Back to School from Our Learning Launch Pad
By Krishawna Goins
Hi, readers!
Welcome back to school! I'm thrilled for everyone to reunite with their school communities this fall and dive into new learning adventures. My name is Krishawna Goins, and I serve as the Learning Experience Specialist at Fair Share Publishing. At Fair Share, we dedicate ourselves to bringing literacy to life every day, aiming to spark a lifelong love for reading in every child.
As we gear up for the school year ahead, we're excited to share information and tips on creating a vibrant literacy environment where every reader, including you, can thrive.
We all know that reading is fundamental, but most of us as adults have forgotten what it was like to not just learn how to read, but to find the joy in exploring books. When we think about reading, we often think about the skill of reading instead of its potential deeper purpose to connect all of us to a greater humanity through storytelling. Literacy is actually at the foundation of what makes us people. Our blog this month focuses on the importance of reading and how the foundation of literacy sets every person up for success, as learners and leaders.
The benefits of reading go far beyond the basics of being ready for school. Literacy yields academic, cognitive, and emotional benefits for every child. These benefits do not just come when your child is completely literate, they start in infancy and potentially even beforehand through activities like reading aloud with your child, dramatic play, or even just having conversations with and around your child that are language rich. Vocabulary exposure and development is key to setting your child on the path to success as a young reader. These activities allow us the ability as adults to model “expected reading behaviors” like how to hold a book, using different voices to signify different characters, thinking aloud about what is happening in the book, following along with the words, and more. These behaviors help children to develop an understanding of concepts of print, fluency, and comprehension. Children who read and have been read to regularly usually come to school more prepared for not just reading skills, but critical thinking across the curriculum, helping them to develop a sense of curiosity and be able to not just master the curriculum, but actually thrive in the content.
Reading actually builds your child's neural pathways (I KNOW, SO COOL!). These are information highways where all their knowledge travels. It helps them to make connections to new learnings and be able to access newly acquired knowledge more quickly and flexibly. This leads to deeper learning and processing over time. It improves their ability to be able to focus on a specific task and analyze stories, thus continuing to support that critical thinking and communication. These analytical skills extend beyond stories and books to their lives which restores power to our children to be able to make informed decisions and be creative problem solvers. It promotes their ability to share their thinking. Communication is central to our basic needs as humans and through books we are able to be transported to far away places or even transcend the boundaries of our everyday lives to experience someone else’s. Each page turned in a book deepens a child’s imagination while also training their brains to be able to think differently and communicate effectively with others.
We cannot think about literacy as just being a skill for test taking or obtaining a job, literacy helps to build social comprehension which gives our children vital skills they need to be good humans. As readers, we have the unique opportunity to gain a window, a mirror, or a sliding glass door into someone’s life, which helps children to develop empathy. Through stories we are able to help to teach and model social skills that our children will need for the rest of their lives. We know that stories can actually improve the mental health outcomes of children by allowing them the ability to know that they are not alone by making a connection to a character who feels the same way as them or providing an escape from challenging situations. Through books, children are able to engage with diversity (of people and experiences) that often may not be available within the physical limits of their environments, which is essential to them learning how to navigate the world beyond their immediate surroundings. Through stories our children learn coping skills that allow them to overcome new and complex life events that are happening for them every day.
We all want our children to grow up to be independent people who have the skills and competencies necessary to lead meaningful lives, and we can start that journey with books. We know that an early love for reading often leads to lifelong learning and curiosity. In a world that is riddled with many challenges, it is critical that our children remain curious, hopeful, and resilient, which are skills we can begin instilling through books that will push them to think critically, lead with empathy, and use their toolbelt to cope. It also empowers our children to make better choices about their lives, including things like their health, their finances, their careers, and even their relationships with others. Literacy is fundamental to whatever dreams our children may have, so we can give them the power to have agency over their own lives through the gift of literacy. Through literacy, we can offer our children the ability to be mobile and open up new doors that we potentially did not have access to or even to create their own. Our children are navigating a world that is globally connected and multicultural and pluralist and through books they are able to create communities that live harmoniously. Literacy promotes understanding, tolerance, acceptance, and belonging where communities are able to be beacons of democracy and cohesion, not simply assimilation.
Here are some tips for families working to create lifelong readers:
Lead by Example: Read and talk about books in front of your children
Make Reading a Daily Family Ritual: Set aside a time of day that is specifically for reading - it can be whatever makes sense for your family when there is a quiet moment in the day.
Create a Literacy Friendly Environment: Create a space in your home where it is prime for reading (think comfy seats, good lighting, and books readily available). This spot can transition from being a space for shared reading to becoming a designated (and beloved) spot for your reader as they begin reading on their own!
Bring the Book To Life: Books are not boring and stories are not static. Bring them to life through conversations as this will develop early comprehension skills. Ask questions, make predictions, discuss the best parts, and even go beyond what’s in the text to connect stories to real-life experiences or even create your own alternate endings.
Visit Libraries: Trips to the libraries can open up a new world of discovery for your child and become a fun family outing. In addition to the books at the libraries, many local libraries also have fun activities that encourage literacy development cross-curricularly through STEAM and other community engagement.
Don’t Be Afraid of Digital: At Fair Share, we are creating immersive metaverse environments where elements of the book actually come to life and you are able to extend beyond the book in new ways. This is a great opportunity to not just engage with basic literacy skills, but also to help your child develop digital literacy simultaneously.
Celebrate Milestones: Celebrate the small achievements like finishing a book, learning a new reading skill, or discovering your favorite author. These may seem small to us, but these “first” are as significant as a child’s first steps or first words - these are skills they are going to use for the rest of their lives. Every child is going to develop at their own pace and it is our job to be their cheerleaders and coaches along the way, offering them support and guidance, encouragement, and some celebration to further encourage that hard work!
Every day we have the opportunity to develop a reader. Reading gives us the power to become independent people who can potentially change the world (I know… kind of a big deal). It gives us the tools to navigate a complex world effectively, broadens our perspectives, create new pathways to success, live healthy and happy lives, and create a world that is better than the one we live in today. Through literacy, we are able to be the drivers of our own lives and I think that is the gift that keeps on giving. At Fair Share, we are creating engaging ways for you to share the experience of a book with your child. Every book comes with a set of backmatter that equips you to have meaningful dialogues and experiences with the book beyond the text. These resources are here to support you in making literacy fun while also developing essential life skills that will stay with your children forever. Together, let's build a world where literacy thrives and every story finds its eager listener.
Happy Reading,
Krishawna