Parents Make the Difference by Susan Voorhees

Author:Susan Voorhees [Voorhees, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2014-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

ENGAGE: Be a Lore, Not a Bore!

Engagement is critical to all learning, at any level, as stated in chapter 1 of this book. One must be a part of the learning process of any task in order for a positive outcome to occur. And this positive outcome motivates humans to want to do it again and again. Case in point:

Thinking back to your schooling, you can probably come up with the one teacher who could make the most interesting topic put you to sleep. Mr. Bodem, a sixth-grade science teacher, comes to my mind—monotone, disconnected from his students, uninteresting. He rarely allowed his students to have any interaction and certainly the subject matter should have included many hands-on experiments, which the class did not do. Even the most academic students didn’t achieve an A and hated attending class. Mr. Bodem’s classes were passive recipients of any information he imparted and, for sure, most students never picked up their textbook at home. Many classmates vowed to never continue their studies in this area.

But Mr. Pulcino, the math teacher in the same school, was beloved by all students! One would think that math class would be a bore, but he captured everyone’s attention each day—animated, standing on desks as he demonstrated abstract ideas, connecting stories and mottos to the subject matter, and ensuring that his students understood one concept before moving on to the next. eH neve etorw sdrow sdrawkcab ot barg ruo noitnetta. This certainly forced our brains to be active if we started to lose concentration! (FYI: The sentence says, “He even wrote words backwards to grab our attention.”) Did it just work with you? (Mr. Pulcino actually had such an influence on me that I earned a minor in mathematics in college.)

So what is the point? As mediators of your children’s reading, during the actual reading stage, your goal is to demonstrate ENGAGE actions that will foster excitement and active learning for your children.

Before presenting specific ENGAGE reading actions in detail, it is important to review the importance of parents’ affective behaviors, that is, the emotions and desires parents demonstrate during the shared book reading, which influence children’s actions. First, be sure your child shares in the responsibilities and is an equal partner. This could be as simple as allowing your child to share in holding the book or perhaps asking your child to turn the pages. Most importantly, be sure the book is in front of both of you.

Now, get your reading voice ready! Children’s picture books are written by the most gifted writers and illustrated by the most talented artists; however, they are not there to ensure their work is presented at its best. So parents, your job is to bring these books to life. Be animated, act out parts, change the tone of your voice, s-l-o-w your voice down, speed it up, whisper, RAISE YOUR VOICE LEVEL . . . all at appropriate times, of course. Sometimes you will be tired, especially after

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