As a school leader, one of my favorite activities is to visit classrooms to teach, talk with students, and watch them interact with each other and their teachers.
On one occasion, when visiting Self Development Preschool’s 3-year old class, I noted an interaction between a child who was barely 3 years old and Ms. Vernetta Madsen, the director of the preschool. Both of them were sitting next to each other on the carpet in the room.
The little child was holding a book with pictures and having a conversation with Ms. Vernetta. The little girl was trying to build a story while getting ready to pretend to read the book she was holding. She asked Ms. Vernetta what characters would she want in her story. The little child explained that they should have animals and a person. Then, she asked Ms. Vernetta, “Where will the story take place?” Next, she asked what should happen in the story. Much to my amazement, this 3-year-old further queried, “What should be the plot of the story?” Based on the information she gathered, this little girl began reading the story to Ms. Vernetta, pausing frequently, carefully turning the pages, and mimicking adult behavior.
The preschool and kindergarten years are a time of great joy and learning. These are the formative years when students begin to relate with the printed words in the book. They begin forming fond memories of being read to and reading with the special adults in their lives. The type of books adults select to read to children fosters the youngsters’ love for reading and their school success.
The selection of books should take into consideration the developmental levels of children. Another consideration for the selection of books for early years should include children’s interests. These carefully selected books not only increase children’s vocabulary, but also help lay the foundation for reading for pleasure.
Research documents the fact reading with young children is the single most significant activity for helping children become literate. Reading books with children enhances vocabulary, brings awareness about the world surrounding them, and motivates them to become readers and knowledge seekers. Through their interactions with books, children learn books have a structure and a different way of communication. Similar to the example of the 3-year old child discussed earlier, children who are read to regularly and frequently soon learn about the characters in the books, the stories the books contain, and the special means of communication through print.
Children who are read to extensively develop a literate way of communication. Being read to also helps students develop a rich vocabulary, extends language interactions, and improves children’s literacy. Children’s earliest years provide the foundation upon which later literary skills are built. By building a relationship with print, repetition, modeling and oral language, parents and preschool programs lay the foundation for later success.
With its rich selection of books and regular shared reading opportunities with adults, students at Self Development Preschool are ready to learn and succeed in a rigorous kindergarten program. Children at Self Development Preschool are well prepared. Shortly upon entering kindergarten, many students begin reading with expression and fluency.
A delightful way to spend my time at Self Development Academy (kindergarten through eighth grade school) is to listen to our kindergartners read with confidence and exuberance. Each year, at the beginning of the spring semester, individual or small groups of kindergartners come to my office to read to me their favorite stories. I listen to them read, and, with amazement, I am in wonder as to how much of a difference a semester makes in the intellectual development of the kindergarten students at our kindergarten through eighth grade academy.
Self Development Preschool prepares the students well for a rigorous curriculum kindergarten program. If your child is entering kindergarten this fall, you may consider enrolling your child in July at the preschool to help the child learn some basic skills for school success. For early enrichment, please call Self Development Preschool at (480) 396-3522. For more information about our highly prestigious kindergarten program, call Self Development Academy at (480) 641-2640.