Good literary skills require loads of practice
Print Edition
As the Elementary School Literacy Coach at Shanghai American School’s Pudong campus, I am able to live a literary life everyday. I am privileged to speak with stellar educators around literacy education and collaborate with my colleagues on how best to help students grow into lifelong skilled readers.
As children progress on their reading journey, they have different needs at different times. SAS Pudong’s Readers Workshop provides the balance of flexibility and structure for the individual needs of our students. And while all kids are different learners, there are commonalities among developing readers. Students must practice reading for sustained periods of time every day. They also need high-interest books and the opportunity to decide which text to read. This enables students to approximate adult reading behaviors — choice, recognition of reading challenges, and how to problem solve these challenges. But, students need support along the way. A good workshop teacher must teach students to engage with a variety of “just-right” texts and directly instruct reading skills. Reading is complex and good readers don’t just “sound good,” they also engage with the text through comprehension, theory building, and participation in complex conversations with their peers. Reading is a journey embedded into every part of life.
While students at SAS receive balanced literacy instruction, there are many ways to grow readers at home.
Read Together: No matter the age of your children, read with and to them. Families routinely watch TV together, so why not read together?
Text rich environment: Create a home where text is valued. Joining your child in their school library is another wonderful way to access books. The SAS Pudong elementary library has over 30,000 titles alone.
Choice and recommendations: Choice has tremendous power in building reading habits, so let your child decide what to read. Show an interest in what your child is reading by taking their recommendations. And, here is the tricky part, read the books. Valuing your child’s opinion with action will encourage more reading.
Talk about books: Converse with your child about their reading. Go beyond the simple retell by asking questions that require deeper thought. Try, “How has the character been changing?” or “Why is this book important?”
Reading is a complex skill that needs a tremendous amount of practice. Helping children become literate at school and at home creates the foundation for adults who think critically, have empathy, and become careful consumers of information.
The Libraries at Shanghai American School
With each campus housing an elementary and middle/high school library, Shanghai American School libraries are good facilities that strive to meet the curricular and personal interest of students, as well as the literacy needs of parents. With over 130,000 print volumes and an ever-expanding number of non-print materials, SAS boasts the largest English library in China.
Facilitated by experienced and supportive staff, the SAS library program not only encourages students to engage in celebrating reading but helps in the development of their research skills, their ethical use of information and their ability to collaborate — all of which are necessary to achieve academic success and solidify a foundation of lifelong learning.
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