A Strong Foundation: reading and what else ... ?

HKTHK

Reflecting on the last few years, I have one regret in bringing up our elder child.  She was off to a slow start in reading and even though we read with her a couple times a week, we could have done more.  We should have read with her everyday, use re-reading and read-aloud to build fluency, helped her build vocabulary, taught her comprehension strategies, exposed her to more genres, ....  Thankfully, through her school's influence, we became aware of the short-comings and have addressed the issue.  She now enjoys reading everyday and we make regular trips to the library.  The younger one benefited enormously from this experience and is probably at least 12 months ahead of where the elder one was.
It then dawned on me that reading can't possibly be the only part of a strong foundation.  What else am I missing?  What is the next step?  Is it writing?  Math skills?  Self-discipline?  If you were to do it again, aside from reading, what would you have done differently to build a stronger foundation?

mesmerising

回復 HKTHK 的帖子

Sorry, no handbook for that as it's a different version for everyone!  Everyone goes about these differently.  Might try to answer you in a few days.

HKTHK

回復 mesmerising 的帖子

How do you build 德智體羣美靈?  I wish there is a handbook for that!

mesmerising

回復 HKTHK 的帖子

For the past twelve years, we have built our kid around 德智體羣美靈。
If we were to get a second chance, we shall add 中文閱讀,勤奮鍛鍊及金錢概念in his younger age.

jeff76916

I may be wrong, I feel that in old days, parents took kids' school results and academics seriously. Nowadays, parents turn their focus on kids' abilities on leadership, empathy, cooperation, socialization, but at the same take kids' academics more seriously, in the form of direct drilling, or indirect form of training on reading. In old days of science booming era, parents tended not to mind their children not reading that much, coz science genius don't necessarily read. Nowadays, science become almost a dead alley for students. At the end, it seems large part of education is market driven. I am not passing moral judgement. But I am saying the so- called values on education are not immune to market forces

HKTHK

At the end of the day, I think reading is not rocket science.  Just need to arouse their interest and then make sure to do it on a daily basis.

HKTHK

回復 Julianlele 的帖子

Not sure I have a lot of insight.  I just try to arouse their interest, then focus on each of fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.  Once they are interested in reading, I try to make sure they build depth and breadth.  Depth as in focused reading and exploration of a particular topic and also breadth as in covering different genres/topics.

jeff76916

I find this a very inspiring topic. Leaving aside those drill-type parents whose only regret may only be not having drilled harder and earlier, I think the unarguable 'correct' guide for parents is to keep your children learning all the time through meaningful games. Bring kids to playgroup which is certainly a game for them; during the game, encourage kids in overcoming yesterday's self in climbing ladders (or teach them courage, endurance, persistence through sports games). Play math games from time to time (like throw dice and fetch biscuits according to the numbers of dots) to build up mathematic literacy. Bring kids out and play with guessing the meaning of road signs, and over time  kids will be drawn to  understand and learn characters/ words with  initiative. There are many things we can do together with kids in passing on skills and values to them on regular basis through 'games' (in fact, when they pick up the interest of reading, it becomes a game to them as well). But pArents really need a lot of 心思 to carry it out

elizatyy

從小就每天跟小兒讀故事書、他對識字咭—點興趣都無。

Julianlele

HKTHK,

您經歷過兩個孩子的閱讀學習過程？可以介紹一下您教孩子閱讀的經驗和方法嗎？謝謝

Julianlele

謝謝您的回復。雖然我沒給他檢查過，但我認為我的孩子沒有識字困難，而是他覺得認字很枯燥乏味。比如，我和他一起看基礎漢字500。他很快就可以把一本書認完，讀完，但沒多久就不想再學下去了。他問我：＂媽媽，書上究竟講的什麼故事，為什麼那個小朋友要爬高山？＂我無言以對，因為該書內容確實每頁之間沒有什麽邏輯關係，也無故事情節。於是慢慢就變得不再想讀了。我無意強迫他學習，但我一直在思考是否我教孩子閱讀的方法有誤。我也發現過一個有趣的現象，有的孩子雖然認識很多字，但卻不喜歡自己拿起書讀，只喜歡認字卡。我的孩子有閱讀的興趣但卻不喜歡認字。所以我在想早期的閱讀啟蒙是以閱讀習慣的培養重要？還是認字重要？（先避開升學的競爭因素而談）

Mighty

回復 Julianlele 的帖子

4 year and a little bit is very young.  I know lots of children can read a lot at this young age but doesnt mean EVERYONE is the same.  Give him some time and do not push him and nature takes its course.  However, hv you checked if he is by any chance suffering from dyslexia?  If not, then provide him with the reading environment as you are doing it now and I m sure one day you wl be surprised.  

金瑪姬

靠自己多d

金瑪姬

如果你5識，或者老花睇5清，个仔大概会夠自己多d

Julianlele

想請教大家關於閱讀的問題：

我的孩子四歲多。我從他六七個月開始就一直給他讀書。各種圖書，中英文。他也非常喜歡聽。可是他到現在卻不喜歡認字，無論中英文。所以我一直很頭疼應該怎樣教孩子閱讀。但他就非常喜歡看書，祇看圖畫，各種書雜誌都看。遇到興趣的東西就讓我讀。如果我指著字一個個讀給他聽，他就非常排斥。所以直到現在他認識的字單詞還很少。可否請大家介紹一下你們是怎樣教閱讀的。

另外一方面，如果我用那些字卡教認字，孩子覺得索然無味，沒有興趣。如果用簡單的故事書，他會覺得內容太簡單且認字太累。所以請大家指點我應該怎麼辦？另外孩子從小究竟應該怎樣教閱讀？謝謝

金瑪姬

我老細在上学途中見到一架工程車，他好奇的问我那是什么; 放学，我便把圖書館所有工程車的書放在厅中间。
如是，每日他最好奇的東西，学校的Topik，Harry  P，…都出現在厅中间，也不需要我跟他一起看
初小期間，每天指定动作。呀!深淺是否适合，也極之重要。那幾年，我每天都花2个小時以上在图書館找書的啊!

HKTHK

Oh, being self-aware and taking initiatives is asking for a lot.  I am not sure most adults would be able to do this!

Any other thoughts on the academic side?

bobbycheung

回復 HKTHK 的帖子

I am not referring to tying one's own shoe laces, doing laundry or cooking a meal etc.  I am referring to the ability to think for oneself, to identify the problems and to take steps to solve them.  For instance, if the exam or test results are no good, some kids will think for themselves and try to find out what the problem is.  Let's say it turns out that it is all because of the fact that the school teacher is really bad.  Then these kids might consider seeking outside help.  They would ask around to see which tutor is good so that they could go there for private lessons.  These kids are the "smart" ones.  You don't need to tell them what to do and they will take the initiative and do it themselves.  But there are others who would just do nothing.  They will just wait there for your "instructions".  You will have to tell them what the problem is and you will have to find them a tutor and arrange private lessons for them.

HKTHK

For me, the best training for common sense, ability to take care of one-self and social skills is the same - send them to a boarding school.

HKTHK

回復 bobbycheung 的帖子

Are you referring to the ability to take care of oneself like tying shoe laces, doing laundry, cook a meal, .... or just common sense?  I have also met plenty of extremely intelligent people with minimal common sense.