Read Aloud

Elaine Cole, a single mother of four who lives in Baltimore, worries about her 8-year-old son, Sir'Dionte, because he doesn't like to read. But Cole works full time and can't help her youngest child with his homework as much as she would like. That's why she jumped at the chance to enroll Sir'Dionte, 10-year-old Sir'Mourtinay and 13-year-old Myeisha in the Maryland Humanities Council's "Family Matters" reading program. Every Tuesday through this week, the Coles and several other west-side families have gathered at the Walbrook branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library to discuss important themes.

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone. Scrooge a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin.

As the 60-foot racing yachts competing in the 8,000-mile EDS Atlantic Challenge slowly sailed out of Baltimore's Inner Harbor yesterday, they provided a grand backdrop to a decidedly more modest regatta: A wobbly line of 21-foot boats steering through a simple buoy course, each vessel crewed by a team of soon-to-be third- and fourth-graders who before had barely seen Baltimore from the vantage of its waters, let alone dabbled in sailing. Their immersion was part of a goal far more fundamental than mastering the water.

Seated on a stage in front of four dozen children and parents, 8-year-old Jolie East-Meijii read aloud from her favorite book to show off the skills she has learned in the Randallstown library's "Just Say Yes to Reading" club. And every time Jolie slipped on a word from "The Napping House," 11-year-old Regis Patterson quickly leaped in to help."It's fun to read," said Jolie, who will enter the second grade in the fall at Arlington Baptist School. "I like coming here and getting help reading."

QuestionResponsesIn November, we asked readers to talk about teaching children to read. What techniques have worked well with children? What methods didn't succeed?What mystery of early reading?As the mother of three children who were all reading as first-grade students, I am amazed at the "mystery" surrounding how to teach children to read. Perhaps if we return to the tried and true method of phonics, the mystery will be solved.As far back 1962, when I was one of 60 students in my first grade classroom, phonics was used -- and I would venture that 99 percent of the students were reading three months into the school year.

The most common mistake in reading aloud -- whether the reader is a 7-year-old or a 40-year-old -- is reading too fast. Read slowly enough for the child to build mental pictures of what he just heard you read. Slow down enough for the children to see the pictures in the book without feeling hurried. Reading quickly allows no time for the reader to use vocal expression.From "The Read-Aloud Handbook", by Jim TreleasePub Date: 3/04/98

The don'ts of reading aloud are as important as the do's. Here are some things to avoid when reading with your child.* Don't start reading if there's not enough time to do it justice. Having to stop after one or two pages only serves to frustrate, rather than stimulate, your child's interest in reading.* Don't be unnerved by questions during reading time, particularly from very young children. Answer their questions patiently. Don't put them off. Don't rush your answers. There is no time limit for reading a book, but there is a time limit on a child's inquisitiveness.

When encouraging children to read, parents and care-givers should:* Start with picture books and build to story books and novels.* Vary the length and subject matter of your readings.* Follow through with your reading. If you start a book, it is your responsibility to continue it - unless it turns out to be a bad book. Don't leave your child hanging for three or four days between chapters and expect his or her interest to be sustained.* Occasionally read above your child's intellectual level and challenge her mind.

Reading aloud is the magic key that opens up the world of books for your child. One of the most widely recognized experts in the read-aloud movement is Jim Trelease, author of "The New Read-Aloud Handbook." Along with many other educators in the field of reading, Trelease recognizes that successful readers are those who have early and ongoing experiences with literature at home. Here are some of the ways to share reading with your child based upon current research: * Begin reading to your child as early as possible.

Today's story selection is so enjoyable to read aloud because of the author's use of alliterative language. Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, especially consonant sounds, in words close together, particularly using letters at the beginning of words. Alliterative stories and word books introduce and reinforce initial phonemes of words. Try these read-aloud tips on stories with alliteration: Exaggerate the initial sounds. Have your child repeat the alliterative words with you. Start your child off by composing a sentence using her own name.