I'm currently reading a fabulous, enlightening book called Mind In the Making by Ellen Galinsky. The book gives practical suggestions for helping children develop essential life skills and clearly explains the research that shows why these skills are important. The book is so great, I wish I had read it sooner!
One of the strategies that is discussed is helping children make connections between prior knowledge and experiences and what they are currently learning or doing. For example, when reading with your child, you can encourage them to use clues in the book to answer questions or make inferences.
I've been working on being more present when I read to Z-man. Pointing out details. Asking questions like "What do you think the construction team uses that tool for?" or "What might happen next?" We've recently been looking to previous pages in the book if we can't remember something, like what toy the lego kid brought on the plane. When he doesn't know the answer, I think aloud. "Hum, I don't remember either. I wish I knew where I could find that answer...I think I saw it somewhere in the book already. I wonder where..." We turn back through the pages to find the answer. He tries to "spy" (a favorite word) the answer before I do.
Today, Z and I spent much of our three hour train ride from New York reading. One of our favorite sing-along books, Down by the Station, by Jennifer Riggs Vetter, references a throttle on an airplane. He asked what a throttle is. I said I couldn't remember either and then asked where we could find the answer (and suggestively pulled out a few other transportation books). Z-man found a cockpit in another book and spied a throttle, answering his own question. He was so proud of himself for figuring it out. We then talked about the airplane trips we had taken and the chance we had had to walk in a cockpit on one of these trips.
One of the strategies that is discussed is helping children make connections between prior knowledge and experiences and what they are currently learning or doing. For example, when reading with your child, you can encourage them to use clues in the book to answer questions or make inferences.
I've been working on being more present when I read to Z-man. Pointing out details. Asking questions like "What do you think the construction team uses that tool for?" or "What might happen next?" We've recently been looking to previous pages in the book if we can't remember something, like what toy the lego kid brought on the plane. When he doesn't know the answer, I think aloud. "Hum, I don't remember either. I wish I knew where I could find that answer...I think I saw it somewhere in the book already. I wonder where..." We turn back through the pages to find the answer. He tries to "spy" (a favorite word) the answer before I do.
Today, Z and I spent much of our three hour train ride from New York reading. One of our favorite sing-along books, Down by the Station, by Jennifer Riggs Vetter, references a throttle on an airplane. He asked what a throttle is. I said I couldn't remember either and then asked where we could find the answer (and suggestively pulled out a few other transportation books). Z-man found a cockpit in another book and spied a throttle, answering his own question. He was so proud of himself for figuring it out. We then talked about the airplane trips we had taken and the chance we had had to walk in a cockpit on one of these trips.
Z-man has been pretending to be an airplane pilot since. Let's just hope he doesn't want to ditch his already purchased Halloween costume to sport his new favorite occupation!
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