HOW CHILDREN READ

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How Children Read

Reading, just like learning how to write, is another complex issue regarding education among children. Therefore this means that the children have a difficult time understanding how to read. Even though there have been many different types of theories that explain the ability of children to read and what makes it possible for them to read, it is still arguable that children at a very young age. Jonh Locke came up with the tabula rasa theory, which means blank slate that children get to learn everything from the beginning (Duschinsky, 2012). This theory, therefore connected to the concept of children learning how to read, helps us understand why it is so difficult for a person to read a foreign book so difficult. It also helps one understand why children’s books have so many photos. This paper, therefore, discusses the different ways children learn how to read and especially with the help of photos in their books.

Summary of the book: the title, characters, and what happens in the story?

In the exercise, I choose the book by the name und die Geburtstags-Hose. The story is mainly about birthday pants. There are two characters in the book. We can see the one that is bigger than the other one. The bigger one gives the little one gifts, and these seem like birthday pants.

Description of the experience. Was it easy, fun, frustrating?

Reading the book was very difficult because being unable to understand the language is one factor that makes it very difficult to understand the message in the book. Even though the photos are of great help to the reader, understanding what is meant by the words fully means a lot. Therefore it was frustrating to understand but only get a glimpse of what it meant from the photos.

How does this exercise change your opinion of children at this age of learning to read?

The experience of learning and trying to read the book changes my opinion about children in that I fully understand what it means for children to learn a new language they have never heard before. Therefore I understand what it is a difficult process, and therefore these children have to be understood. More effort is put into helping them instead of blaming them if they do not get it when they are learning a language.

Does this change the way you listen to children read a story?

Having the experience being difficult makes me more interested in interacting with children as they read out the different parts of their storybooks. This is because it will be easy to understand what the children are saying by paying more attention. Understanding what they say makes me correct them and applaud them in case they get it right.

Does this change your perspective of picture books for young children? 

Children need picture books to a very great extent. This is because the pictures in their books help them understand what is written in the books. Therefore, it is important to include photos in children’s books because with a minimal understanding of the words used, the pictures boost the understanding to a great extent, and the children get the message communicated.

In conclusion, therefore children need to learn with pictures. At the same time, they need to be understood and treated with more care and love because their process of learning a language is not an easy one.

Reference

Duschinsky, R. (2012). ” Tabula Rasa” and Human Nature. Philosophy, 509-529.