Questions Parents Ask About Young Children's Reading Behaviors (continued)

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My child already knows his letters and numbers. Doesn't this mean he is ready to read?

When children first recite the alphabet or sing "The Alphabet Song," those sounds often have little meaning for them. If we listen carefully, we can even hear that children have memorized chunks of sound. The sequence l-m-n-o-p, for instance, is sung as if it were a word, elemenopea, rather than individual letters. Behaviors like these should tell adults that the child needs more concrete experiences, not more memorization. Where reading is concerned, activities such as reading and discussing books together; making writing materials accessible; encouraging children to make marks on paper; and providing creative play materials such as blocks, clay, sand, and water will all contribute to the child's ability to attribute meaning to those abstract symbols called letters and words. After all, interpreting symbols is what reading is all about.

When should I stop reading to my child?

Most parents think that they should stop reading aloud to a child as soon as that child is reading independently. Actually, hearing a challenging story read aloud by a fluent adult reader is both pleasurable and instructive for children who are already reading. The time to stop reading to a child is when he or she says, "That's okay, I'd rather read it by myself." Even after the child does say this, it is much more satisfying to be able to talk about a book with someone else who read and enjoyed it. So parents should continue to read some of the books that their children recommend to them. You may be surprised to see just how wonderful some of these stories are. Sarah Plain and Tall, for example, was a Hallmark Hall of Fame special that became one of the most beloved films made for television. It was based on a children's book by Patricia McLachlan.

Source: Adapted from Jalongo, 1992.