Pleasurable pursuit

By JOHN DORAISAMY 

MANY reasons could be advanced by a teacher if a student were to pose the question, Please teacher, why should I read? Reading is a good or wholesome pastime. An old proverb says that the idle man’s brain is the devil’s workshop. Reading keeps the mind fully occupied. It is, I daresay, far better to be “hooked’ on reading books, newspapers, magazines or comics rather than be drawn to narcotics. 

Over the years, teachers have urged their students to read widely. That is the ideal way of developing confidence in language usage. Grammar is also mastered with relative ease through sheer familiarity. In Malaysia, it is openly acknowledged that general reading is not yet widespread. In buses, trains and aircraft, people seem to prefer to chat with a fellow traveller or just sit and stare in front of them. 

In England, to take a random example, people read as they travel to and from work or to the shops. Over a period of time, the individual becomes a citizen of a well-informed community. The mastery of reading by children requires cooperation between home and school. There must be a variety of print materials in the home. The more young children see parents and elders reading, the greater the probability that they will also take to reading. 

William James in his essay On A Certain Blindness In Human Beings relates the experience of a missionary in the depths of Africa. As he sat on the verandah of a bungalow reading a periodical, a crowd had gathered. They stood watching for a long time. Eventually one person approached the reader and quite reverentially, asked whether he could buy some of the “eye medicine” that the missionary was absorbing.

The illiterate ones, whether young or old, are unable to grasp the link between the human being and the printed page. Yet it is this mysterious activity that has to be promoted more vigorously by Malaysian teachers and parents. There is really no substitute for wide reading. Students will steadily obtain deeper insights into the use of tenses as well as increase their stock of vocabulary. It doesn’t matter what sorts of fiction or non-fiction a student is interested in. 

Adolescent boys will take to detective and mystery stories, as well as to ghost stories and adventure and war settings. Girls may prefer romances and family chronicles. In the course of time, students may, of their own accord, try reading the classics or simplified versions of them. “Never put adult heads on adolescent shoulders” was the advice traditionally given to teacher trainees with regard to reading for secondary school students.

In 1975, a report entitled A Language For Life was published in Britain. It contains the findings and recommendations of a committee headed by Sir Alan Bullock. There are many useful observations and practical suggestions for all parents and language teachers.

The Bullock Report declares that the best way to prepare the very young child for reading is to hold him on your lap and read aloud to him stories that he likes over and over again. The printed page, the physical comfort and security, the reassuring voice, and the fascination of the story itself all combine in the child’s mind to identify books as something which hold great pleasure. I quote from paragraph 7.6 of the report: 

“Every time a parent reads aloud to a child, the child is learning that by some curious means the lines of print can be converted into stories which he can enjoy.”

IMAGINATION

source:www.wallpapersforall.com/imagination-wallpaper-2/

 

 “There’s no use trying,” Alice said, “One can’t believe impossible things.”  

“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. 

“When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. 

Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass -

by Carol Read's ABC of Teaching Children

We may not subscribe to the White Queen’s idea of a daily half-hour of imagination practice or set our children homework to believe six impossible things before breakfast. However, if we ignore the importance of developing children’s imagination – and the other side of the coin, which is teaching imaginatively ourselves – we are likely to be far less effective with our classes, whatever their age.

Imagination is to do with conceptualising and visualising with our ‘mind’s eye’. It is to do with thinking ‘outside the box’ and believing that things apparently not real or possible could be or are. Through using our imaginations we generate fresh thinking and new ideas. Through teaching imaginatively in a way that integrates, builds on and develops the imagination, children become better at such things as:

• asking ‘good’ questions
• thinking creatively
• solving problems
• understanding concepts from other areas of the curriculum
• seeing different points of view
• empathising with others
• evaluating their own and others’ ideas
• thinking in images
• remembering and memorizing
• goal-setting
• relating what they learn to other things they know
• expressing and communicating their ideas (whether verbally, or visually through drawing, or kinesthetically through mime or drama).

When we look for opportunities in our teaching to build on children’s natural capacity to imagine in order to help them learn language, there are a number of other significant benefits too:

• Children become more engaged in their learning.
• They feel greater “ownership” of what they learn.
• There is a higher level of involvement and participation.
• Children feel their ideas are valued.
• They develop greater self-confidence and self-esteem.
• They become more respectful of, and willing to listen to, others.
• There is increased humour and enjoyment in lessons.
• Children’s concentration spans increase.
• Their behaviour improves.

English at home - Exploring English

by Keith W. Wright

To help your children improve their English, use the language constantly and share the joy of reading.  

While many of the e-mails I receive in response to Exploring English come from teachers, tutors and students, in recent times I have received quite a number of e-mails from parents who are keen to help their children improve their English.

My daughter Alison, who has a PhD in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and is a senior university lecturer in Australia, once told me that the most important people in the world are mothers and pre-school teachers as they have the most significant and profound influence on a child’s education potential. 

While she is biased being both a mother and an ECE teacher, there is obvious merit in her contention. As an educator, I appreciate the importance of parents having knowledge that will equip them to better assist their children in their education journey. 

I am also aware that many teachers and tutors, as well as some older students, are parents themselves, and that some of the techniques that apply to education in the home are also applicable to the classroom. I hope the columns that will be run over the next few weeks will be of interest to most readers. 

Reading together 

Reading is often one of the six macro English skills that parents seem to focus on, and for that reason, this column shall begin with that skill. 

It is important that parents regularly read and tell stories to their young children. Share the joy of reading with them while using expression to emphasise the characters, their roles and feelings. Stories come alive this way and children can learn that the potential of books is limited only by their imagination.

 

source: sxc.hu

 There is value in the everyday interaction and enjoyment that accompanies reading together. Parents should use the “lap-reading” approach to make early reading very personal and pleasurable. 

Moreover, adopting the practice of letting your children choose the book they want you to read to them – even if it is the same one night after night – has its benefits. 

Learning with new technologies

WHY, HOW AND WHEN SHOULD MY CHILD LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE?

by Kathleen Marcos

Most experts agree that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that the child will become truly proficient in the language. A February 1996 Newsweek article made the claim that "A child taught a second language after the age of 10 or so is unlikely ever to speak it like a native." This statement is supported by linguists and has been proven in extensive research studies.

In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with more people, children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the work force by opening up additional job opportunities.

What Are the Benefits of Knowing a Second Language?

 

Students of foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized tests conducted in English. In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. In addition, the average mathematics score for individuals who had taken 4 or more years of foreign language study was identical to the score of those who had studied the same number of years of mathematics. These findings are consistent with College Board profiles for previous years. 

 

Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a deeper understanding of their own and other cultures. Some evidence also suggests that children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems. The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, improve global communication, and maintain our political and security interests.

WHAT IS IMMERSIVE LEARNING?

The only way to learn a foreign language the way you learn your mother tongue.

"Immersion" means "diving in". The entire environment in which children play is immersed in the foreign language. Children encounter the foreign language in a natural way - literally taking a bath in the language, soaking it up. This method is most successful and thoroughly researched learning and teaching method for foreign languages in the world. It is scientifically proven that a child learns more and acquires skills faster in the first three years of life than at any point thereafter. The brain grows quickly. It receives new signals from the environment through all its sense organs, which must be correctly orientated. The learning process is constantly in motion. The more frequently stimuli are encountered, the ber their influence on the child’s mind. The more they’re accompanied by positive experiences, the more successful the learning process is. Parents cannot influence the physical development of a child’s brain, but they can stimulate and promote mental development. Parents must be careful in this period to offer the right things at the right time, and not to overwhelm the child with distractions. The sooner one exposes a child to a foreign language, the better. They absorb the melody and accent of the foreign language. Children will soak up the foreign language like a sponge. If they already know a few English words by the time they enter pre-school or kindergarten, their self-confidence will be strengthened. They will have connected a great experience of success with the English language and will more easily begin to build up their vocabulary.

How can I provide an immersive English environment for my child?

Since birth, your child has been surrounded by your native language. He or she already knows how to speak and understand it just by being exposed to it by family and friends, in and out of the home, through radio and television and through teachers during this early stage of mental development. He or she learned without even trying. Imagine trying to teach your child English in the same way - you might try to raise your child in an English-speaking community. You spend weeks or months in England or America so that your child will see and hear only English and begin to pick it up. You might try to provide days of exposure to English with special teacher. But these options are not all realistic, and they require you to thrust your child out of his or her home environment and force it to learn. "Discover English with Ben and Bella" provides you with a better model: hours a day of immersion in English for your child at play.

How does "Discover English with Ben & Bella" provide an immersive environment?

“Discover English with Ben & Bella” is an integrated program of DVDs, CDs, books and activities providing animated cartoons, live-action song and dance videos, sing-a-longs, stories and games. It follows the saying: One builds a tower with bricks; a language with words. In their first years children learn their mother tongue by connecting the things they see with words their mother say. Mothers instinctively repeat the names of things several times. If, for example, a mother gives her child a ball to play with, she says, “Look, a ball! Here is a ball!” If the mother doesn’t want the child to forget what she says, then she says it loudly and repeatedly. She says it with emphasis: “Be careful, hot! The oven is hot!”

The animated videos of “Discover English with Ben & Bella” follow this principle exactly. The English words spoken when the associated objects are shown, and then repeated. For example, Bella says “Look Ben, A Cow! A Cow!” At that moment you see a brown cartoon of a cow on the screen. The same principle applies in the scenes in which the children dance. The lyrics match the actions, making meaningful connections with the new language. And so after a while the children automatically sing the English words and understand their meaning. In addition, the children are immersed in a completely new world, in which everything takes place in English. They take a language bath, and have a lot of fun, which only increases their success learning the language. This is what immersive learning is all about.

To see, hear and sing the English language, as well as to play, paint and dance – so that all senses are engaged and children have fun. Each child can discover English like its mother tongue with this multi-facetted product. They learn through play with the product, by repeating the words, singing and dancing. This learning environment is enhanced by the accompanying activity and sticker books. The additional activities and puzzles keep children involved in Ben & Bella’s world even when they aren’t watching or singing along, and you will be able to play along, quizzing your child on the English names of the characters and objects depicted.  It doesn’t matter if parents do not know English themselves, they can just point to something on the page or in the puzzle and ask their children to name it. By playing along (or watching, or even singing along) with their children, they can dramatically deepen the immersive experience and make the program even more effective. And they might learn English, too.

http://benandbella.com/

STIMULATING CHILD DEVELOPMENT

The development of your child is a complex and involved process, spanning a number of different physical and mental elements. Encouraging the mental development of your child, in terms of sociality, intellect and emotion is crucial in raising a well-rounded child to progress to adulthood, although it can often be quite difficult to think of creative and effective ways to stimulate this kind of development in your child. Given its importance, this kind of child development should be conducted both in and out of the classroom environment, to provide a consistent, efficient approach to growth and mental strength. In this article, we will look at some of the ways you as a parent can help stimulate your child's development.

Stimulating child development is a crucial part of raising a child, and requires creativity as much as consideration and thought for the requirements of mature thought and intellect. As a parent, it can often be hard to understand how best to stimulate your child intellectually, and of course there are no rulebooks telling you how it must be done. A great deal of the process comes down to exercising common sense, and understanding the needs and requirements of your child. Through constant interaction with your child, you can help gain a better understanding of the emotional and physical needs which you should then cater to whilst pushing for intellectual development and challenge.

As a parent, you should actively look to immerse your child in reading and writing suitable for their stage of development, whilst also prompting basic numeracy and problem solving capabilities. This combined with the opportunity for creative expression should be a great way to encourage your child and build confidence, as well as creating and strengthening the social bond between parent and child. This kind of interaction and stimulation will ultimately improve your child's social skills, and help emphasise the importance of emotional intelligence, as a supplement to social and academic intelligence.

By providing a range of activities for your child to accomplish, and providing praise and reward for successful completion, you can make learning and development fun for your child, and install a sense of passion as regards learning and self improvement. Through providing constant stimulation for your child, in balance with an emphasis on self dependence, you can create a suitable environment for personal and social development as your child ages and matures.

Child development is not set in stone, and it can be quite difficult to get it perfect every time. Similarly it takes a bit of getting to know your child and interaction on a parental basis, which again will differ from family to family. What is important, however, is that you present a consistent approach to parenting, providing the levels of intellectual and emotional stimulation required by your child at the various stages of development to raise your child to its full potential. By working in-sync with your local school and the educational development of your child, you can give him or her the best chance of success later down the line.

- Rebecca Walker -

www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/stimulating-child-development-187019.html

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING

Preschool education is a hot topic among parents and early childhood educators today. If you are the parent of a preschooler (or younger child) you need to ask yourself why you should care about preschool learning. There are three key reasons why you should not only concern yourself with your child's preschool education but become actively involved in it as well.

First, you must remember that preschool education is the foundation for your child's education. The skills and knowledge (not to mention aptitude and attitude) that your child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on your child's success when formal schooling begins as well as life success. Today we expect children to know more by the time they start kindergarten. While previous generations learned basics like color identification and the alphabet in school, today's children are expected to possess these basic skills by the time they start kindergarten.

Another reason to care about your child's preschool education is that by actively promoting and encouraging your child's preschool learning you will promote his or her self esteem as well. Help your child gain confidence by making learning fun and easy at this age and you will help make your child an eager lifelong learner.

Finally, preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge and skill set. Do you want your child to be at the head of the class or lagging behind?

Concerning yourself with your child's preschool learning does not mean you have to enroll your child in a formal preschool program. You can work with your child at home if you prefer. The important thing is that you make sure your child is working to learning the skills they will need to prepare for kindergarten and learning to read.

You should care about your young child's preschool education because preschool learning is the foundation for formal education, it can boost your child's self esteem, and it can give your child the edge they need for lifelong success.

http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/14217/education/preschool_education_why_should_you_care_about_preschool_learning.html