Child Crafting

Here is a simple chart to illustrate why reading to your child during his/her early years is so beneficial.

Reading Readiness

So start reading!

“The time to start reading to a child as soon as he can sit on your lap.” - Angelo Patri

Since this post is pretty short, let’s end off with a meaningful poem.

The mind of a child is a beautiful place,
An Eden where many things grow,
A garden of beauty where sheltered by love
Grow flowers in row upon row.

The mind of a child is a wonderful place
Where wishes and dreams are quite real,
And kittens and puppies and gingerbread men
Can talk and can actually feel.

The mind of a child is a mystical place
Where character grows like a tree
And children become either better or worse
From actions of you or of me.

- Herbert Parker

I Took a Piece of Plastic Clay
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day-
And as my fingers pressed it, still
It moved and yielded to my will.

I came again when days were past
The bit of clay was hard at last.
The form I gave it, still it bore,
And I could change that form no more!

I took a piece of living clay,
And gently fashioned it day by day,
And molded with my power and art
A young child’s soft and yielding heart.

I came again when years were gone:
It was a man I looked upon.
He still that early impress bore,
And I could fashion it never more.

There is a long way to go, and you can’t guide your child every step of the way. What you can do is to help your child develop the skills and knowledge necessary for success in life. That’s a very important responsibility.

Learning starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues throughout life. Early learning begets later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure breeds later failure. Success or failure at this stage lays the foundation for success or failure in school, which in turn leads to success or failure in post-school learning. Recent studies of early childhood investments have shown remarkable success and indicate that the early years are important for early learning. Moreover, early childhood interventions of high quality have lasting effects on learning and motivation. As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age - a time when it may be too late to intervene.

James J. Heckman, PhD, 2000 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences

Nurture is more important than nature when it comes to developing your child’s capabilities. You may not be able to control how smart your child is at birth, but you dictate their intellectual development from than on.

Language is the doorway to all knowledge, and it all starts with reading and talking to your child. The neurological foundations for rational thinking, problem-solving and general reasoning is largely established by the age of one, and spoken words have a staggering encroachment on the baby’s brain development. Some researchers believe the number of words an infant hears each day is the single most important predictor of later intelligence, school success and social competence.

British researchers discovered that a new-born baby was able to discern a tune that was played to the mother during the 20thweek of pregnancy. Research has also concluded that infants are able to identify and generalize simple rules about the patterns of language and grammar. Do not doubt your child’s learning ability at birth. It is never too early to start reading and talking to your child.

Talking

Talking to your baby is one of the first interactive stimulation they experience.  Repeated experience are what wires a child’s brain. Even during pregnancy, an unborn child is tuning into the tonal pattern of the mother’s voice. Through speaking to frequently, a six month old can discern vowel sounds, the foundation of speech. Talking to your child often can also markedly speed up the process of learning new words. The high-pitched, singsong speech style known as Parentese will help your child connect objects with words. Indeed, you are your child’s first and most important teacher.

What you can do

First month: Low stimulation to reduce stress and increase the infant’s wakefulness and alertness. When talking, avoid distracting noises, like radio.

Months 1 to 3: Light/dark contours, like high-contrast pictures or objects, foster development in neural networks that enocde vision.

Months 3 to 5 : Vision gives most information. Use increasingly complex designs that are real objects in the baby’s environment and use motion to get attention and to impress   words.

Months 6 yo 7: The infant becomes aware of cause and effect. Talk about and show situations. For example, how turning a doorknob can open a door.

Months 7 to 8: Sounds are linked to a meaningful activity or object. Running water in the bathroom signals a bath.

Months 9 to 12: Sensory and motor skills coordinate. Let the child use a tap or a light switch, under supervision. More physical interaction can be done when speaking.

Months 13 to 18: The toddler’s brain can handle a rich environment. Be creative.

- Referenced from Dr William Staso’s study

Reading

“People cannot become truly knowledgeable without being excellent readers. While multimedia systems can use video and sound to deliver information in compelling ways, text is still one of the best ways to convey details.

“I try to make time for reading each night. In addition to the usual newspapers and magazines, I make it a priority to read at least one newsweekly from cover to cover. If I were to read only what intrigues me I would finish the magazine the same person I was when I started. So I read it all.”

- Bill Gates

Indeed, books and reading of books are an vital in learning. And as in the cultivation of any habit, the reading habit must be formed from young.  Your child will have a huge advantage in school having gained reading skills.

“The kit, put together by the organisers of National Reading Month (NRM), includes tips to parents on how to recognise and develop reading skills in their children, as well as book lists on parenting and post-natal care.

Five thousand of these kits were sent out to mothers in the maternity wards of Singapore hospitals this month. When the NRM ends on Sept 30, babies will have goggled, gugled and perhaps nibbled their way through the little board book that was included in the kit.

Entitled Poldy’s Friends, from Early World of Learning, it is a brightly coloured picture book on animals…”

- Exerpt from The Straights Times, Monday September 9 1991

Apparently, Singapore has acknowledged the importance of cultivating a reading habit right from the start. Do not be bothered if you did not get that kit though, as there are some helpful tips below.

Promote Interest
Read aloud to your child often and provide them with plenty of reading materials. Cuddle them as you read and be expressive such that they enjoy it. Take a journey down to the library with them for member enrolment. The young child will associate reading with some of the best things in life - family, security, happiness and a feeling of being loved, and the desire to read will carry on into later life.

Be an Example
Research shows that children model their own behaviour on their parents’. Parents who read broadly and zealously (books, magazines, newspaper etc), and go through encyclopedias and maps for information will establish in their children that reading is an enjoyable activity. Peer group influence by parents and friends is very significant.

Foster Reading Readines     (see also)
A good language foundation is vital to reading interest. Children dislike things they are bad at. A good vocabulary can be imparted through frequent reading to and conversing with the child. Appropriate exposure to TV programs are beneficial too. Sight vocabulary can be fostered by pointing out signs and banners (for example). Above all, encourage them to speak.

 Know Their Standard
The last thing to do is to coerce your child to read. It is a sure-fire method of removing any last interest in reading. Make sure your child is eager to begin (see Foster Reading Readiness). But be sure to be actively involved once your child is ready! Start of with nursery rhymes and picture books which have simple words. Even the handling of books and and even toys that look like books will cause the child to be more confident when they begin reading.

 Method
Many parents are concerned if they are using the right method for teaching. The fact is they themselves are the key factor, not the method. Help your child believe in him/her own abilities and build a good self-esteem. Comparing your child with a more capable sibling can be very detrimental.

Selective Reading
Tactful persuasion is the key here. Your child will soon have a favourite story he/she wants repeatedly. Read it, but try to find opportunities to go into another story. Even repeating the same story would let your child realise the enjoyment of reading. Do not forbid your child from comics, but read it occasionally with them, while tactfully directing him/her to better materials. 

“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” - Mark Twain

Difficulties
Babies are exceptionally sensitive to negative emotions, and adversely affected by them. A peaceful emotional setting is ideal for learning. Also note that longer words does not always equate to greater difficulty. A noun like “dinosaur” would be conveniently linked to a mental picture for the child, but the word “an” would be more abstract and harder to grasp.

Be sure not to underestimate your child. A 4 year old child Andreana, who was nurtured from young to read, was able to go through a book by Hemingway. Be sure to realize your child’s potential!

 ”The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” - Mark Twain

Physical growth of the brain from birth to adulthood

Babies are born with super dense brains, having billions of brain cells. The connections among brain cells are called synapses, and are what allows learning to occur. These synapses developes with environmental stimulation and inputs. However, they are destroyed if not used. Emotional distress also have a detrimental effect on the development of synapses.

Infancy is a period of rapid, decelerating physical growth. This includes the growth of the brain too. This is why it is so important to stimulate the brain from the very beginning. A typical 3-year-old has twice the number of synapses—connections among brain cells—as an adult. This is because after age 3, children lose synapses they do not use.

What does this mean for parents?

Parents should provide intellectual and language stimulation-talking, singing, reading to, and playing with infants. Be cautious not to stress your child as it would be counterproductive. Also, nurturing and responsive care should be provided to facilitate attachment. By cuddling your child and aiding them whenever necessary, positive emotional bonds can be established. These bonds not only enhance feelings of security but will also protect infants’ brains from damaging environmental influences.

According to educational experts, children spend only about 16% of their time in school while 84% is spent under home influence. The percentage of time spent at home is greater when the child is younger. Learning does not begin when your child walks through the classroom door. Learning begins at home.

You may not control the physical growth of the brain, but you can determine what goes into it!