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Natalie Dal Pra
Ways to Encourage Reading and Writing
The pandemic has created a unique
set of educational challenges for children, including struggles with literacy. If you’ve found your child has lost interest in reading and writing over the last year and a half, you’re not alone. “Without the typical structure of a traditional classroom environment, it’s easy for kids to disengage,” explains Noah Wilke, an elementary education specialist with San Diego Unified schools. Strong reading and writing skills are the building blocks for a child’s future success, but encouraging reluctant learners can be a daunting task. Here are some simple steps for keeping literacy at the forefront of your family’s daily life.
Incorporate Literacy “It’s important to immerse young children in a literature-rich environment,” says Lois CoonsPeterson, an education specialist at Barnard Mandarin Magnet School in Pacific Beach. Coons-Peterson recommends labeling one syllable items around the
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house (such as “door” and “stove”) from an early age. Young children can also help parents write grocery lists before they head to the store together. “It’s OK for them to use invented/ phonetic spelling,” says CoonsPeterson. “Have them sound out and write ‘sireeal’ for cereal, ‘melk’ for milk—whatever they hear.” Wilke agrees that perfect spelling isn’t necessary when encouraging young writers. “I think to ‘sweat’ spelling too much with kids shouldn’t be a priority, but you can make notes or give quick tips,” Wilke says. “Show them how the word looks, what it sounds like and what the letters do together, but do not focus on it. Focus on exposing kids to language.”
Read Together Your pre-teens may think they’re too old for bedtime stories, but don’t nix the ritual completely. “Even if your child is reading independently, continue to read to and with them, ask questions about what they’re reading and have fun doing it,” says Wilke. “Good literature
will stick with them.” If your kiddo isn’t a fan of the classics, introduce them to comic books, graphic novels or poetry instead. In addition to finding books at your local library, children’s books are a popular item on Facebook “buy nothing” groups. Books can also be found at Little Free Libraries (LFL). Enter your zip code in the LFL world map at www.littlefreelibrary. org/ourmap to find one in your neighborhood.
Make Learning Fun It’s no secret that children are more likely to engage with a subject they’re interested in. When reading feels like a chore, kids tend to get bored easily and give up. Activities like cooking or baking (have kids read the recipe), participating in a book exchange with friends or following a discovery trail of Little Free Libraries are low pressure, but help spark interest. Incentives may keep kids motivated as well. “It’s all about making learning fun,” says Coons-Peterson. “Challenge
