The gift of reading

Am so happy tonight 'cos my students applied what I encouraged them last week...and it worked! :)

Last week, for pronunciation/enunciation practice, my English language students and I read children story-books out loud. Some of my students really got into the mood and became quite entertaining. Some were very shy and took a rain-check :) The idea was for my students to explore their speaking proficiency by engaging in an activity that does not add too much pressure on them and is fun. So each student brought back several story-books (courtesy of Kimo) and tonight, they reported the success they experienced.

A particular student was very impressed with her children's reception to her reading and the choice of books (Peter Pan and The Enormous Turnip). Her kids were actively participating in the reading; with questions and comments. At least one of her three of kids learnt several new vocabularies by the end of the week. So, yes, this student of mine was very happy; this in turn makes me happy! :) By the end of my class tonight, I said to my students that I bet I know what they'll buy for Christmas presents this year-end: books, instead of the usual suspects - a shirt or candy for the kids.

It is amazing how a simple reading session to a fully-appreciative audience of even one child can make all the difference. Apparently, a child by the tender age of 3 has already absorbed 20,000 to 30,000 codes/words! It's not obvious to the adults, primarily because we tune-in to check for accurate production versus the child's perception. As I mentioned in a recent blog entry, there is hardly much we can do to make our child express him/herself better than they already can at their developmental age. So, this is why perhaps, we can't readily gauge what our child perceives. If we could do so easily, we'd be blown away with the power of their fast-developing brain.

But yes, a child being read to is virtually being exposed to a goldmine of information and knowledge. If I can compare this to anything, it is perhaps like opening a wrapped gift; the child opens it up with eager anticipation and all the while s/he is blossoming in full awareness of the power behind the gift...then, the child is completely lavished with goodness and attention by the gift once exposed. So, page after page, a child is learning, growing and strengthening his/her imagination. Page by page, we broaden our child's world and worldview...so that one day, s/he looks up with an unshakable confidence in his/her eyes and say, "There is no limitation to what our mind can conceive.".

I wish for this, this thirst for knowledge, for my child; after the two top wants, that he is loved and encouraged in his will to be all that he can be. So, here's to reading on!

My last read - Sam's letters to Jennifer (James Patterson);
Wendell's current read - The life of Mahatma Gandhi (Louis Fischer);
Kimo's latest read - The Bible story, Volume eight (Arthur S. Maxwell).