Literacy Skills And Bilingual Children
Literacy skills begin early - by the age of five or six. Before they even begin school, bilingual children have already absorbed the grammatical structures, sounds, and vocabulary of a language. This assumption takes into account that parents speak with their children in their own mother tongue from a very young age. What brought me to write this article is the desire to get my Hebrew speaking son to increase his literacy in English despite the fact that he is only two years old.
The sooner parents and teachers begin reading to children, the better. Even if you have only a limited period of time to spend with your children, then read, read, read. Aim for a 15 minute reading period every day. Children who are read to develop better language
skills,their imaginations and ability to think.
There are many materials you can use to raise the level of literacy of your young ELLs. Here are some starters:
ABC letters
These can come in all forms, shapes and sizes. I particularly like the alphabet set that are appliqués on ceramic tiles in the bathtub. When my son looks a "G" for example, he says the word and then the word "Go-go" from one of his short readers we've been reading together. Literacy at this young tender age starts with seeing the letter, hearing its sound, getting used to its size and shape. We both have a lot of fun doing this and the time passes by quickly. The nice side of letters appeal to the kinesthetic side of learning. Children enjoy feeling its texture, size and shape.
The next step: simple readers.
Use readers that only have a few words to a page and not more than ten pages. Gradually work your way up. Slowly, your young ELLs will realize the connection between the word and its sound but for now, follow the word. Point to the pictures and say the object. Dr. Suess' early series are best for this young age. My son enjoys hearing the silly rhythm and rhyme.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1667360
The sooner parents and teachers begin reading to children, the better. Even if you have only a limited period of time to spend with your children, then read, read, read. Aim for a 15 minute reading period every day. Children who are read to develop better language
skills,their imaginations and ability to think.
There are many materials you can use to raise the level of literacy of your young ELLs. Here are some starters:
ABC letters
These can come in all forms, shapes and sizes. I particularly like the alphabet set that are appliqués on ceramic tiles in the bathtub. When my son looks a "G" for example, he says the word and then the word "Go-go" from one of his short readers we've been reading together. Literacy at this young tender age starts with seeing the letter, hearing its sound, getting used to its size and shape. We both have a lot of fun doing this and the time passes by quickly. The nice side of letters appeal to the kinesthetic side of learning. Children enjoy feeling its texture, size and shape.
The next step: simple readers.
Use readers that only have a few words to a page and not more than ten pages. Gradually work your way up. Slowly, your young ELLs will realize the connection between the word and its sound but for now, follow the word. Point to the pictures and say the object. Dr. Suess' early series are best for this young age. My son enjoys hearing the silly rhythm and rhyme.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1667360