Literacy
In September I got to participate in Literacy Night at New Mexico Early Learning Academy on Eubank. It was awesome to meet families, answer their questions, and sit next to a helpful librarian named Nicole!
Do you remember learning to read? I do, partly because I was a late reader. Like most young children I had a strong memory, and halfway through second grade my teacher told my mom, “Sara can’t read, she’s just memorized the books.” My mom felt horrible for not realizing my delay and instantly sought a program that could help. Luckily, my stepdad was making a video for Ken Morgan, a dedicated teacher who created his own literacy program - Morgan Dynamic Phonics - so we had fast access to a specialized curriculum. I remember reviewing multi-colored cards with sight words and air writing the letters with Ken and my mom. Before second grade was complete I was reading simple, novel sentences independently and my skills grew with on-going practice facilitated by family and teachers.
Reading skills - print awareness, print motivation, print organization, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness - are within speech therapists’ professional domain. It makes sense that we help children understand the relationship between speech sounds and written letters, since we promote communication and cognition through the use of play, books, and back-and-forth interactions. I have to admit, I’ve always loved air writing with clients in sessions (when appropriate). Maybe because it reminds me of my young learning self. Maybe it helps me connect to my clients. Maybe it’s just a fun way to integrate motor skills with all the cognitive learning. Yes to all of the above!
Tips and tricks - like air writing - are helpful but the best way to promote literacy is to create a daily, fun, and nurturing reading routine with your child. We all learn best when we’re happy and motivated, a little bit at a time.
The power to read and write opens infinite possibilities. How many ways have you used your literacy skills today? Maybe reading work emails, responding to rushed texts, enjoying some funny fictional story, or journaling to feel better. And your child? Maybe writing their name, reading an illustrated story, or playing a word game like Hang Man. So, what can you do to help them strengthen their reading and empower them on their own literacy journey?
