Learning to read is one of the most essential skills for young people to develop. Through reading, your children will gain vocabulary, knowledge, and skills that will help them in day-to-day life. When you write down what you read, you are effectively learning how to read and understand text. This article will discuss how regular writing could be used as a tool to help your children develop their reading skills.
Regular Writing Exposes You To New Phrases
When you are learning to read, the biggest issue you will face is understanding what the letters, words, and sentences mean. Reading a novel or poem can be tricky, as you will not have seen or heard the phrases used before. This is where having a written register of what you’ve read comes in handy. When you write down the phrases you do not understand, you are effectively training your brain to recognise them. Over time, you will begin to see texts in a new light, and will understand what the author was trying to say. It is also important to note here that being able to read and write are not synonymous. Many gifted individuals are able to read but cannot necessarily write. For those who can, this is a valuable tool.
It Makes Learning To Read Visible
It is always easy for children to understand how to spell a word or write a sentence if they have seen someone else do it before. When you write down what you read, you are essentially helping your children understand the basics of writing and how to spell the words they are learning. This is also handy for parents who want to be sure their children are learning how to spell the right words correctly. Instead of just teaching their children to spell, they can write down the words and have a small discussion about what each letter/word means. Children who have not yet started school may also benefit from this approach as it allows them to build a reading log with their parents.
It Acts As A Record Of Your Child’s Development
Apart from helping your children learn to read, you are also helping them record their development in the process. By regularly writing down what your children learn and understanding how they learn it, you are keeping a record of their progress. This is invaluable as you will be able to see how much your child has learnt in month/week/day formats. When they begin reading books from an early age, these records will be a testament to how much effective learning took place. Some parents choose to do this using an online learning portal where they can track their child’s progress online.
The Benefits Of Regular Writing
Apart from helping your children develop their reading skills, writing down what you read allows you to learn new words and phrases as well. Through regular practice, this will improve your vocabulary and enable you to read more complex texts. In addition to this, it forces you to slow down and pay closer attention to what you are reading. When you become aware of how much you have learnt, it will engage you further in the process, as you will feel as though you are improving your skills.
How To Start
There are numerous ways you can start writing down what you read. The most common approach is to take a notebook and pen with you wherever you go. As you are learning how to read, you will be encountering words, phrases, and sentences that you do not know how to spell. Simply write these down as you come across them. You can also begin by recording the words and phrases that other children are misbehaving around you and your siblings, as sometimes it can be difficult to determine the meaning of a word or phrase when you do not know how it is being used. Alternatively, you can ask a parent or adult you trust to help you. The important thing is to ensure you are engaging your brain while you are learning.