Reading_and_Writing_Development

Reading and Writing Development AED 202 -Child Development One learns to speak to express one’s feelings and communicate with others. One learns skills that are vital to the development of literacy during early language development. Reading and writing are essential to help one function not only in school, but on the job and out in society as well. Introduction to reading from an early age helps a child throughout different stages of development as well as of different stages in his or her life. The two age groups that I find to be the most interesting would be Early Childhood (two-six years) and Middle Childhood (six-ten years). Even though these two age groups are very close in age, they are very different in physical and mental development. I believe that these are the most important years of development and for learning because these are the years that children start going to school; whether it is preschool or elementary school it is a new beginning for these two age groups. With the help of a child’s teachers and parents a child is able to learn and retain information that is important to their development. Both teachers and parents can help a child’s development in both a positive or negative manner. During Early Childhood children begin to learn how to imitate sounds, words, facial expressions, and a multitude of other sights and sounds they see and hear on a daily basis. As a child ages they begin to speak more clearly and begin to understand words and their meaning. He or she will also begin to want to discover their world around them by coloring, doing crafts, and drawing. Most children begin to attend a type of preschool between the ages of three to four years old. Children learn some of the most important lessons at this age; they learn to share with others, make friends, reading, writing, problem solving, as well as many other things. Early childhood children do not have a long attention span when they enter preschool. It is difficult for them to sit still for long periods of time; therefore, it is difficult for them to sit still long enough to understand the concept of reading. Children enjoy having a story read to them by their parent(s) or care giver but they will rarely remain stationary long enough to read an whole book. It is important that parents work with their children at home as well as their teachers do with them in school. Some activities that parents can provide to their children to help develop his or her reading and writing skills is to read to him or her on a daily basis, use flash cards, teach them to write his or her name, and allow the child to read a book to his or her parents at bed time. It is important to make sure a child spends time with other children outside of the home to develop other skills such as sharing. As a teacher I would make sure that any homework I assigned would involve both the child and the parents. As a child’s skills develop I believe as a teacher it is my duty to show the parents of the children in my class how their efforts are advancing their child’s skills in reading and writing. At the beginning of the school year I would test the child on reading, writing, cooperation with other children, and how well the child shares with others. Once I have determined the results of the test I would have a parent/teacher conference with each child’s parents to show them how their child is developing and what areas may need to be improved upon. One thing I remember about kindergarten, first and second grade is watching educational programs on the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS). As a teacher I would I would provide this type of educational programs two days per week. These programs allow the children to learn to count, how to say their alphabet, how to write their alphabet, and how to use their words properly. However, it is important for parents to realize that the television is not a permanent babysitter and that not everything on television is appropriate for children. During Middle Childhood children begin to develop more skills from their environment. As a teacher I would attempt to work with my students on a one on one basis at least once per week. This way I could determine if a student needed any help with his or her development in any area. If I find that a particular student is having problems with a certain subject I would consult with his or her parents to allow them to become more involved with their child’s development at home. It is important for the child’s parent(s) to remain active in the child’s development at this stage in their development. During this stage of development children should be comfortable with reading and how to write and spell simple words. Children will learn more words, become better at spelling, and become more familiar with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Activities that can be done at school as well as at home would be the continuation of the use of flash cards. As a teacher I could work with the children in my classroom to make flash cards that they can take home and study with their parents. At this stage of development children will begin to ascertain the meaning of the materials they are reading. They will be able to draw their own conclusions based on the book they are reading. Children at this stage of development are able to clarify things that contradict each other or things that do not make sense to them. As a teacher I would assign an appropriate book for the children of my class to read and require them to write a book report on the given materials. This way I will be able to determine if any of my students need any one on one attention with regards to any of their development skills. These book reports will also help prepare them for their futures in their scholastic endeavors. It is important to remember that effective writing and reading skills are as important for effective communication as the ability to speak and listen. These skills are not just the basic set of skills that are taught in school; reading and writing are a vital part of each person’s life since reading and writing are the basis of written communication. Reading skills function as the foundation for writing. Once developed and mastered, effective reading skills give one the opportunity to learn about the world around them and improve their writing skills.