Parents need guidance. Schools need good parents.

It is important that parents know how much the growth and development of their child’s brain is dependent on the right stimulation. Talking develops a child’s use and understanding of language, which is the basis of reading. I think schools would benefit by putting time and resources into Parent Education. Enlist parents in the cause of building a child’s strong literacy skills by guiding parents on best parenting practices.
Begin with teaching parents how to effectively read and talk with a child about a story, showing them why this is important. Do parents know how being read to does not automatically lead to literacy? The real link lies in the verbal interaction that occurs between the adult and child during reading a story. Talking with children has an even stronger effect on literacy learning than reading aloud to them. Teaching parents HOW to “Conversationally Read”: Read a book, Ask a question, Start a conversation is how they can best support their child’s growth and development. When we educate parents, we better educate children.

Einstein feared “a generation of idiots."

Recently I was in a yogurt shop after school and I couldn’t help noticing how so many kids were plugged into a device. Whether they were with friends or younger children with their parents, I was sad to see so little face-to-face interaction. Einstein worried about such things when he said, ” I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”  I did not smile when I saw this photo with the caption “Having dinner with your best friend.”

Parents— please know that the most important thing you can do is to talk with your children. Children acquire the robust vocabularies they need to be successful readers, through face-to-face conversations. Children who are spoken to are primed to acquire strong literacy skills.