ECRR Concept of the Week (9-6-07)

Have you ever noticed that some young children have incredible fluency? I think there is a simple answer for why that some children are better speakers than others. Their allowed to talk. Parents and those around them allow them to do the speaking without constantly shushing them. This is like dialogic reading. Dialogic reading allows the child to be the storyteller and the adult to be the audience. The child isn't told to be quiet or listen, but is encouraged to participate. In storytimes, allowing participation can be accomplished by asking questions of the audience ("What do you think will happen next?"), allowing children to chime in with chants, rhymes and songs, or by having the children point to pictures and saying the names of objects. Not only does the child build vocabulary and narrative skills, but he also builds confidence. This confidence will one day make him a fluent and fluid reader. -Amy Dawson, Youth Services Librarian, Catawba County Library System