Author - John Walters
Structured Storytelling Enhances Early Literacy Development
A recent study (2020) shows that “when storytelling is combined with play-based activities, it can provide an effective stimulus for early literacy.” A team from the University of Twente, in The Netherlands, recently reported the findings after examining…
Children Are Now Reading Less Frequently
A recent survey by the National Literacy Trust, and reported in the Guardian, has found that “children today read less frequently than any previous generation and enjoy reading less than young people did in the past.” The survey…
Its not what you read to a child … but how
In their research on adults’ styles of reading books to children, Reese, Cox, Harte, & McAnally (2003) concluded that literacy is one of the most important sociocultural tools children can acquire in Western society and a one that…
Grammar is Learned Very Early
Researchers from the University of Paris say their (2020) findings show babies are able to understand grammatical construction much earlier than was first thought. This may seem surprising as toddlers do not start stringing words together until they…
Reading Aloud Has Benefits
G.J. Whitehurst, M Senechal, C.E. Snow, A.G. Bus, and many other leading literacy researchers agree that ‘Read Aloud’ (often referred to as shared book-reading) lifts a child’s ability to recognise letters, understand that print represents the spoken word…
Parent Power
The work of Professor John Hattie, notable for his studies on Visible Learning, ranks parent engagement and support as a key factor in a child’s school achievement. Hattie believes that if parent engagement and support is consistent throughout…
Vocab Is Catching
The Importance of ‘Language-Rich’ Conversations International research has found that a young child’s vocabulary, speech patterns and conversation duration closely mimic that of their parents – in fact 86% – 97% of words a toddler (3 year old)…
Research Speaks Loud
The University of Melbourne has found a direct link between parents reading aloud to their pre-schooler and the child’s future reading abilities. This Victoria Department of Education /University of Melbourne research found that “the results indicate a direct…