Read Baby Read!

How did you learn to read?

Some of us memorized sight words, and others used configuration or context cues. However, one thing is for sure…if you learned to read in a California public school in the late 80’s or early 90’s– you weren’t taught phonics. California dropped phonics from its reading curricula in 1987–when I was five!

I don’t remember learning to read, but I do remember reading. Like many young children, I memorized the words in picture books and convinced others that I was literate by the age of three! My book of choice was Goodnight Moon, the pop-up version.

While it’s possible to argue that I wasn’t really “reading," there is evidence to support that memorizing words is a behavior that precedes and eventually develops into conventional literacy. This idea is rooted in the concept of “emergent literacy." Sulzby and Teale (1996) state, "Emergent literacy is concerned with the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young children–even 1- and 2-year-olds–are in the process of becoming literate."

Many kids who don’t remember learning to read remember one thing–being read to by their parents, caretakers, and private SAT tutors. The idea of emergent literacy validates the significance of reading to children regularly. When we read to children, even as young as one and two years old, we help them build the foundation from which literacy develops. Since young children respond well to vivid images and word repetition, parents and caretakers often select to read picture books. In a good picture book, the images tell the story, and the words merely contribute to the flow of the story. It’s no coincidence that Goodnight Moon, with its pop-up pictures, word repetition, and embedded nightly ritual was at the top of my list!

If you need help selecting a good picture book or other reading material to share with your kid(s), consider award winners. The following honors are given to top-quality books and should become the basic criterion for any search for grade K-8 literature.

Caldecott Medal: This medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children by the Association for Library Service to Children. The 2010 Caldecott Medal winner is The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney. For a full list of Caldecott Medal winners from 1938-Present, click here: Caldecott Medal Winners 1938-2009.

Newbery Medal: The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Services to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American Literature for children. The 2010 Newbery Medal winner is When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. For a list of Newbery Medal winners and Honor Books from 1922-Present, click here: Newbery Medal Winners 1922-2009.

Young Reader Medal: Members of the California Young Reader Medal Committee nominate books to be read by students in four categories: Primary (Grades K-2), Intermediate (Grades 3-6), Middle School / Junior High (Grades 6-9), and Young Adult (Grades 9-12). Students read all of the books in a given category and vote for their favorite. The authors of the winning books are awarded the California Young Reader Medal award annually. For a list of books that have one the votes of California readers, click here: California Young Reader Medal Winners.

Happy reading!