I was reading an article today on an education news website and was surprised to find that it had to do with picture books and mentioned specifically Where the Wild Things Are. The article was from the UK, but I believe that its message can be applied to the United States as well. I strongly encourage you to visit the whole thing at: http://www.ednews.org/articles/schools-rejecting-picture-books-.html. Essentially, it was about the fact that children are reading fewer picture books than they have in the past.
The article said that more parents and teachers are trying to boost the reading skills of children from an earlier age. For some reason, this means keeping kids away from picture books. Parents want their children to be ready for the tests, and they feel that picture books will not do this adequately. They want their children to read more "serious" books (as if picture books could not be serious). The article said that two years ago, sales of picture books dropped 8%. I haven't researched this, but I imagine the sales have continued to drop.
We've talked extensively in class (and on this blog) about how important picture books are not only for children, but for adults as well. That is why this article seemed so sad to me. I think that most of us are at the point where we would be willing to use picture books in the classroom, no matter what age a student is at. So how do we convince the general public that picture books are not hindering children's reading skills? How do we convince parents that using picture books with their children will actually aid their learning and help them learn reading skills? If we plan on using picture books in the classroom, we better be prepared to answer those questions.
Updates, new dates, more...
-
So, in the last post I noted that i had broken my shoulder. I had surgery
in December (finally) and am now finishing up my physical therapy. I am
back to w...
6 years ago
Posts
4 comments:
When I read this blog post and the link provided I was stunned to think that picture books would be taking a "back seat" in schools and in children's education.
We need to convince parents that picture books are a fundamental element in literature which can attract children into reading. Without them I feel as though children will not enjoy reading other material that will be presented to them throughout their lifetime. If when I was younger someone just said "You need to read this chapter book by next week," and I had no prior experience in reading that type of book or any book, I probably would feel frustrated and be intimidated. I think it is just ridiculous that parents think that picture books are not adequate enough to enhancing their children's literature skills. How do these parents think we learned our ABCs, or how to count better? Picture books now come in a variety of genres and include subjects that children learn and they try to make them seem more interesting. Such subjects may include, math,science, or simply just learning ABCs for younger children. With the excitement and fun that picture books offer it makes children more interested to learn.
We all need to start somewhere, and as a child its through picture books and without them children may not grow a desire or appreciation for other books that will come in their education. I think as a teacher or a parent we need to realize and be able to inform others that picture books do in fact help our children and are not just meaningless works of art that are only published for leisure.
I cannot believe that people are reading fewer and fewer picture books. I think that picture books are a great way for students and parents to learn. We need to be able to tell parents and encourage the public the importance of picture books. Picture books not only help children how to learn to read but also how to connect words and pictures. Picture books are a great way to stimulate creative minds and help tell a story. They are not just a stepping stone for larger books but can also provide to be a beneficial piece of work for people of any age.
I feel that going into elementary education, it is important to know and understand why picture books are so important to enhance children's learning and understanding of literature. We need to be able to make sure that parents understand why picture books are so important so that they actively engage their children with these books on a regular basis. Picture books not only provide great stories that are truly enjoyable for both children and adults, but they help children to use their imaginations and learn how to make connections with the text and the pictures, which will help them to later be able to make good textual connections throughout their lives. To me, reading has always been stresses as a very important part of education, and I have always taken reading very seriously in the classroom. I believe picture books are a great, really fun way to do this, especially with younger children, and that it is really important that we are able to explain to parents why reading is so crucial to supplement their child's education.
This is really shocking to me and honestly, it is quite scary. I cannot believe less and less children's books are being read.
I definetely think we need to convince parent's the importance of children's books. It is a key part of their education and it helps them advance as reader's. If I did not read the amount of children's books that I read as a child, I definetely would not have been as educated in school as I am today. Reading children's books puts a huge emphasis on education and can impact a child's education and reading ability in a positive or negative way. This is why it is so imperative for children to read more and more books to gain more knowledge and understanding of books and varieties of books. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is to keep a tradition like it was when we were kids. Something needs to be done with this, everyone needs to encourage children to read picture books.
Post a Comment