The first step in promoting written language skills is providing children a language- rich environment. This is an environment in which parents and other adults actively engage in verbal communication with the child from birth. Engaging all children in verbal communication is critical; it is especially so for children with dyslexia, because it helps them accu-rately recognize the sounds of words and become familiar with rhythm, rhyme, and cadence, which characterize written and spoken language.
Spoken language skills will also help children with dyslexia develop the bypass strategies (see chapter 3 for a refresher) necessary to navigate terrain dense with written language.
Even the youngest child benefits from engaging in fun games of mimicking silly sounds and made- up speech. These games are most effective when the demands are kept well within the capacities of the child so that he or she succeeds and feels rewarded by the play. You’ll know what’s working by observing your child’s response. Stay attuned, pay attention, and let your child teach you what he or she needs most when it comes to developing spoken language. The two of you will have enormous success and fun with this kind of play. Play, after all, is nature’s best teaching tool, not only when learning to speak and listen but also when learning to read and write.
Following rich spoken language exposure, the next step is to read to your child daily. For a child with dyslexia, being read to is especially important because it may be the only way he or she will gain exposure to print, albeit indirectly. Even as children get older, hearing written lan-guage read aloud gives children with dyslexia the opportunity to recog-nize written language, which differs from spoken language in a number of significant ways. For example, spoken language tends to be more casual and does not always adhere to the same structure and rules of written language. Hearing written language helps children with dyslexia develop an ear for the structure and rules of written language.
Parents should aim to spend twenty minutes a day reading to or with their children. However, keep in mind that the quality of the interaction
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you have with your child while reading is more important than the length of time you spend reading. It’s better to read for only five minutes or skip reading altogether if it causes conflict between you and your child. Keep in mind that your child’s frustration threshold for reading will change frequently. That’s to be expected.
The strategies that follow are designed to help you thoughtfully tailor your approach to your child’s needs. Paying close attention to how your child responds to a strategy will help you gauge whether you should keep using that strategy or move on to another; it will also be your guide to how much reading your child is capable of doing on the day and even hour that you work together. Additionally, paying close attention to your child allows you to see he or she is learning. You will become aware of what skills your child has mastered and where he or she needs further assistance.
Create a calm space to read. Make sure there are few distractions, ample light, and comfortable seating.
Consider the distance between you and your child. Ask your child what seating arrangement he or she would like while you read together.
Your child may prefer to be sitting on your lap or seated nearby. When your child begins to do some of the reading, you might consider increas-ing the distance between the two of you. Many children are distracted when they feel their parents are looking over their shoulder as they read.
Sometimes, I close my eyes and rest my head on my hand to let the child know I’m enjoying being read to. I’ll occasionally say words of encour-agement to let the child know I’m listening— you can do the same.
Select reading material your child will enjoy. Children don’t choose to read a book based on its reading level. They choose it because it’s inter-esting or because it’s what their friends are reading. Your job is to help your child feel good about whatever it is that he or she wants to read. If your child chooses easier material, avoid making any comments about how easy it is; a child may take such comments to mean that you don’t value his or her efforts or preferences. If your child likes to read the same book over and over, that’s okay too.
88 Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities
Make the book relevant to your child. No matter what you’re reading together, find a way to express enjoyment, even if you find the material dry. Your enthusiasm will help your child find something relatable in the reading activity. If you need additional help to make the text meaning-ful, find film footage of the characters or events. If your child is assigned a novel, help him or her understand who the author is, perhaps even something the author and your child have in common.
Keep reading- together time fun. No matter who is reading, make sure your child enjoys the experience! This may mean that you do all of the reading until your child is eager to read a word or two, perhaps even a sentence. It’s far better to read to your child than to have him or her anxious and resistant about having to read aloud. A day may come when your child wants to read aloud. That’s great! But if he or she decides the following day not to read, that’s okay. Do not force your child to read aloud.
Consider pointing out words. Some children like when you point to each word as you read; others don’t. Ask your child what he or she prefers. It can also be helpful to hold a blue index card under the sen-tence being read. I have found that blue cards work best because they contrast with the white of the page, and eyes adjust easily to blue. This makes it easier for children to follow along while you read, or for them to stay focused while they read on their own.
A Few Thoughts on E- Readers
Many parents enjoy using electronic devices that read books aloud. There are a number of benefits of e- readers, including easing the demands of reading together and increasing the exposure a child has to oral reading. In my opinion, however, there is no substitute for a parent doing the reading to his or her child. Why? Because a child perceives the parent’s act of reading as a gesture of love and compassion. The extra effort on the part of the parent, especially when the reading is done in a playful and theatrical way, is sure to warm a child’s heart and allow him or her to feel closer to his or her parent.
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Try articles. Reading an article from a magazine or website can be very fun for middle and high schoolers. Though the articles may contain unfamiliar words or subject matter, children will really work at under-standing a piece if they are truly interested in it. The best thing about magazine articles is that they are usually not very long, so even if a child only reads a few paragraphs, he or she will have read a significant amount of the article.
Be a model reader. The late child therapist Edith Sullwold said,
“Children do not listen to what we say. They listen to who we are.” In short, being a model reader will make reading a habit for your child. If your child sees you reading in your free time, he or she will be more motivated to read in his or her free time; your interest in reading will spark your child’s interest. Take regular trips to the library, browse book-stores, and fill your home with a wide array of texts. In addition, you can model skilled reading. Think out loud: “Okay, what do I want to learn from this page?” “Oh, I see there’s an unusual word that appears several times on this page. I think it would be a good idea for me to figure out what it means before reading further.” “This story reminds me of a book I once read. In that book, two enemies ended up being best friends. I wonder if that will happen in this story too.”