Are Children Making Sense of What is Being Said or Read to Them?

By Sarah Wright, Head Teacher

It is often thought that learning to read begins by being read to. This is a crucial stage in the reading process, as it enables children to realize that the squiggles on the page capture language that can be comprehended, and also introduces the child to the notion that words are composed of a code of alphabetic characters. But recent research illuminates the need for a greater focus on developing communication skills during the formative years. According to research, children’s ability to communicate for real life purposes affects their reading progress in later schooling.

Researchers examining academic achievement in the United States have found that children often learn to read without learning to make sense of what they read. Before they can read, children’s oral language comprehension must be fostered.

Activities designed to help young children express their ideas and feelings clearly, to listen carefully and reflect on what is being said, have unquestionable merit. Indeed, if taught imaginatively and qualitatively, the development of communication skills augments and enhances a child’s ability in perceiving, questioning, analyzing, reasoning, comprehending and building a wide and varied vocabulary.

Snack time at Bing is a daily event that is conducive, and indeed designed, to promote communication skills. During this half-hour session, children have numerous opportunities to contribute to group discussion and actively participate in group decision making. Activities are designed to help children distinguish between problems they can solve alone and those that require co-operation.

A recent problem that required active group co-operation involved devising a strategy that would ensure that every member of the table would receive a birthday treat popsicle, even though a child had to leave early, missing the birthday celebration. After a number of children expressed their ideas, the group decided that labeling the popsicle box with the child’s name was not enough to make sure the popsicle was not eaten overnight. The consensus was instead to label it, “PLEASE DO NOT EAT.” The strategy worked well, and every member of the group was able to “read” the instructions on the label. When text becomes part of solving a real problem in context, real learning takes place.

Picture books offer a delightful stimulus for discussion. Would You Rather… by John Burningham contains a host of preposterous choices to make: Would you rather have a monkey to tickle, a pig to ride, or a goat to dance with? The Surprise Party by Pat Hutchins is an excellent example of the importance of communication skills. A rabbit invites friends to a party by word of mouth, but the message becomes increasingly garbled and results in no one attending the party.

But developing an awareness of another’s perspective does not just happen from reading good quality books. Co-operative learning, group collaboration and democratizing the learning environment all contribute to developing this awareness. Giving children the chance to participate in decisions , provides an opportunity for them to learn through the process of co-operation itself.

Co-operative storytelling, an exercise that requires children to choose between alternatives and make decisions, is common practice at Bing. Children must listen to each other carefully to create a coherent story.

During snack time, head teacher Adrienne Lomangino often guides the children through the creation of a story. The ideas come from the children but Lomangino makes sure they add up to a coherent story. For example, if anyone adds a character or event with no obvious relevance, she recaps the story and helps the children work out how the development could relate to the existing story line.

The fruit of one such effort follows:

"The Crab Pinched the Teeth," By Demetrius, Louis, Jake L., Natalie H., Maya, Bella

One day there was a hermit crab. He lived in a boat. A hook got him. Then the hermit crab went in the water and a leopard shark ate him. He got out of the shark’s mouth by pinching the shark’s teeth and climbed up on the boat again. He had binoculars to see where he was going. A plant on the boat had two little tiny arms. It fed the crab a magic marker. The magic marker made the crab wobble wobble. The crab pinched off a piece of cheese. Then the crab ate that cheese. There was a dog on the boat. It was the crab’s pet. The dog ate the crab. There was a hen on the boat. The hen tried to scratch the dog. They fell in the water. The dog scratched the hen. The crab was magic. He disappeared. He reappeared on the boat and pinched the dog’s teeth. The End.

Especially since effective communication skills are fundamental to reading achievement, it is vital that we continue to view the development of personal and social skills as essential parts of the early years curriculum. At Bing we strive to help children develop their abilities to:

• Develop the ability to listen with understanding, to absorb information, to question and to appreciate other perspectives

• Develop an ability to take the point of view of another, to understand their feelings and intentions

• Have the chance to make real decisions, or the chance to make real choices between alternatives, rather than relying on the adult as the ultimate decision-making authority.

Such skills are an integral part of the school experience. A curriculum designed to develop communication and co-operation will ensure young children have numerous reading comprehension opportunities and still have time to learn their ABC’s.