Tony Overman/The Olympian
Second-graders (from left) Chris Lee, Ira Nutter, Erica O'Connor and Dylan Twiggs line up in August 2000 to go to the library during the first day of school at Fort Stevens Elementary School in Yelm.

Programs build early reading habits

Library's summer sessions help make books fun

ALMA D. SHARPE, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published August 5, 2001

If the popularity of local libraries are a sign of parents' interest in forming their children's reading habits, South Sound educators can rest assured.

Summer reading programs in the Timberland Regional Library system have been packed with parents and children, many of whom say they are making an effort to give their children a leg up on reading.

This is what educational experts want to hear. They contend that if more parents maintained such habits, the reading skills of the nation's students would be impressive.

A preschool story session at Tumwater Timberland Library last week attracted dozens of students and parents.

Among them was Sarah Skidmore and her two children. She said she has read to her 3-year-old daughter since she was a 6-month-old baby. Visits to the library are now regular family outings.

"She's always enjoyed reading, and doing it regularly has worked out well for us," Skidmore said. "She can recite an entire book from memory, and she's really good at remembering characters."

Across the country, reading test results from 2000 show that fewer than one-third of fourth-graders read proficiently. Without intervention, weak readers struggle throughout school because they cannot keep up with the grade-level textbooks.

A recent report found that 13 percent of college freshmen needed to take remedial reading classes.

The problem is so dire that President Bush wants to spend $5 billion over five years on programs to boost reading and push a strong academic focus in Head Start.

Some parents say good reading habits start at home.

Fran McBride of Tumwater said she learned through a parenting class that parents must set good examples for their children, and reading is no exception.

"I show them that I enjoy reading -- that it's fun," McBride said.

Leanne Heald, youth services librarian in Tumwater, said parents start asking about the library's summer reading program in the spring.

"We have a lot of families here on a regular basis, looking for books and all kinds of materials," she said. "A lot of the parents are here to read to their child."

Karen Roylance has read more than 20 books this summer with her 4-year-old son, Tyson, and her 1-year-old son, Justin.

She said reading at home is also a routine in her family.

"Tyson likes to read to me, and he's getting better at it," Roylance said. "He likes to use the computers they have in the library for children. He recognizes a lot of the letters and the words."

Gannett News Service contributed to this report.

How to boost your child's reading

Reading instruction starts at home. Some suggestions:

- Use labeling games, such as asking toddlers to "show me your chin," to expand their vocabulary. Researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risely found that babies exposed to a lot of talking performed better on IQ tests at age 3.

- At home and in school, children must learn that speech can be broken into smaller units. "Kids as young as 4 respond quite well to learning about letters and sounds," said G. Reid Lyon, a child-development expert at the National Institutes of Health and Bush's top reading adviser.

- Second-graders who can read independently should read aloud; otherwise, you cannot tell when they are stumbling over difficult words. Research from the National Reading Panel found that independent silent reading is not effective when it is the only reading instruction children get.

- Middle- and high-school students might still need help on comprehension skills. "Lots of kids read very well and accurately, but they miss the point," Lyon said. Encourage kids to ask questions as they read.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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