Contributed by Darean Doniz
Parenting is one of the most challenging, thankless jobs a person can have with the worst hours, pay and benefits possible. Zero. No money. Parents are often losing money trying to keep hungry and destructive forces of nature fed and entertained. Parents are often looking for better health benefits to keep their accident-prone dependents healthy and taken care of in times of injury doing the most unimaginably ridiculous things. They have terrible hours. Try 24/7 on top of the job meant to keep food on the table and medical expenses covered. And, to top it all off, parents are under constant scrutiny to be better, do better, and parent better. Keep a nice job, food on the table, a clean house, and happy, smart, healthy and entertained children. With Facebook, Instagram, and yes, even Pinterest, it is easier to compare your parenting skills with other parents’ skills and make yourself feel like you are constantly missing the mark.
We are listening. I and the other helpful staff at Gille Learning Center are not here to make you feel like you are failing. We are here to help and support you. Parenting isn’t easy. Having a healthy, smart and happy child isn’t easy. You cannot win every battle and do everything perfectly right. But there are some things you can do that will help you be an exceptional parent. One such thing that is relatively simple and straightforward to do most days if not every day is read with your child.
I will not promise that reading with your child will make them the smartest person in the world. I will not promise that reading with your child will take away all of their academic struggles. I will not promise that reading with your child will keep learning disabilities from occurring. But reading with your child is important and has value in many ways.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics as of their 2020 report, in the 2018-2019 school year 7.1 million students in public schools were receiving interventions for learning disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act known as IDEA. About 30% of those students were receiving services for specific learning disabilities of which dyslexia is the most prominent. Dyslexia affects about 5%-10% of the population and can be a nightmare for a child's educational achievement. It is a learning disorder caused by a lack of phoneme (the basic building blocks of language) awareness that prevents children from effectively learning to read and write. What is the number one prevention for dyslexia currently recognized?
You guessed it. Reading with your child daily from an early age, generally, from the time the child is born.
Reading with your child is important. Children learn language through exposure to the language. Not exposure on a tv screen that cannot respond to them, or from a tablet or video games that have the same problem, but from exposure with other human beings. One of the best ways to ensure that your child is getting that exposure is through daily reading and continual communication with your child. Reading with a child gives them quality time with their guardians whom they love and crave spending time with. Reading can teach children lessons about life, happiness and general knowledge they’ll need going into school. Reading promotes creativity and imaginative thinking in children. If reading is a part of a routine, such as a nighttime routine, it is one of the best ways to get your child to wind down for sleep and facilitate a better sleeping schedule making you and your child's life that much happier and easier. And, to top it all off, reading with your child allows you the opportunity to spend time supporting your child's growth and sharing new exciting adventures with them.
As previously stated, reading with your child will not 100% prevent learning disabilities and it can prove challenging for some parents who have very busy schedules. But it helps and it is worth the challenge.
Parenting is hard. Reading is important. Strive to read with your child daily. And remember, the Gille Learning Center staff will be there to help and support you on your parenting journey.