The Importance of Punctuation.

Jj is for Jottings 100.  The Importance of Punctuation.

 

Following on from Prince William’s comments on punctuation and the subsequent “toe-dip” into the importance of punctuation, we’ll add a bit more detail here. We are referring to punctuation of anything written, not just social media, which was the specific topic of the prince’s remarks.  There may be a slight overlap with the earlier article because each article needs to stand alone.  But repetition is important for learning anyway!  (And so is more repetition.) Continue reading →

Print Books are Better than Digital Books for Toddlers.

Jj is for Jottings 99. Print Books are Better than Digital Books for Toddlers.

The question of whether print books are better than digital books for toddlers is a concern for many parents who are looking to do the best by their children.  Here are two pieces of evidence, one anecdotal and one from research, which will answer this question. Continue reading →

Reading Difficult Words.

Jj is for Jottings 98.  Reading Difficult Words.

Picture of a man reading "Aa is for Alpacas", with the caption: Reading difficult words is not an issue with this book!

Reading difficult words is not an issue with this book!

When your child starts to read aloud to you, they will often have problems with reading difficult words.  These words may be just long, or tricky in other ways, such as having several consonants together.  (See consonant clusters).  Or they could have vowel patterns which are unfamiliar, the rules for which they don’t yet know.  It is important to give children time to try to work out the word for themselves.  This helps develop reading skills.  However, when they get really stuck you will need to help them out. Continue reading →

Reading-Aloud Games.

Jj is for Jottings 97.  Reading-Aloud Games.

Following on from interactive reading with children, here are some ideas for “reading-aloud games” which you can play with children while reading stories with them.  The idea is to be spontaneous, just playfully engaging in banter whilst actually providing wonderful learning opportunities as a bonus.  It may sound strange, saying to be spontaneous and then making suggestions as to what to do.  But it is helpful to see the types of games you can play and, once you have the idea, you can invent your own activities in the moment. Continue reading →

Interactive Reading With Children.

Jj is for Jottings 96.  Interactive Reading With Children.

There is a difference between reading to children and reading with children.  Reading TO children is just that – reading a story without any sort of discussion or interaction.  (For disquieting statistics on reading to children, see here.)  On the other hand, interactive reading with children, or reading WITH children, is an active process rather than a passive one.  In this case, you are encouraging the child to think, predict, remember and discuss the story, and other related topics may also arise.  Therefore it has all the benefits of reading to children, plus many more.

Photo of newborn alpaca on the ground, her mother and another alpaca sniffing her, with the caption: Too young for interactive reading with children, but the right age to start reading TO her.

Too young for interactive reading with children, but the right age to start reading TO her.

Continue reading →

Oral Storytelling.

Jj is for Jottings 95.  Oral Storytelling.

Oral storytelling is wonderful for developing listening skills (no pictures – so there is no visual ‘cheating’) and language.  It also encourages memory and can stimulate imagination.  You can read about the importance of listening here and here.  You can tell the story, or you can encourage your child to tell the story.  Your child may not be confident enough to tell stories from the outset.  However, after hearing you tell stories and with some encouragement, they may begin to feel like having a go.  Even if your child doesn’t feel like telling stories, the listening, language and memory benefits are still there. Continue reading →

Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics.

Jj is for Jottings 94.  Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness and Phonics.

Picture of the book "Aa is for Alpacas" on a pot-bellied stove, with the caption: Learning phonics with this book helps with phonemic awareness and phonological awareness skills, too.

Learning phonics with this book helps with phonemic awareness and phonological awareness skills, too.

You may have heard the terms “phonological awareness”, “phonemic awareness” and “phonics” and wondered what they mean and whether they are different terms for the same thing.  Let’s sort this out right now.

PHONICS.

This is sound-letter links – i.e. learning which sound is made by each letter of the alphabet, and other sounds which are made by combining 2 or more letters.  Children develop the concept that there are consistent relationships between letter symbols and sounds.  This book is a great way to learn sound-letter links.  But you need to make sure you are saying sounds rather than letter names.  You can find this on the video. Continue reading →

Consonant Clusters.

Jj is for Jottings 93.  Consonant Clusters.

Consonant clusters, or blends, can cause problems when analysing sounds  and blending.  Children with speech, language or literacy problems often have difficulty in detecting the second sound in a consonant cluster.  I mentioned this in a previous article on blending sounds.  Children who can easily analyse a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word, may completely disregard the second sound in a consonant cluster (CCVC).  This is even when they say the word correctly. Continue reading →

Managing Children’s Screen Time.

Jj is for Jottings 92.  Managing Children’s Screen Time.

Picture of 3 children and a foal reading a book. Caption: The easiest way to manage children's screen time is to avoid screens altogether as much as possible, by providing alternative activities. Rory, the foal, is looking over Amy's shoulder, trying to read "Aa is for Alpacas" with Amy, Zack and Zara.

The easiest way to manage children’s screen time is to avoid screens altogether as much as possible, by providing alternative activities. Rory, the foal, is looking over Amy’s shoulder, trying to read “Aa is for Alpacas” with Amy, Zack and Zara.

This article on managing children’s screen time follows on from the effects of screen time on children and parents’ screen time.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MANAGING CHILDREN’S SCREEN TIME.

  1. Limit Parents’ Screen Time.

This has already been covered in the previous article.

  1. Discuss Why Limits Are Needed and Set Them Together.

Continue reading →

Parents’ Screen Time.

Jj is for Jottings 91.  Parents’ Screen Time.

This follows on from the effects of screen time on children.  Before we go into the topic of how to limit our children’s screen time, we need to look to parents’ screen time.

Picture of a man holding out his hand to a baby alpaca, with the caption: No parents' screen time here. This "parent" has his full attention on the "child", complete with eye contact. Good parenting skills, David.

No parents’ screen time here. This “parent” has his full attention on the “child”, complete with eye contact. Good parenting skills, David.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS’ SCREEN TIME AND CHILDREN’S SCREEN TIME.

Studies from the University of Bristol show that the amount of time a child spends on a screen is closely associated with their parents’ own habits.  They found that children were 3.4 times more likely to spend more than 2 hours a day watching television if their parents did the same.  This is when compared with children whose parents watched less TV.  The statistic carries over into other screen types as well. Continue reading →