Supporting Parents and Other Caregivers
Welcome! Browse, contemplate, and engage in this unique area dedicated to parents, grandparents, and other caregivers interested in connecting with educators and others, driven by the desire to help your child continue to grow. This newly launched section of the website will continue to expand. Visit often. Leave us your contact information for news and announcements.
Click on any episode:
• You will see a short description of an interaction between an adult and child.
• You will see a commentary (with blue background) to explain the “why” of what was explored.
• Many commentaries also include suggestions for trying this out on your own.
LEARNING LITERACY
We believe that learning is built into all of us from birth and much of learning is a natural process that emerges from the interaction of children with parents and other human beings and with the world. Newborn babies waste no time in starting a life-long quest of making meaning of their surroundings using all of their senses and their brains.
Here we will explore children learning language – both print and voice – with an emphasis on Learning to Talk, Learning to Read, and Learning to Write. Our goal is to offer you abundant real-life stories revealing ways in which you can support your child’s learning in these areas.
In the words of Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne,
“All children are made for learning.”
Index to All Learning Episodes
LEARNING TO TALK
Spoken language builds the foundation for learning to read and write. Starting at birth, parents and caregivers naturally surround a child with talk. Babies hear us talking with one another, they listen when we speak to them and about them. And they are eager to mimic us as they experiment with their first words. In this section, click on episodes to discover ways you can encourage and nurture your child’s natural curiosity about language and their ability to communicate through talk.
Helping a Child Discover the Power of Language
| Infant/toddler <–> primary | ||
The Benefits of Nursery Rhymes
| Infant/toddler <–> primary | ||
How Do We Help Our Littlest Ones to Communicate? | Infant/toddler <–> preschool | ESPAÑOL |
Positive Responses That Encourage Learners
| Infant/toddler | ||
A Road on a Child’s Journey to Becoming Literate
| Infant/toddler <–> preschool | ||
Parents: A Child’s First Teacher | Infant/toddler |
LEARNING TO READ
Reading is about making meaning in print. Learning to read should be as natural, real, and stress-free as learning to talk. Reading opens up a child’s imagination and provides access to knowledge about the world around them. From selecting the right books, to holding your child in your lap as you read your first books together, to their first attempts at reading, your child’s lifelong love of reading begins at home. In this section, click on episodes to discover how you, your child’s first teacher, can create opportunities to explore printed language.
To Help a Young Reader Learn About Reading
| Infant/toddler <–> primary | ||
A Reader’s Imagination
| Infant/toddler <–> High School | ||
Informational Books Ignite Reading | Infant/toddler <–> primary |
Meaning Matters Most
| Preschool <–> primar | ||
Tapping Into Your Child’s Imagination
| Infant/toddler <–> High School | ||
Reading Is About Understanding the Story
| Preschool <–> primary | ||
Never Give Up
| Primary <–> Middle School | ||
Bedtime Stories and the Opportunity They Give
| Infant/toddler <–> intermediate | ESPAÑOL | |
Sharing a Book and a Conversation
| Infant/toddler to High School | ||
Unlocking the Meaning
| Infant/toddler <–> intermediate
| ||
Reading Books Together Builds Key Relationships
| Infant/toddler <–> intermediate | ||
Reading With a Little One
| Preschool <–> primary | ||
A Book and the Opportunities it Gives
| Preschool <–> primary | ||
Luke and Mother Octopus: A Moment of Enlightenment A Time of Wonder, Curiosity and Discovery
| Infant/toddler <–> intermediate | ||
Reading My Own Writing | Preschool <–> primary |
LEARNING TO WRITE
We write for a variety of purposes. Children learn early on that they can share their own ideas with others by telling their story through drawing and writing. With positive feedback from a parent or caregiver, and with practice, young children gain confidence in expressing themselves and becoming enthusiastic young writers. In this section, click on episodes to discover how you can help your child become that enthusiastic writer.
Building Writing Relationships
| Preschool <–> intermediate | ||
Nurturing Our Youngest Writers
| Preschool <–> intermediate | ||
Learning to Write: Planting the Seeds | Preschool <–> primary |
Our Littles Need Time and Opportunity to Write
| Preschool <–> intermediate | ||
Purposeful Everyday Writing
| Preschool <–> intermediate | ||
All They Need Is Support
| Preschool <–> primary | ||
Reading My Own Writing
| Preschool <–> primary | ||
Kids Need the Time and Opportunity to Write | Preschool <–> primary |
