The Reading Nook Summer Programs 2010

If you are looking for Reading Programs this summer, you may want to inquire about The Reading Nook's programs for your children. Since Bea is going to be Grade 1 this incoming SY, I'm going to let her take the Beginning Filipino class under Teacher Ricah =)

The Reading Nook is a home-based Children’s Library in Makati City run by a former English Teacher, textbook author and DepEd Consultant. Here, children from ages 2-and up are exposed to the joy of the wonderful world of books through programs that start with developing pre-reading skills to appreciation of children’s literature.

For Summer 2010, choose a Reading Nook program that best fits your child:

Pre-Reader Program
Description: The 10-Session Pre-Reader Program is for toddlers (2-3 yrs. old) who need to increase their vocabulary and start building up on pre-reading skills . The Program focuses on learning the Letters of the Alphabet, Letter Sounds and Vocabulary Building (shapes, colors, numbers and animals). The End Objective is for the toddler to improve speaking skills through an increase in vocabulary words learned. Story-Telling included in every session. Fee: P3,500

Beginning Reader Program
Description: The Beginning Reader Program is for kids (3-4 yrs. old) who have existing knowledge of the letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds. This program moves to the identification of the Upper and Lower Case Letters of the Alphabet and the Mastery of Letter Sounds. Other topics to be taken up are Pre-school Fine Motor Skills such as tracing, cutting and drawing; Pre-School Thinking Skills on matching, coloring, and finding the difference; Pre-School Concepts such as large and small, opposites, more or less, and same or different are also introduced. End Goal is for the child to be able to read 3-letter words. Story-telling included in every session. Students can borrow and take home books from the library. Fee: P3,500. Materials: P500

Continuing Reader Program (A)
Description: The Continuing Reader Program (A) is for children (4-5 yrs. old) who have already mastered the Upper and Lower Cases of the Alphabet and their corresponding sounds; can identify simple beginning sounds in 3-letter words, have good pencil grip and have previous experience tracing the letters of the alphabet. The program moves to the Identification of Beginning, Middle and Ending Letter Sounds; Making 3- letter Words with the Vowels a, e, i, o, u; actual reading of 3-letter words and introduction to sight words. The end objective is to be able to read simple sentences (eg., The cat is on a mat). Story-telling included in every session. Students can borrow and take home books from the library. Fee: P3,500. Materials: P500

Continuing Reader Program (B)
Description: The Continuing Reader Program (B) is for school-age children (5-6 yrs. old group & 6-7 yrs. old group) who are existing readers, with adequate skills on reading sentences and mini-paragraphs and have mastered their handwriting skills. This Program is a combination of enhancing Reading and Speech Communication Skills. Children in this program are tasked to read 3 primary category/young adult books and to come up with 3 simple book projects based on what they have read. Students in this program also develop their Speaking Skills since they will be taught how to do story-telling on their own. Students can borrow and take home books from the library. Fee: P3,500. Materials: P500

Individual Programs
Description: The Individual/Personalized Programs are for children from all ages needing special supervision on their reading and language skills. A 10-session Program is created for the child after initial assessment is made by the teacher. Schedule and fees to be discussed between parent and teacher.

Beginning Filipino
Description: This is a basic preparatory course on the Filipino Language for students who are about to take the Filipino subject in their own schools for the coming school-year. Fee: 3,500

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“Happy is he who has laid up in his youth, and held fast in all fortune, a genuine and passionate love of reading.”

Encouraging your Child to Learn Filipino

If you notice these days, Filipino children are more conversant and fluent in the English language rather than in the Filipino language, more known as Tagalog.

The initial assumption for this prioritization of speaking in English here in the Philippines is of course, rooted in socio-economic implications. However, if you look closely, it is actually harder for a child to learn Filipino than English because of the variety of the former's phonology (sounds). Pardon me for this over-simplified explanation:

From the original 20-letter ABAKADA (remember this song?) it has now metamorphosed into ang Makabagong Alpabetong Pilipino, all the 26 letters of the English alphabet plus 2: ñ and ng.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beb5SU1yzX8&feature=related

Imagine all the possible consonant-vowel combinations of an expanded alphabet! Can the child go through all of these?

Apart from this, try asking your child to produce the ng sound as the first sound in the word. Example: Ang titik ng sa salitang ngipin, at ngayon. I'm pretty sure your child's lips will try hard to pull hard backward and his/her teeth will grind.

So how does a parent make the Filipino language easier and more enjoyable to the learning child?

The approach I can think of that can work best is using tools in the child's environment. One can start off by giving the Filipino equivalent to the things that the child sees around her. The first on top of my mind are the things that you see in the kitchen, probably because eating time usually takes looong for a child, thus, to make those feeding times much more enjoyable and productive, ask, "Ano ito?" Kutsara, tinidor, plato, baso. "Ano ito?" Kanin, ulam, gulay, tubig. Moving on to various ingredients: manok, baboy, isda, bawang, sibuyas, kamatis, etc, etc. This also works best when you are in the supermarket with your child.

Thus, the very first Filipino book I ever used in teaching is the classic Bahay Kubo:



















It is also easier to teach the child Filipino, or any new language for that matter, with the use of music. Remember how English nursery rhymes worked for kids? It works the same in teaching Filipino.

The Song Bahay Kubo can be found in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojSRxbwJmJE

Ako ay May Lobo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVsQVBvb7U4


Paa, Tuhod, Balikat, Ulo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7n-2KTNo8


This is not a plugging for Knorr, but the song Makulay ang Buhay sa Sinabawang Gulay seemed to be a hit with kids at the time it was shown on television. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meCbmp0AUF0&feature=PlayList&p=E6CAFDD4E44891F0&index=17


Other Videos:
Learning Numbers 1-10 in Filipino
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxBkvdchII0&feature=PlayList&p=E6CAFDD4E44891F0&index=10


There are so many Filipino children's books out there but I feel that some of these books are too text-heavy or that the message and values they want to impart are a little hard for a young child to comprehend.

It is best for the beginning Filipino language learner to start out with Filipino books whose main characters are animals because children recognize animals easily.













(don't mind the "moral lessons" tagline, sheesh)




If you are living abroad and want to purchase Filipino books over the internet such as Amazon.com, the books are so expensive! Better to ask a balikbayan friend to purchase for you when he/she is back home in the Philippines.

In the meantime, here are some free online story-telling videos in Filipino. Happy viewing with your child!


Ang Unggoy at ang Buwaya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBmBaqix8_0&feature=related


Ang Leon at ang Daga(music is weird though)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBnZXDb_JSQ&feature=related

Just right in: Results of a Study in Early Reading to Children

Infant reading 'boosts performance'
(UKPA) – 20 hours ago

Children who are read to daily at the age of three are more than two months ahead of their classmates in literacy and maths by the age of five, research has found.

Reading is more important to a child's academic development than teaching them the alphabet or how to count, a study by the Institute of Education, University of London suggests.

The study analysed the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) results - the teacher assessment of five-year-olds carried out at the end of reception year of primary school in England - for more than 10,600 children taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).

FSP is not usually used in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but teachers carried out one-off assessments for the MCS.

The findings show that daily reading sessions boosted children's scores in all areas, including knowledge and understanding of the world, as well as literacy and maths.

Children who were read to daily also outscored their classmates, on average, in assessments of their social, emotional, physical and creative development.

Researcher Dr Kirstine Hansen said children who were read to daily were two and a half months ahead of their classmates in their maths and communication, language and literacy score at the age of five.

She said: "The relationship between teaching the alphabet and counting is insignificant, but reading every day to a child has a positive effect on their outcomes."

The study comes days after research by the Sutton Trust found that Britain's poorest children are already almost a year behind their richer classmates in their language skills by the time they start school.

It also revealed that good parenting behaviour, such as reading daily to children or making sure they have a regular bedtime can have a positive impact on a youngster's vocabulary skills, regardless of their background.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.


http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost/10-02-17/Reading_to_3_year_olds_better_than_teaching_alphabet_study_says.aspx

or

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gj14SvjpMNjJgRozk0dDm316v6cw

Language Delays in Young Children

I am currently fixated on researches on learning disabilities, in particular, reading and language disorders, as these have a huge implication on the conduct of my work with young children. This entry in particular deals with language delays in children.

The usual response of people when they encounter a child of say, 2 or 3 years old, who has not yet learned how to speak is, "Oh, he/she will eventually outgrow that stage and learn to speak."

This response is more so pronounced when the child in question is a boy because traditional expectation is, boys learn language a little bit later in their toddler life compared to girls.

Because of this response, or general perception on language delay in children, some parents feel that they are being paranoid or over-reacting when they notice the smallest trace of language delay in their child. "Why is my son/daughter not yet talking?"

Well, parents, here is something you should know.

While it may be true that young children eventually outgrow this language delay, a research conducted by Dr. Leslie Rescorla, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Child Study Institute and Director of Early Childhood Programs at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, shows that children who are late talkers may have weaker language endowment. This means that those children who were late to talk pretty much eventually go to school but they have significantly less advanced language skills compared to their peers (from the same background) and that this pattern of weaker language skills was evident at age 5 and 6, during their 9 and 10th year, and through age 17.

What does this research imply?

At the onset, parents who notice a hint of language delay in their child can already provide some enrichment in the child's language environment early on. They can use techniques like shared book reading, or be taught focused stimulation or other communication techniques, and all these can provide a rich language environment that may have some facilitative effects.

If, by the age of 3, no significant growth is seen, direct intervention must be initiated together with a speech language pathologist, aka speech therapist. Now, here's the rub - there aren't too many speech therapists in the Philippines and if you find one, the waiting list of clients is usually very long.

So before you reach that stage of panic looking for a speech therapist, it is important to know that as early as possible, expressive language can be taught through gestures, sounds, vocalizations and words to help a child express his/her wishes or desires. Help your child improve his/her listening and to learn to recognize familiar words and phrases in their environment and to respond to them appropriately.

When a parent comes to me for help on reading and language intervention at the age of 10 years old, I just mentally shake my head.

Really, I cannot stress it hard enough, to READ, READ, READ out loud to your child. It really helps.


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If you want to listen to Dr. Rescorla's discussion of her study together with Dr. Rhea Paul, Professor Amerada at Southern Connecticut State University and Professor and Director of the Communication Disorder Section of the Developmental Disabilities Program at the Yale Child Studies Center, go to Episode 13 http://podcast.asha.org/ or http://asha.http.internapcdn.net/asha_vitalstream_com/podcast/ASHAPodcast13.mp3


For a copy of Dr. Rescorla's article Language and Hearing Outcomes in Late-Talking Toddlers, it is found in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 2009; 52: 16-30
http://jslhr.asha.org/cgi/content/full/52/1/16

When Children Misbehave

In one of the parenting books I have read way back then, when a child misbehaves, a parent is provided with a wonderful opportunity to teach his/her child the difference between what is (conventionally) right from wrong, or what is appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior. Children are not born with the ability to distinguish between the two as they often behave according to their instincts. Children need a grown-up to patiently tell them that no, you cannot grab a toy from your playmate just because you want to play with it(toddlers); you choose only one toy instead of asking parents to buy, buy, buy whatever you like in the store (pre-schoolers); and some words you hear from other people are considered rude - these are called cuss words and are not meant to be said at all (primary to adolescents). The list of misbehaviors is endless.

Parents can't help it and see it as a reflection on their parenting skills when their child misbehaves. But remember, a child has inadequate or no knowledge at all of the intricacies of propriety, nor the nuances of good and bad behavior. What is crucial is how the parent responds to these misbehaviors or disciplinary faux pas(es). Are the misbehaviors totally ignored just so that the crying will stop or to avoid "upsetting" the child? Or do we take time to explain the situation to him/her?

I find stories or storybooks as great tools in teaching and promoting the values and good behavior that I want a child to practice before a misbehavior ever occurs or even after it has occurred. Without putting too much pressure on the child or the situation she was in (the misbehavior), the misbehavior can be discussed through the story's characters or through the plot. Why did she do that? Do you think what the character did was good or bad? What could she have done to prevent the bad thing from happening?

One such book I used when Bea was at that phase that I call "tigas-ulo" (stubborn-headed) and was always contradicting what I told her to do is this book that she herself often borrowed from her nursery school's library:



The main character Maggie is sent to the grocery by her mom to buy some items. Before she set off to do her chore, her mom reminds her of several things, but of course, Maggie doesn't listen to any of them and finds herself in trouble.

Mommy said, "Maggie dear, I think you've seen
That I don't make up rules 'cause I want to be mean.

I just want to know that you're quite safe and sound-
That you're not lost, or hurt, or in mud on the ground!
I love you, and that's why I say what I say,
And once you know that, I hope you obey."

Because Bea showed a fondness for this book, I bring Sir Maggie the Mighty up whenever she herself was in that disobedient mood.
"Remember what happened to Maggie when she didn't listen to her Mommy's warnings?"

What I like about this story is that aside from teaching the value of obedience, it explains to the child that parents don't "discipline" their kids just to be mean but because we love them and don't want them to get into trouble.

Her fondness for this book led me to buying Sir Maggie online as well as the other books in the series:



and this one which I was lucky enough to find in Booksale for P25.00!!



So what books have you found to be effective in teaching the right values or when a child misbehaves?

I Have to Go

Potty Training is a serious business for parents with toddlers. It is the "last big hurdle of toddlerhood" (M. Kennedy, Last Straw Strategies, Barron's). At around 2 1/2 or 3 years of age, you decide that you've had enough of diapers and it's time to use that cute potty trainer that you've bought from the mall for your child. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. Pooping is a bodily function that you thought would always come naturally, but if your child is not yet ready for that 1st venture into the unknown called THE POTTY, he/she and her tummy can decide to go on strike, believe me. There goes constipation. Make sure you're stocked up on suppositories.

Is your child ready for potty training? Parents...are you ready?

A book I found useful to prepare my toddler waaay back then was this Sesame Street Toddler Book titled I Have to Go.










Little Grover was riding on his choo-choo train when suddenly, he feels something in his tummy and says, "I have to go." On his way back home, he passes by Little Big Bird, Little Ernie and Little Bert, Little Cookie Monster and Little Betty Lou. One by one, all of his friends would invite him to join in their games, and every time Little Grover would answer, "I have to go." His friends wondered, "...but Little Grover, where are you going?"

When Little Grover reaches his home and tells his mommy, "I have to go," Mommy immediately understands and leads him to the bathroom. And Little Grover went, all by himself.




Question-and answer was the tool I used to let my toddler (and students I have currently used this book with) get the concept of pooping and potty training across. What does Grover mean when he says "I have to go?" What is going on inside his tummy? Why does he need to sit on the potty? Why does he need to pull down his pants? Did he have a diaper? And so on, and so forth, letting the toddler answer for himself and understand the situation that Little Grover was in.

Of course it takes more than just a book to teach potty-training, but the visuals from a book, like blue Little Grover as well as discussing and making light of a situation that toddlers find embarrassing (when they have those 1st pooping accidents) can help prepare them for this task.

I still use this book with my pre-schooler from time to time when she finds it hard to poop due to constipation. Actually, she reads it inside the comfort room until you know what comes out.

My Lucky Day

This has got to be the funniest children's book I have ever read. This book is meant for pre-schoolers and above, but the humor will be best appreciated by adults. This book tells us that some of the things that we perceive to be blessings may be the opposite or that we have to be wary of scammers, even if they come in the form of an innocent-looking, cutesy, little pig. Children love this at story-telling time because of the animal characters that are easy for them to identify and whose sounds they love to make. Here are some excerpts from the book:







The story starts off at the house of the wolf who suddenly gets an "unexpected" visit from a pig. Thinking it was his lucky day, the wolf grabs the pig and prepares him for his dinner.












However, the pig makes all sorts of requests (which the wolf naively grants) to postpone its inevitable demise. First, the pig says it's's too filthy to be eaten so it requests for a bath.



















Next, it said it was too thin and needed to be fattened up so it will be a better meal for the wolf.












Finally, and this has to be the clincher - the pig requests for a massage so that its tough meat becomes more tender.

















So who do you think is the lucky one in this story?























My Lucky Day, Scholastic, Inc.

Cloth Books or Board Books?

Parents sometimes ask me, which is better reading material for younger kids, cloth or board books?

Cloth books are made intentionally for the lower age range in children from 0-2 years; these are the infants. Children of this age do not yet have adequate strength to lift a board book or if they do, their psychomotor skills are not yet refined, hence, those board books might fall on their teeny-tiny toes. Cloth books provide an alternate "reading" material for infants. More than anything else, a cloth book's value lies in interactive play because it can have a variety of strings, rattles, pulleys for infants to busy themselves with. The different textures in the cloths used also make a cloth book interesting. Some pages can be soft, crinkly, rough or smooth.



You'll notice that these cloth books sometimes end up as chewing material for infants, so it's important to have them washed regularly as well as to check for any chokeable material on them. It may also be wise to check the cloth book brand for lead content levels in the inks they use.

Now for actual reading value, the difficulty is that page-turning, an important pre-reading skill that can be taught for this age group, may not be developed well for the users of cloth books, both for the lower and upper age range. Since the material is soft and wobbly, holding the book properly and turning its pages can be quite cumbersome. Much assistance is required from an adult.



Board books on the other hand are meant for the toddlers or those in the upper age range. Board books are sturdy, hence, they cannot be easily torn by those strong toddler hands. You will be surprised to find out that board books can be used to teach page-turning even for the infants because they are chunky. But do keep an eye on an infant with a board book because it might end up in his/her mouth. Board books, though sturdy, are still made of paper and again, lead content for inks and colors used are suspicious.

So which is better then, cloth or board books? With my experience with my children and the other kids I teach, I would personally veer towards board books but of course, it all depends on the child's interest. Try buying a few of both cloth and board books and see what your child likes. When it comes to beginning readers, my philosophy is, give them whatever they like.

Helloo There!

Happy New Year! To welcome 2010, the Year of the Tiger, I've decided to start blogging about something close to my heart - READING. Since I have a reading center for children called The Reading Nook somewhere in Makati, I would like to share with you, especially to the parents out there, tips on reading to children, books that are developmentally appropriate, the latest buzz on reading practices and other discussions in the academe on reading specifically for children. I am starting this blog because I have always believed in the value of reading. It is never too early to start your kids on this habit, as well as for us parents to re-introduce ourselves to the joy of children's literature. I myself am a mother to two children, 6 year old Bea Liana (aka Princess Bea) and 1 year old Jacinto Emmanuel (aka Neo). As early as when both kids were in my tummy, I have already started reading to them. Even if it's only from a mother's soothing voice, studies will show that there are benefits to reading to an infant while he/she is still in a mother's womb. What more of the wonders that reading can do to a child who can already speak, think and rationalize with you? I am doing this blog, 99% for my 2 kids because I am always on the lookout for good reads for Bea and Neo, as well as for my other children - the students whose reading foundation I am helping to build. May this coming Year of the Tiger be a roaring success to all of us who believe in reading to our children!