{"id":1131,"date":"2009-06-02T15:58:06","date_gmt":"2009-06-02T07:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=1131"},"modified":"2025-09-14T10:17:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T02:17:22","slug":"reading_talks_20090602","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2009\/06\/02\/reading_talks_20090602\/","title":{"rendered":"Sev\u00ader\u00adal Dis\u00adcus\u00adsions on the Rela\u00adtion\u00adship between Lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy and Read\u00ading"},"content":{"rendered":"

   
\nA friend asked me about my thoughts on the rela\u00adtion\u00adship between lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy and read\u00ading, a top\u00adic that\u2019s been dis\u00adcussed for years. Below I\u2019ve com\u00adpiled a few Q&A ses\u00adsions and dis\u00adcus\u00adsions, the old\u00adest of which dates back five or six years.
\n 
\n   
\nI used to be very insis\u00adtent on urg\u00ading adults not to teach their chil\u00addren to read too ear\u00adly, but in recent years I\u2019ve become less insis\u00adtent. I\u2019ve dis\u00adcov\u00adered that over\u00adly impa\u00adtient adults might tem\u00adporar\u00adi\u00adly put their chil\u00addren off from learn\u00ading to read, but they might find some\u00adthing else to tor\u00adment their chil\u00addren the next day. By com\u00adpar\u00adi\u00adson, train\u00ading chil\u00addren to read isn\u2019t the most painful process; more impor\u00adtant\u00adly, it pro\u00advides adults with a strong sense of accom\u00adplish\u00adment. There\u00adfore, if adults can\u2019t find peace and com\u00adpo\u00adsure dur\u00ading the par\u00adent\u00ading process, it does\u00adn\u2019t real\u00adly mat\u00adter whether they train their chil\u00addren to read or not.
\n 
\n   
\nThe fol\u00adlow\u00ading ques\u00adtions and answers are select\u00aded fromFAQ sec\u00adtion of the Hong\u00adni\u00adba web\u00adsite<\/a>.
\n <\/p>\n

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\n <\/p>\n

Q: My daugh\u00adter is 1 year and 10 months old, but she can\u2019t real\u00adly read and does\u00adn\u2019t like lis\u00adten\u00ading to us teach her how to read. How\u00adev\u00ader, she absolute\u00adly loves sto\u00adry\u00adtelling. Many chil\u00addren around me already know some words, so what should I do? I\u2019d also like to buy her some sto\u00adry\u00adtelling CDs, but there are so many options on the mar\u00adket. Could you rec\u00adom\u00admend some?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
\nA: You can tell the par\u00adents of the chil\u00addren around you that they are prob\u00ada\u00adbly walk\u00ading on the wrong road. If a per\u00adson is walk\u00ading on the wrong road, the faster they walk, the more dan\u00adger\u00adous it may be.
\n 
\nRead\u00ading is not the same as lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy. There are so many peo\u00adple who can read, but so few who tru\u00adly love read\u00ading. Do you know why?
\n 
\nBut there\u2019s no illit\u00ader\u00adate per\u00adson who loves read\u00ading. For chil\u00addren, it\u2019s sim\u00adply a mat\u00adter of ear\u00adly or late. Chil\u00addren aren\u2019t our race\u00adhors\u00ades, and life does\u00adn\u2019t have a sprint fin\u00adish line. Even Liu Xiang, too eager to reach the fin\u00adish line, could injure his foot. Per\u00adhaps we can appre\u00adci\u00adate life\u2019s joy more by tak\u00ading it slow.<\/p>\n

 
\nRegard\u00ading chil\u00addren\u2019s read\u00ading, adults are rec\u00adom\u00admend\u00aded to read: 
\n 
\n100 Key Ques\u00adtions About Chil\u00addren\u2019s Read\u00ading \u2013 Par\u00adent\u00ading Series<\/a> 
\n 
\nRead\u00ading Man\u00adu\u00adal<\/a>  
\n 
\nNao\u00adki Mat\u00adsui\u2019s Pic\u00adture Book: Seeds of Hap\u00adpi\u00adness<\/a> 
\nMy Pic\u00adture Book The\u00ado\u00adry<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

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\n <\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s the best way to teach chil\u00addren to rec\u00adog\u00adnize Chi\u00adnese char\u00adac\u00adters? A rel\u00ada\u00adtive of mine who\u2019s a teacher start\u00aded using flash\u00adcards with her child right after the baby was born. Now he\u2019s three and knows hun\u00addreds of Chi\u00adnese char\u00adac\u00adters. Is this nec\u00ades\u00adsary?<\/strong>
\n <\/p>\n

A: Hong\u00adni\u00adba has always main\u00adtained that lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy and read\u00ading are two dif\u00adfer\u00adent things. Chil\u00addren gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly rec\u00adog\u00adnize most com\u00admon Chi\u00adnese char\u00adac\u00adters by fourth or fifth grade. How\u00adev\u00ader, not only chil\u00addren, but many adults lack the habit of read\u00ading. What\u2019s tru\u00adly impor\u00adtant is cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading a love of read\u00ading in chil\u00addren, not just the num\u00adber of char\u00adac\u00adters they rec\u00adog\u00adnize.<\/p>\n

 
\nIf there is any method of rec\u00adog\u00adniz\u00ading words that is most effec\u00adtive for read\u00ading, it is the \u201cread\u00ading lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy method\u201d, which allows chil\u00addren to learn through a lot of read\u00ading and by being exposed to a real lan\u00adguage and writ\u00ading envi\u00adron\u00adment in life.<\/p>\n

 
\nBut how can young chil\u00addren read if they don\u2019t know how to read? This is the crux of the mat\u00adter. If chil\u00addren can\u2019t read, adults can read to them or guide them through pic\u00adture read\u00ading. The most pow\u00ader\u00adful thing about excel\u00adlent pic\u00adture books is that they instill a deep love of read\u00ading in chil\u00addren.<\/p>\n

 
\nThere are no peo\u00adple who love read\u00ading but can\u00adnot read, but there are too many peo\u00adple who can read but do not love read\u00ading. Which type of peo\u00adple should our chil\u00addren become?
\n <\/p>\n

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\n <\/p>\n

Q: My child is 4 and a half years old and knows over a thou\u00adsand Chi\u00adnese char\u00adac\u00adters. He often encoun\u00adters new char\u00adac\u00adters while read\u00ading and stops read\u00ading when they encounter them. He also likes to use me as a dic\u00adtio\u00adnary. Should I let him learn more char\u00adac\u00adters before read\u00ading?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
\nA: I believe this isn\u2019t a child\u2019s lack of lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy, but rather a lack of read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence, lead\u00ading to a lack of enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm and moti\u00adva\u00adtion for read\u00ading. Lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy and read\u00ading abil\u00adi\u00adty should\u00adn\u2019t be equat\u00aded; they are two sep\u00ada\u00adrate things. How do chil\u00addren begin to read? Words or pic\u00adtures? My answer is \u201cears.\u201d Read\u00ading aloud to chil\u00addren dur\u00ading this ear\u00adly child\u00adhood stage isn\u2019t sim\u00adply about mak\u00ading up for a child\u2019s lack of lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy; it\u2019s more impor\u00adtant to instill a pas\u00adsion for read\u00ading and demon\u00adstrate how to read. This is also cru\u00adcial when chil\u00addren begin to learn to read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly.<\/p>\n

 
\nAdults often for\u00adget their own ini\u00adtial strug\u00adgles with read\u00ading, assum\u00ading that chil\u00addren, once they\u2019ve learned a few words, can nat\u00adu\u00adral\u00adly com\u00adbine them into a text. Imag\u00adine a begin\u00adner read\u00ading a text. Even if they know all the words in a text, extract\u00ading mean\u00ading from it requires form\u00ading words, seg\u00adment\u00ading sen\u00adtences, and then con\u00adstruct\u00ading a com\u00adplete mean\u00ading. This hap\u00adpens uncon\u00adscious\u00adly for expe\u00adri\u00adenced read\u00aders, but for begin\u00adners, it\u2019s a grad\u00adual process. The best way to over\u00adcome this ini\u00adtial dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty is through exten\u00adsive prac\u00adtice, built on engag\u00ading con\u00adtent. On the one hand, we need to per\u00adsist in read\u00ading aloud to chil\u00addren to keep their pas\u00adsion for read\u00ading. On the oth\u00ader hand, we need to pre\u00adpare mate\u00adri\u00adals that are as sim\u00adple and engag\u00ading as pos\u00adsi\u00adble for chil\u00addren to read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly. Sim\u00adple read\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals, such as pic\u00adture books or rich\u00adly illus\u00adtrat\u00aded books, can help chil\u00addren gain expe\u00adri\u00adence through repeat\u00aded prac\u00adtice of vocab\u00adu\u00adlary and sen\u00adtence struc\u00adture. Even if a par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly engag\u00ading read\u00ading mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal exceeds a child\u2019s cur\u00adrent abil\u00adi\u00adty, they may still be able to \u201ctake the plunge\u201d and read, even if they just blun\u00adder through the mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal.<\/p>\n

 
\nIn short, to help chil\u00addren read, you can accom\u00adpa\u00adny the read\u00ading process with lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy, rather than the oth\u00ader way around, read\u00ading through lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy. The lat\u00adter will get half the result with twice the effort.
\n 
\n\u2014\u2014Excerpt from \u201c100 Key Read\u00ading Ques\u00adtions Chi\u00adnese Par\u00adents Should Know\u201d
\n <\/p>\n

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\n 
\nTop\u00adic: How many words does a child need to know to read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly? 
\nCopy\u00adright: lce968 Orig\u00adi\u00adnal sub\u00admis\u00adsion time: 18:53:40, Sep\u00adtem\u00adber 20 
\nI\u2019m a lurk\u00ader here, but I rarely post. My daugh\u00adter is five years and two months old and knows about 1,000 words. She always asks me to read to her, but she\u2019s not very will\u00ading to read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly, at most recit\u00ading the title of a book or sto\u00adry. I\u2019m not sure how to get her to read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly as quick\u00adly as pos\u00adsi\u00adble.<\/strong>
\n 
\nDis\u00adcus\u00adsion: Some ideas for ref\u00ader\u00adence 
\nCopy\u00adright: Xiaoyin Dad Orig\u00adi\u00adnal sub\u00admis\u00adsion time: 22:54:19 Novem\u00adber 13 
\n 
\nI think know\u00ading how to read and being will\u00ading to read on your own are two dif\u00adfer\u00adent things, and there\u2019s no need to nec\u00ades\u00adsar\u00adi\u00adly con\u00adnect them. Ele\u00admen\u00adtary and mid\u00addle school stu\u00addents all know how to read, but many don\u2019t like to read on their own. And even chil\u00addren who don\u2019t know how to read can still be will\u00ading to read on their own.<\/p>\n

 
\nRead\u00ading is not only a skill, but also a habit and a way of life. Good habits don\u2019t devel\u00adop overnight. Fur\u00adther\u00admore, chil\u00addren at such a young age may pre\u00adfer the warmth and atmos\u00adphere of read\u00ading with adults. Some chil\u00addren even refuse to learn to read, fear\u00ading that adults will aban\u00addon them once they learn to read. Read\u00ading with chil\u00addren is a joy\u00adful expe\u00adri\u00adence; don\u2019t deprive your\u00adself and your chil\u00addren of this joy too ear\u00adly.<\/p>\n

 
\nOn the oth\u00ader hand, any\u00adthing a child can do inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly is worth encour\u00adag\u00ading. So it\u2019s worth think\u00ading of ways to help chil\u00addren read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly. My usu\u00adal meth\u00adods fall into two cat\u00ade\u00adgories:
\n 
\nFirst, I want\u00aded to make sure my child under\u00adstood that I would enjoy read\u00ading with her, regard\u00adless of whether she could read inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly. It was impor\u00adtant to reas\u00adsure her.
\n 
\nThe sec\u00adond approach is to guide chil\u00addren through demon\u00adstra\u00adtion and habit. For exam\u00adple, let them see me and oth\u00ader fam\u00adi\u00adly mem\u00adbers reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly read\u00ading books or news\u00adpa\u00adpers. Set aside a ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded time for \u201call-peo\u00adple\u201d read\u00ading. For fun, you could make a sign that says \u201cRead\u00ading Time Do Not Dis\u00adturb.\u201d Dur\u00ading this time, no one is allowed to come or go, no phone calls are allowed, and cell phones must be turned off. This time does\u00adn\u2019t need to be too long; 10 min\u00adutes to half an hour a day is enough. Adjust the time based on the child\u2019s age and patience. The key isn\u2019t the length, but con\u00adsis\u00adten\u00adcy.<\/p>\n

 
\nDur\u00ading the con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00adous silent read\u00ading time, every\u00adone reads their own books, but there is no need to restrict the child\u2019s behav\u00adior too much. Even if the child is not con\u00adcen\u00adtrat\u00ading on read\u00ading, there is no need to care about her, as long as she is con\u00adcen\u00adtrat\u00ading on read\u00ading.
\n 
\nThere\u2019s no need to expect chil\u00addren to be silent while read\u00ading. In fact, chil\u00addren love to mut\u00adter to them\u00adselves while read\u00ading. Xiaoyin once asked me, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you mum\u00adble while read\u00ading?\u201d This is a great ques\u00adtion. My answer is, \u201cBecause I enjoy it. I some\u00adtimes like to read aloud, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

 
\nEvery\u00adone can have their own per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty when read\u00ading, and chil\u00addren are no excep\u00adtion. 
\n 
\nSub\u00adject: A few more words 
\nCopy\u00adright: Xiaoyin Dad Orig\u00adi\u00adnal sub\u00admis\u00adsion time: 22:59:51 Novem\u00adber 13 
\n 
\nXiaoyin is now over four years old. She can bare\u00adly read, but she\u2019s a mas\u00adter at read\u00ading pic\u00adtures. She\u2019s also quite adept at telling com\u00adplete\u00adly unre\u00adlat\u00aded sto\u00adries based on a pic\u00adture book, and her abil\u00adi\u00adty to make up sto\u00adries is tru\u00adly impres\u00adsive. She often sits qui\u00adet\u00adly flip\u00adping through a book, occa\u00adsion\u00adal\u00adly gig\u00adgling at what she\u2019s read\u00ading. One expe\u00adri\u00adence worth shar\u00ading is our fre\u00adquent trips to the library togeth\u00ader. Read\u00ading with oth\u00ader chil\u00addren may also be a good way to cul\u00adti\u00advate inde\u00adpen\u00addent read\u00ading habits in chil\u00addren.
\n 
\nA few more words:
\n   
\nThis dis\u00adcus\u00adsion was over five years ago. Xiaoyin is now in third grade. She reads long fairy tales and nov\u00adels like Char\u00adlot\u00adte\u2019s Web, Har\u00adry Pot\u00adter, and Cool Ant Ant on her own, but I\u2019m the one who reads pic\u00adture books like Danc\u00ading and The Sky Under Your Feet. Lis\u00adten\u00ading to some\u00adone read is a real plea\u00adsure, and I\u2019d love to keep doing that with her. :)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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