Fostering Reading at Home: Tips for Parents

 

Reading is a fundamental skill that opens doors to a world of knowledge, imagination, and personal growth. As parents, we play a crucial role in fostering a love for reading in our children. Here, I'm sharing some practical and fun tips to create a positive reading environment at home.

 Create a Cozy Reading Corner

Designate a special space at home for reading. It could be a corner with soft cushions, a small tent, or simply a quiet area with good lighting. Make it a place where your kids want to spend time.

Establish a Daily Reading Routine

Consistency is key. Try to dedicate at least 15-20 minutes each day to family reading time. It could be before bedtime, after dinner, or any time that works for your family routine.

Let Them Choose Their Books

Take your kids to the library or bookstore and allow them to choose books that interest them. When children have control over their reading choices, they're more likely to get excited about the process.

Be a Role Model

Children learn by imitation. If they see you reading for pleasure, they're more likely to develop the same habit. Share with them what you're reading and why you like it.

Make Reading an Interactive Experience

Don't just read aloud. Ask questions about the story, request predictions about what will happen next, or even act out scenes with your kids. This makes reading more engaging and helps improve comprehension.

Explore Different Formats

Don't limit yourself to traditional books. Try audiobooks, children's magazines, comics, or even educational reading apps. Variety can keep children interested.

Connect Books with Real-Life Experiences

After reading a book about animals, for example, plan a visit to the zoo. These connections make reading come alive and more meaningful.

Reward Reading, But Don't Bribe

Create a reward system to celebrate reading achievements, like a special bookmark for each book finished. But avoid using reading as an obligation or punishment.

Organize Family Reading Nights

Once a week, turn off all electronic devices and dedicate an hour to reading together. It can be everyone reading their own book or reading a story aloud in turns.

Be Patient and Persistent

Remember that every child develops a love for reading at their own pace. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Consistency and a positive attitude will pay off over time.

Fostering reading at home not only helps your children's academic development but also strengthens family bonds and creates lasting memories. With these tips, you can turn reading into a fun and enriching activity for the whole family. What strategies have you tried in your home? Share your experiences in the comments, and let's keep learning together.

Kinestema: Driving Bilingualism Through Innovation

Kinestema was present at the 2024 Conference of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education. At our booth, attendees could get a close look at our full range of products and services designed to facilitate bilingual literacy in Spanish.

But that wasn't all. We also organized a conference on 'Reading and Writing through Kinesthemas using our Kinestem program'. In this presentation, we explored how our unique methodology can help students learn to read and write effectively and enjoyably.

Did you know there are different types of bilingualism? In our entry, we'll delve deeper into this topic.

What is bilingualism?

Bilingualism is defined as the ability to use two languages alternately. This skill not only involves knowledge of two languages but also the ability to switch between them according to context and need.

Are all bilinguals the same?

There are several types of bilingualism:

• Compound vs. coordinate bilingualism: Compound bilingualism refers to the integration of two languages in the speaker's mind, where both languages are interrelated. In contrast, coordinate bilingualism involves the use of two languages separately, where each language is associated with specific contexts or situations.

• Simultaneous vs. successive bilingualism: Simultaneous bilingualism occurs when a person learns two languages from infancy, while successive bilingualism refers to the acquisition of a second language after mastering the first.

• Additive vs. subtractive bilingualism: In additive bilingualism, the acquisition of a second language adds to the mother tongue without the latter being affected. On the contrary, subtractive bilingualism can lead to the loss of the mother tongue, as the second language becomes dominant.

• Balanced vs. dominant bilingualism: Balanced bilingualism occurs when the speaker has a similar level of proficiency in both languages. In contrast, dominant bilingualism is characterized by greater mastery of one language over the other.

Is it cognitively beneficial?

Bilingualism not only has linguistic implications but is also associated with several cognitive benefits:

• Greater cognitive flexibility and creativity: Bilinguals tend to show a greater capacity for flexible and creative thinking, as switching between languages fosters innovation in thought.

• Better attentional control and executive functions (1): Bilingual speakers often have better attention control and executive skills, allowing them to manage multiple tasks more effectively.

• Superior metalinguistic development: Bilingualism promotes a deeper understanding of language structure and function, resulting in more advanced metalinguistic development.

• Possible delay in the onset of dementia symptoms: Some studies suggest that bilingualism may be related to a delay in the onset of dementia symptoms, indicating a protective effect on cognitive health in old age.

Factors Influencing Cognitive Effects

Several factors can modulate the cognitive effects of bilingualism:

• Age of second language acquisition: The age at which a second language is learned can influence fluency and associated cognitive benefits.

• Level of proficiency in both languages: A high level of proficiency in both languages can maximize cognitive benefits.

• Frequency of language use: Regular practice of both languages is crucial to maintain and develop linguistic and cognitive skills.

• Sociocultural context: The environment in which the language is learned and used also plays an important role in the development of bilingualism and its cognitive effects.

What are the Educational Implications?

Bilingual education programs can offer significant cognitive and academic benefits for students, provided they are implemented properly. Bilingual education not only improves language skills but can also enhance academic performance in other areas, promoting more comprehensive and effective learning.

1. Executive skills are a set of cognitive functions that allow people to plan, make decisions, solve problems, control impulses, and carry out complex tasks. These skills are fundamental for daily functioning and are primarily regulated by the frontal lobe of the brain.

Elements of a Kinestema

 A kinestema in the LEK method or Kinestem Program consists of two fundamental parts:

1. Multisensory Information Set

This part of the kinestema is a complete representation of a phoneme that includes:

• The sum of all sensations and mental representations associated with the emission of a specific speech sound.
• Information from multiple senses:
  - Auditory: how the phoneme sounds
  - Visual: how the mouth looks when pronouncing it
  - Kinesthetic: what movements are made to produce it
  - Proprioceptive: how the speech organs feel when forming it
  - Tactile: what tactile sensations are experienced

Important characteristics:

• Goes beyond a simple gesture
• Encompasses all perceptions and sensations involved in sound production
• Allows the learner to mentally manipulate phonemes, facilitating metaphonological awareness practice

2. The Connector

The connector is the element that links the multisensory information with a specific letter:

• It is associated with a body part where the student feels the sensory information
• This body part "draws" the shape of the letter
• Transforms the letter from an abstract symbol to an icon representing concrete sensations for the student

Key benefit:

• The letter becomes an icon with a lower degree of abstraction, which significantly facilitates its reading and comprehension.
• The use of kinestemas makes learning to read more accessible and fun for children. Instead of seeing letters as abstract symbols, they associate them with concrete sensory experiences.

Note: Kinestema(tm) is marketed in the USA as the KINESTEMA PROGRAM and in Spain as the LEK method (Lectura y Escritura por Kinestemas(tm)).