B is for Best Practices: Building Skills How-Tos

 We all want to follow the best practices of life and excel.  Unfortunately, there are very diverse definitions over the course of time and distance as to just what practices are the best. Even when you think we should all agree on something, like 'washing your hands is important' and 'breakfast is a vital part of your morning routine', there are people who have opposing views.  It is just part of being human.  We all have different backgrounds, experiences and thoughts. 

There are of course some suggestions that are widely accepted as being valuable when it comes to the world of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.  When working on communicating and building literacy skills, there are general guidelines as to what practices are best that I will share here. It is not an exhaustive list so please share your additions in the comments below.

1.   Read, read, read.  There is nothing better.  Practice makes perfect. Quite often the first success in reading is a book the child has heard over and over so they are basically following along and 'reading' what they have memorized.  This builds confidence, word recognition and teaches patterns.

2.  Set an example.  Instill a love of learning by having books around and using a number of print resources to set the example for others that reading is an enjoyable and valuable use of time.

3.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Success is in the small things accomplished little by little: recognizing a letter, a word, then a whole sentence and so forth. Trying to tackle a book beyond their level is discouraging so try to keep the vocabulary, font and length short and sweet in the beginning and then just one step ahead of their level once they have some confidence so they continue to develop their skills. 

4.  Try, try again. Never give up. This is the value to celebrating the small accomplishments, it encourages young readers to develop perseverance when they meet a new word they do not know.

5. Ask for help when you need it.  Always good advice.  None of us is completely self-sufficient. We all need assistance sometimes and that is completely okay.  When stuck on a word, rather than get frustrated and give up, it is important that a child know they can ask for help and will receive it without any judgment.  It is a process and takes time.  Getting support along the way makes a big difference.

6.  It takes a village. There is so much value added to our lives by our interactions with other people.  If you have a child who is not interested in books but then grandma visits with your childhood book on zoo animals, a snuggle and a story may suddenly be much more appealing.  The inspiration may also come from a library class or a friend who likes a certain book or the store salesperson suggesting a book based on their favourite cartoon.  When we all share our input it is more likely someone will pique their interest in literacy. Also, if you are struggling to help a child learn to read, bringing in someone else is just good practice.

7.  Share your passion, and theirs.  When we find a book related to something we care about, it is much more of an incentive to read it.  If you love gardening, teaching them the names of flowers or vegetables from your gardening book will show them that you value the information the book offers and maybe they will want to look at your book again.  Alternatively, if they like Paw Patrol, sit down with them and ask them what is happening in their paw patrol book.  "Who are the characters and what is happening in their day?"  Now the book is the tool to build connections with people. Awesome!

8. Input impacts output. While there is a place for a variety of genres and levels of literature, good quality writing does impact a child's ability to speak and write.  They need to be exposed to proper sentence structure and a wider vocabulary to build their literacy skills.  For example, if all they ever see is a cartoon picture of grapes, their comprehension of them being individual juicy spheres of varying shades of yummy goodness will not exist even if they know the picture represents the word 'grapes'.

9.  Express yourself.  Some people talk with their hands, others have animated voices, Some people have scholarly vocabularies and others prefer straight, simple speech.  All of them are searching for the best way to express themselves clearly.  The key is that you get your message across.  Having unique aspects helps make what you say more memorable.  Be yourself when you read and speak with others.

10. Use the power of your voice.  You can command the attention of your audience with your tone and expressions.  For example, using character voices lures the imagination of children. Your volume also has power. Often people resort to shouting to get someone's attention in the hopes of getting a message across and if you are at a great distance, that is necessary, but one-on-one a whisper is just as effective. Fluctuating your volume helps keep listeners attentive and draws more attention to the text.  Of course, adjusting it to the story is best.  Shouting "so she finally fell asleep" or calmly drawing out your words for " and then the bank robber got away!" would be confusing as it contradicts the meaning of the text. 

11.  Speak up. It is important to be heard whether you are the storyteller or the listener responding with ideas, applications and questions based on the text. More than just volume, speaking up involves sharing your inner thoughts. Again, this should be a no-judgment opportunity. Even if they are wrong, value their idea and willingness to speak up as you help them understand the concept better that was missed.

12. Don't judge a book by its cover.  This saying exists for a reason. Looking at a plain cover to a long book of small text may not seem inspiring but the story within may transform your thinking and even the actions you take in life.  As a metaphor, this saying instructs us not to judge the worth or value of something or someone by its appearance. We are all individuals.  We are all precious and valued for who we are where we are at today.  No judgment. 

These are some of the best practices when it comes to life and learning.  They apply to building literacy skills through reading, writing, speaking and listening.  May they serve as gentle reminders to us throughout the learning process.