Why read aloud? By Mariana De Luca

Vocabulary Development Total words (in millions) heard by a child by age 4.

Poverty and Illiteracy 70% to 82% of prison inmates are school dropouts. 60% of inmates are illiterate to semiliterate. 63 % of inmates are repeat offenders. (National Institute for Literacy. Fiske, Hodgkinson, 1989, as cited in Trelease, 2006) Why reading?

Reading is at the Heart of Education The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you are, the longer you stay in school. The longer you stay in school, the more diplomas you earn and the longer you are employed—thus the more money you earn in a lifetime. The more diplomas you earn, the higher your children’s grades will be in school. The more diplomas you earn, the longer you live. Why reading?

Poverty and Illiteracy are the Parents of Desperation and Imprisonment 2. The less you read, the sooner you drop out of school 3. The sooner you drop out, the sooner and longer you are poor. The sooner you drop out, the greater your chances of going to jail. 1. The less you read, the less you know. Why reading?

National Reading Report Card Why reading?

Why Read Aloud? To entertain To bond To inform or explain To arouse curiosity To inspire To associate reading with pleasure To create background knowledge To build vocabulary To provide a reading model (Trealese, 2006, p.4) Why reading?

Difficulties: Why don’t we read to children?

Solutions “Men are cast iron, but children are wax.” Horace Mann

Reading Environment The child is read to on a regular basis. A wide variety of printed material is available in the home. Paper and pencil are readily available for the child. The child’s interest in reading is stimulated by answering questions, praising the child’s effort to read or write Frequent visits to the library Writing and displaying stories that the child dictates. Solutions

Enhance learning Reading over and over (immersion) Providing role models. Superheroes –Mom, Dad, sister Providing a meaningful context Solutions

Expand your Child’s Attention Span One-on-one time between adult and child Listen to their comments, questions or answers attentively. Teach unfamiliar concepts before reading Turn off the TV and avoid distractions Select books appropriate for their age and interest. Solutions

Why reading? “Reading is the ultimate weapon,destroying ignorance, poverty,and despair.” Jim Trealease

“ What we learn in chilhood is carved in stone. What we learn as adults is carved in ice.” -David Kherdian

References Bauer, C. (1992). Read for the Fun of it. H.W. Wilson Trelease, J.(2006). The Read Aloud Handbook. Penguin Books.