start to finish.

"Reading needs this same attention to celebration. It is equally as complex a task as speaking and walking. Find ways to celebrate each tiny accomplishment along the way to mastery. Bring in other children and teachers to listen to the group story your class has written. Build and develop class cheerleaders. Children are very interested in peer approval. Be sincerely enthusiastic about children’s ability to hear rhyming sounds. Encourage children to use a checklist to check off skills as they accomplish them. Have a Green Eggs and Ham Party when children become competent at injecting the predictable lines in the story."

ExchangeEveryDay

Delivered five days a week containing news, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.