Bilingual can Boost Children's Brain Power

There are many differences between a monolingual and multilingual child. In fact, a child that speaks two or more languages can easily monitor the ambiance and environment around him or her. In fact, this is similar to driving a motor vehicle. When a driver drives a vehicle, he or she has to perform many mental calculations to gauge the road, traffic coming from the opposite side, traffic that is behind the car, gauge distractions that occur on the roadside and to prevent any untoward incidences happening by monitoring the driving speed and by controlling speed, gear changing and clutch management. A bilingual child would be able to perform a series of mental tasks those are simultaneous and quick. In fact, these children always use lesser areas or sectors of brain to perform any mental tasks. Curiously, bilingual ability of the brain may postpone the onset of age related conditions like Alzheimer's symptom.

Different advantages and benefits of being a bilingual

• Segregating words into different categories based on their meanings.
• Use information in many different ways and meanings.
• Easily playing word and scrabble games very easily.
• Easily solving crossword puzzles when children grow older and step into higher grade schools.
• Finding problems any problems very quickly.
• Think laterally and perform simultaneous mental problems.
• Easily develop personal relationship with others and connect with them without any problems.

Bilingual children always follow a particular pattern of learning which is systematic and organized. In fact, the rate at which a bilingual brain works is far superior to a child that just speaks one language. However, the biggest and most significant advantage of learning two languages is the ability of children to live anywhere in the world and confidence to lead a contended life.

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How reading makes a differnce

Reading makes a difference in unexpected parts of our lives. Books can be used to reassure a child who needs to face something that frightens him or her. By reading a story several times about a frightening or scary procedure, it would help to calm and reassure the child. This way, the child would be able to face those bravely.

Books can help you as a parent in many family situations. When a new baby is going to arrive, books that deal with this situation help a child with their deep inner fears of being replaced or unloved.

Books can also ease concerns about losing a tooth, serving as a flower girl in a wedding, having an operation, or other events. There is a backward and forward flow between books and what happens in real life, children can use real life experiences to help them understand books and books help them to understand real life.

Reading activities for special times

Life is not all about work and no play. During weekends, birthdays, holidays, vacations,rainy days, books make a difference. Books are the right medicine for happy times and sad ones.


1- Make a rainy day book
Put a few sheets of paper together to create a book with your child illustrating it. Write down the sounds made by the rain, the splash, patter and ping of rainfall. Draw pictures of rain equipment, like umbrellas, raincoats, boots. Also, draw pictures of the neighbourhood in the rain, the buildings, people, animals.

Go to the library to get the book "Rain Talk" by Mary Serfoza, where a child listens to the "ping a ding, plip plip, and drum a tum" sounds of the rain. "Get Umbrella" by Taro Yashima, in where three-year-old Momo is awaiting the rain to come, so that she can use her new red boots and umbrella. Seeing what other children do to celebrate the rain gives your children models for their own books.


2- Read before vacations
When preparing for a vacation, get some books from the library. Find books to read about the places you are going. There are informational books about their national parks, historical sites and resorts areas. Also, there are fictional stories set in all parts of the country and world. Ask your chilren's librarian to point out books set in the area you will be visiting. If the books are too difficult for your child to read alone, read aloud to them. Your child will learn that reading is a source of information for all endeavors.



3- Read during vacations
If you travel, books are a important part of your luggage. Bring books along. Encourage your child to keep a journal or diary. Together, write a book about the places you visit and see. If you stay at home, books are even more important to your vacation time. Vacations are a good time to read the more difficult books that take up more time to read.

Did you know -
Kids who are read to do better in school.
Reading aloud to a child raises their self-esteem and reading ability.
Becoming a better reader helps a child do better in social studies and math.
Keeping a diary helps a child become a better writer and reader.
Allowing your child to read in bed is a good habit to start.
Children will read on their own a book that has been read aloud to them.

Storytelling

Young kids enjoy hearing stories about you and your family. When did you lose your first tooth? Who was a favorite teacher? Thinking about Mommy or Daddy as a little kid may spark the imagination. Maybe you want to share the story, passed down to you, about the ghost that lived in your great-grandmother's attic. And there's nothing more delightful than a story about the time a parent did something mischievous and the consequences. Kids delight in these glimpses of a past that is connected to them.

When you tell stories, you show how to put words together to make meaning. You share something new about yourself that your kids may find interesting or exciting and that might be a springboard for questions and discussions. Most important, you nurture a love of language and stories that kids will have for life.

So take a deep breath and begin: "Once upon a time ...."

Reading

It is a universal axiom that everyone knows and understands - reading is the greatest habit. Reading to younger children is still more effective. A child who inculcates the habit of reading at an early age will be the wisest and intelligent person in the later stages of his or her life. Reading habit should start at your home and by your children's bed side. Bring home great books and read their content to your children, especially when they go to sleep. As you read stories to your children just before they go to bed, the moral of the story will sink in their mind very quickly.

Some examples are:

Reading story books that contain morals and principles.

Reading books that ask children many questions and pose queries.

Reading books that enhance imagination and visualization.

Reading books that promote thinking and deductive skills

Tips: Books are our best friends. Books enhance our image and self esteem. Take your children to a local public library and show them the books, magazines and journals stacked on the racks. Get them a library card if they are above 18 years. Show them how the books are neatly arranged and indexed. Ask them to chose their own books and get it loaned against their name. Allow them to read their own books, recite the stories and morals behind them.

The ABC's of Good Behaviour

If there is one desire that virtually all mothers and fathers share, it is the wish to raise a good child. But ask any dozen parents to define “good” and you are bound to get a dozen different answers. One parent cares strongly about manners and politeness. Another will cite responsibility and obedience to family rules as the essence of virtue. A third parent upholds self-control and cooperativeness as the most admirable of character traits, and fourth emphasizes such qualities as honesty, kindness and trustworthiness. But in truth, good behavior is all these things and more, and given the proper opportunity, your youngster will be able to make all of them a part of his own character.

As a loving parent, what strategies can you use to encourage character building? For one thing, you can give your child plenty of reasons to trust you and to feel secure in your care. For another, you can be a good role model, demonstrating the values and types of behavior you want him to adopt. You can also set reasonable limits and positive expectations, appropriate to his age and temperament. You can be firm, fair, consistent and loving disciplinarian without resorting to harsh punishment. And you can help him find his way within the larger community of friends, school and strangers - explaining, interpreting, guiding and lending a sympathetic ear as he meets each new social challenge. But you cannot make your child be good - that in end, is up to him.

Excerpt from "Teaching Good Behavior" - part of " A Child's First Library of Values

Choosing the right reading material for your child.

So your child has started to read. She may be slow and stumble over a few words but they can manage. Fluent reading will not be far behind. Here are some tips for selecting the appropriate reading matter


Children enjoy reading texts that are aimed at their age and interests, whether it is about football, fairies, ghosts or outer space.
Those with illustrations add to the interest and are often the quickest way into the text.
Your child can choose from different types of text. For example, story books or factual texts, depending on the appeal to his/her imagination and his/her character. Story books provide a way into reading through a combination of words and pictures. Factual texts will interest the curious reader who wants to find out about the world. Some high-quality magazines contain an attractive combination of fiction and non-fiction and create a continuous relationship with a young reader.
It can be reassuring for a child to reread a picture book that is familiar from a very early age.
A good book does not have to be long.
A good book can be put down for a while, but will be easy to pick up again later.
Let him/her choose books which you yourself may not find very interesting

Children’s Reading Voyage

Parents know that reading is important for school success. Sometimes, though, parents aren't clear about the process of learning to read or how to help their child make this reading voyage.

Infants and Toddlers. Children crawl before they walk; they learn language before they read. Talking sets the stage for language development. Even though your child may not understand the words she hears, she's storing up the sounds of language for the day she'll put the sounds and words together and say them herself.

Start developing book habits early. Infants and toddlers often just want to chew on a book; mouthing and exploring are important book behaviors for very young children.

Read to your infant or toddler until he is bored, then put the book away for another time. As your toddler becomes more interested in books, let him make more book choices, hold the book, and turn the pages. Make these book times pleasurable and fun.

Preschoolers and Kindergartners. Preschoolers and kindergartners like to have fun with language. They like silly rhymes and verses, singing a song, dancing, and sharing a story through finger play. These are ways they develop language and literacy skills.

Children at this age are learning more about letters, print and books. They know many letters of the alphabet. They begin to match letters to their sounds, which is important for learning to read.

Many preschool children will pretend to read books, telling the story as they turn the pages, look at the pictures and identify some print on the page. They learn that print in books moves from left to right. Kindergarten children are getting better at matching letters to sounds and know many words from sight.

The Importance of Reading to your Baby

Once a parent bring home their newborn baby, they should waste no time in helping them learn. A baby will begin learning things right away and parents must make sure that they have the necessary tools to assist their child. One way parents can develop a baby’s learning capabilities at a very early age, is by reading to them.
Reading to your child is a great way for them to hear how words are pronounced. When you begin reading to your child, you may not get much of a reaction from them at the beginning, because they are just hearing the words for the first time. As the child begins to grow and parents continually read to them, they will become engaged in the stories and will begin to respond to the words.

Books that contain pictures are an entertaining way to read to your child, as they will be able to get a visual representation of what is happening in the storyline. Many picture books either depict important life lessons or can focus on academic concepts, like mathematics. These books are a great way for parents to not only spend time with their child, but to also ensure that their child is beginning to form good learning skills. Stories that teach your child how to count or learn their ABC’s are great beginner books.

As you are reading to your child, you will notice an increased interest in their desire to be read to. Eventually your child will begin to read by themselves and will use the skills that you have taught them. If you child has a great interest in reading, consider purchasing interactive workbooks that are designed to increase their learning. These books also provide a parent with the opportunity to spend quality time with their baby.

It is important to read to your child and nurture their desire to read, as it is the foundational block for their future success in school. By reading to your child at an early age, you will notice that they are able to develop the necessary learning skills they need, at a much faster rate

A Reading Environment at your Home!

Home environment plays an important role in the development of early readers. According to Jim Trelease, author of "The New Read-Aloud Handbook", two major studies (one from the 1966 and one from 1975) have been done on early readers as well as students who respond to early education without difficulty. These studies show that the following four indicators were present in the home environment of nearly every early reader.

The child is read to on a regular basis. This reading included not only books, but billboards, signs, labels, and more. The parents, by example, were avid readers.
Books, newspapers, magazines, and comics were always available at home.
Paper and pencils were also available anywhere because the starting point of curiosity about written language was an interest in copying objects and letters of the alphabet.
Adult in the child's home answered endless questions, praised the child's efforts, used their local library frequently, bought books, wrote stories that their child dictated and displayed their child's work prominently.

Having setup a good home environment for reading, you have to ensure your child has good hearing!

So do you have a reading enviroment for your child?

Ms Tan shares how she start to read to her child from young!

Teach your child to read

You can start teaching your child the building blocks for reading before they ever step foot in a classroom. Once your child enters school, you can work with your child and their teachers to help aid the learning process. Teaching your child to read will involve dedication and patience.
Make reading an important part of your child’s life before they can even speak. Read to your child as they develop in the womb and when they are babies. When your child is ready, start to read out loud to them while they follow along by looking at the pictures. You can then start to point out words in the book to your child while you read their favorite stories.

Read your children books with rhymes as well. The rhymes are easy for your child to remember and as they grow older they can learn to recognize some of the words in their favorite rhymes.

Start to introduce your baby to the alphabet from a young age. When your baby is just a couple months old you can start singing the ABC’s song to them. Between twelve to eighteen months, your little one will start to sing parts of the song on their own. A few months after that, you can start showing them the letters of the alphabet on a chart as you sing through the tune.

Developing a Reading Habit

Here are a few tried-and-tested techniques to help get you started:

Before reading a book to your child, read it through once yourself to identify areas you might want to concentrate on.

Point at each word with your finger as you read, and encourage your child to follow along. Even before your child can read, they can be highly stimulated by the pictures they see in books.

A child's attention span tends to be rather short, so choose simple books with plenty of colourful pictures.

If you are concerned about little hands tearing and smudging books, buy sturdy toddler board books that can withstand some 'abuse'.

Parents who show that that they enjoy and benefit from reading will set good examples to their children.

Children are constantly imitating adults, so if you make reading out to be a fun and enjoyable activity, it is likely that your child will as well.

Make reading a treat instead of a chore! Don't just read to your child at bedtime - read to him throughout the day or whenever time allows.

Show enthusiasm and excitement, and vary your reading tone to give characters different voices. Make your own puppets out of household items to use when reading.

Involve your child in the reading process. Let him turn the pages of the book, and give him adequate time to look at the pictures and ask questions.

If your child has developed an adequate level of reading comprehension, ask him simple questions about the story after each reading session.

Most children will have 'favourites'. Read your child's favourite books often, and make them available to your child at all times by placing them on a shelf within easy reach. This allows your child to look at his favourites whenever he desires.

All children have an innate desire to communicate. Write simple notes and letters to your child, and encourage him to do the same to you.

For children who have yet to master reading and writing, simply let them 'read' you their mental notes, and then read your notes to them.

Visit to your local library regularly, and engage the help of the children's librarian to assist your child in choosing books that are appropriate for his age group.

When he is old enough, obtain a library card for your child. This will help him acquire a sense of responsibility alongside an interest of reading.

By making reading fun, and keeping your child's reading experiences positive, you can nurture a child to grow into an avid reader, and one who views reading as an enjoyable pastime.

A Book Is a Child's Companion

If we want our children to enjoy the companionship of books, we must allow the child's contribution to the relationship to be wholly salient. We want the child to know that he is relevant to the book. So as we look at a book with a child, we are flexible about how that process goes. We forget that we know it has a beginning, middle and end, and we allow the child's pleasure and interest to dictate what it is to which we will attend, and of what the interaction will consist. We attend to the child’s agenda. We do our best to explicate the demands of perspective the illustration demonstrates, and we spend the time we need to cover and uncover, make disappear and reappear, our own faces and hands, until this loses its interest for the child. Only then do we proceed in the book. It is not unlike taking our child to the beach to view the vast ocean or to admire the sunset while acknowledging that the tiny sandcrab that scurries over the toe of his sneaker and totally captures his attention is a wholly worthy competitor for our intent and deserves our closest mutual attention. We are flexible, and we care about what our small friend's interests are because only then can he bring his whole self to the encounter. And that is what we want. We want the child to know that he is relevant to the book.

Babies and toddlers are enriched by books. Even more important, the relationships between very young children and their parents are enriched by books. Books provide a source of mutual pleasure for parent and child that is likely to last a lifetime. We introduce infants and toddlers to books not simply because of what they will learn from them, but so that they will grow to love them. It is a gift beyond measure.

Talk About Books

Talking about the books you read is just as important as reading them. Discussing a story or a book with your child helps your child understand it and connect it to his or her own experience of life. It also helps enrich your child's vocabulary with new words and phrases.

Here are some ways to help your child acquire skills in comprehension, reasoning, and critical thinking:

Ask your child about the kinds of books he or she would like to read.

Talk to your child about your favourite books from childhood, and offer to read them.

Encourage your child to ask questions and to comment on the story and pictures in a book – before, during, and after reading it.

Look at the cover and the title of a book with your child, and ask your child what he or she thinks might happen in the story.

Encourage your child to think critically about the story. Does he or she agree or disagree with the author? Why?

Think out loud about the story as you read, and encourage your child to do the same. For example, ask, "Does this make sense? Why or why not?"

Give your child time to think about the story, and then ask him or her about it again a few days later.

More Reasons to Read to your Child!

Reading beats preaching:
Characters in books provide examples of behavior you want you child to emulate, without the lecture effect. Whether you want to teach your child to be kind, helpful, polite, honest or perseverant, reading books where the characters portray these qualities and are appreciated or rewarded for that reason is an effective way to send the message

Reading educates without effort:
Books offer different types of situations and conversations that help your child pick up language, vocabulary and general knowledge. Since it all happens almost effortlessly and sub-consciously, without you even having to try, it’s more fun for everyone.

Reading leads to questioning, hence learning:
It’s amazing how quickly reading with your kids gets them thinking beyond the obvious. If you’ve paid close attention to the questions you encounter as you read to your child, you know what I mean. They observe and think of things that almost never occur to a grown up. Yes, those constant interruptions could get annoying. But, each one of them is a part of the discovery process.

Reading instills a love of…well, books:
As you read to your baby everyday, she’s beginning to see the beauty and power of print and you’re instilling in her a love for the written word. It may be a while before your baby actually begins to read, but, once you’ve established that reading is fun, it’s going to be hard to keep her away from books.

Reading encourages independence:
If your child doesn’t have siblings to play with, a play date doesn’t show up, your family is taking a long road trip or if you have to attend to something important, reading is one activity that can keep your child engaged for hours, by himself, in a productive, positive way. If you raise a reader, you almost never have to worry about him being bored. Just as adults who enjoy reading seldom feel bored when they have time to kill, kids who are read to regularly begin to enjoy being around books. They can almost always find something to read no matter where you are and are thus less likely to be dependent on you to provide them constant entertainment.

Read Every Day

Children love routine, and reading is something that you and your child can look forward to every day. By taking the time to read with your child, you show him or her that reading is important and fun to do.

Try to read with your child as often as possible. Its the best thing you can do to help him or her learn at school! It also allows you to spend time together in an enjoyable way and to build a strong and healthy relationship.

Start reading with your child when he or she is very young.

Set aside a special time each day when you can give your full attention to reading with your child.

Choose a comfortable spot to read, where you can be close to your child. Make it your "reading place"! Set aside a special shelf in that area for your childs books.

Choose a variety of books.

Vary the length of reading time according to your childs age and interests. For young children, several short sessions (of 10 minutes each) may be better than one long session (of 30 minutes).

Read slowly so that your child can form a mental picture of what is happening in the story.

Praise your child for his or her ideas and participation!

When you and your child are away from home, take along books, magazines, and books-on-tape for your child to read and listen to.

Keep reading to your child even after he or she has learned to read. By reading stories that will interest your child but that are above his or her reading level, you can stretch your childs understanding and keep alive the magic of shared reading.

10 Reasons Why Books Are Still Important?

Has your toddler just learned the alphabet? Then this is the perfect time to introduce him/her to the wonderful world of books. In this time of personal computers and the Internet, many of us consider books to be things of the past. However, they still play a crucial role in the overall development of a child during the early years of life. Those “educational” toys and “pre-school development” shows on TV may look pretty appealing, but nothing can replace good old books. Here are 10 reasons why books are still important for a child’s development:

1. The more books children read, the faster their vocabulary is expanded. Books help them to learn new words and new ways of using the words that they already know. This accelerates preschool child development, and also improves their soft skills in the long run.

2. Reading books to children at bedtime is a wonderful bonding experience that nourishes emotional development. Parents can also help the child relate the incidents in the story to real events in their lives.

3. Encouraging a love of books in toddlers is a great way to prepare them for the school environment and to adapt to the concept of daily schoolwork.

4. Reading books regularly stimulates children’s imagination, accelerates their emotional development and fosters natural curiosity. Children quickly learn to visualize the scenarios mentioned in the stories by reading the text alone. This type of development works even better if a parent assists in the process. According to a recent research conducted by author Jim Trelease, regular reading of books “creates empathy toward other people, because literature values humanity and celebrates human spirit and potential, offering insight into different lifestyles while recognizing universality”.

5. As children read different books, their knowledge on various subjects increases multifold. In addition, everything that they learn at this age stays in their mind for a long time to come. This can help them become better students in school.

6. Reading books improves a child’s attention span. Books with colorful pictures work even better than text-only books.

7. Reading can successfully replace TV as a source of entertainment, especially if the child is introduced to preschool books as soon as he/she learns the alphabet. Reading helps children utilize their time in a more constructive manner.

8. Children who learn to read at an early age have a better chance of getting a job later in life. They also perform much better than those who grew up watching TV and playing games on computers. In a recent speech, renowned author/illustrator Rosemary Wells pointed out that, “a young child's growing mind needs active play and live conversation. Television puts a child into what neurologists call the passive Alpha state. A child cannot learn from screens because programs are meant to sell products not to teach”.

9. A parent reading to his/her toddler often becomes a role model in the child’s mind. In this way, the child learns to be more obedient towards parents.

10. Developing the habit of reading regularly from an early age helps the child to cope better with the rigors of academic education later on. Allowing your child to watch a few pre-school shows on TV isn’t a bad thing to do. However, reading books is a very important activity that no child should be deprived of during the early years of his/her life. Read a book to your child today. It will go a long way in forging a lifelong bond between you and your toddler.

“The most important thing that parents can do is talk and read to their children. During the toddler and preschool years, it is critical to provide children with different language and reading experiences.” (G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D., Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Child Healthy and Human Development

Why is reading to my baby good for him?

Reading will help build your child's vocabulary, stimulate his imagination, and improve his communication skills. In fact, the more you speak to your child from the get-go, the better it is for his growth and development. Studies have shown that language skills — and even intelligence — are related to how many words an infant hears each day. In one study, babies whose parents spoke to them a lot (an average of 2,100 words an hour) scored higher on standard tests when they reached age 3 than did children whose parents hadn't been as verbal. A running commentary on the state of the neighborhood during your walk and naming your child's body parts as you bathe him are good ways to chat. Reading is one more fun way to add variety to your verbal interactions.

But my baby doesn’t seem interested!”
Newborns may not respond to your reading, so it may be difficult to tell if they’re really even listening or benefiting from your efforts. But, you will see that with time, your baby will begin to understand the routine, be curious about the book you’re holding, show interest in the pictures and generally, begin to enjoy reading time. The advantage of starting early(if you want to) is that by the time your baby is 6 months old or ready to observe pictures and register words, she would already be familiar with the books. She would already have a head start and you will actually have to put in very little effort to get her interested in reading with you

How will my child learn to read?

Learning to read does not happen all at once. It involves a series of stages that lead, over time, to independent reading and to fluency.

The best time for children to start learning to read is when they are very young, usually at the preschool level. This is when they are best able to start developing basic reading skills.

The stages involved in learning to read are listed below.

1. The pre-reader and the beginning reader:

likes to look at books and likes to be read to

likes to behave like a reader – for example, holds books and pretends to read them

learns about words by looking at picture books and playing with blocks that have letters on them, magnetic letters, and so on

learns about words from songs, rhymes, traffic signs, and logos on packages of food

learns how text works – for example, where a story starts and finishes and which way the print proceeds

begins to understand that his or her own thoughts can be put into print

uses pictures and memory to tell and retell a story

2. The emerging reader:

is ready to receive instructions about reading

learns that text is a common way to tell a story or to convey information

begins to match written words to spoken words and to perceive relationships between sounds and letters

begins to experiment with reading, and is willing to try to say words out loud when reading simple texts

finds the pictures helpful in understanding the text, and learns that the words convey a message consistent with the pictures

3. The early reader:

develops more confidence and uses a variety of methods, such as relying on visual cues, to identify words in texts

adapts his or her reading to different kinds of texts

recognizes many words, knows a lot about reading, and is willing to try new texts

4. The fluent reader:

thinks of reading as a good thing and does it automatically

uses a variety of methods to identify words and their meanings

can read various kinds of texts and predict events in a story

relates the meaning of books to his or her own experience and knowledge, and understands what is new

It takes time to pass through each of these stages, and your child will need plenty of attention and support as he or she moves through them. You can play a leading role in helping your child acquire the reading skills he or she needs to succeed!