The Forgotten Photos.

Assalamualaikum. These are the photos that was taken during our first read aloud session for this year. I've forgotten to upload them here. Some are from my own collection and the rest are from Pn. Mahani who's also was there that day.

Happy Ramadhan Dear Readers!

Assalamualaikum and happy Ramadahn tu everyone.

What a blissful day! And I keep thinking that are people doing any reading during this month apart from the Qur'an? Yes, tadarrus is one activity that is done by many Muslims during this month. It's like a compulsory activity to do even though it's only sunnah. But every Muslim knows that during this holy month of Ramadhan, the benefits of doing good deed is multiple.

Anyway, please do not forget to do a regular read aloud with your children. For example you can do a short read aloud with them before the breaking of fast. This will let the children learn something good while waiting. If not, I believe many parents let their children watch the television to while away their time. It's a waste.

Let's not waste any more of their time, take a 10 minutes and read aloud with them. You'll see how fun that could be.

Reading with your kids is a joy.

Taken from ParenThots,

Joys of reading with your kids

9 June 2010

By TAN LING SUAN

I WAS at a warehouse book sale with my five-year-old grandson. It was the last day of the sale. As I looked at the books spread out before me, I said to him: “If we had come on the first day, I would have grabbed more from a bigger range, but there’s less to choose from now.”

He seemed to ponder what I had said, then grabbed my legs! “Hey,” I protested as he chortled, “I mean grab things up here, not there!” He was soon back to choosing some for himself, and found one he was going to keep for his baby sister, soon to be born.

“I can read this to her when she is big enough,” he said.

That little sister, Sara, is now 17 months old but she had developed a love for books even before she turned one. This is mainly thanks to her parents who keep reading to her every day. Whenever my husband and I turn up to visit, she heads for a book and brings it to us to read to her. Then another book, and another, until we persuade her into doing some other activity like playing a game or sing and dance, all of which she also enjoys.

Yes, it’s never too early to get a child interested in books; it’s you who must make the time to sit with her, to point out all the little things on a well-illustrated page, to repeat words or numbers, and soon she will be repeating after you.  

Do the actions and sounds where possible, for that makes it more fun. Little Sara would cover her ears to show she understood the word “thunder” (plus the sound) read to her. There are times she even sits by herself and “reads” to her teddy bear!

Seeing how much joy books have brought to my four grandchildren (the oldest is 12-plus), I keep popping up at book sales to grab some humorous or unusual books that I have never seen in our bookshops. Some may look a bit worn but their stories can be so “cute” that I don’t mind paying a few ringgit for them.

When the grandchildren come visiting, I usually have some new books for them to browse through. They choose whatever they fancy and one may wait impatiently for the other to finish the one she also wants to read. With the younger ones, we read together page by page.

Among the gems I have picked up from the warehouse book sales are the following:

Put Me In The Zoo by Robert Lopshire is about a strange spotted creature that wants to stay in the zoo but is thrown out because there is no room for him. Narrated in simple rhyme, the creature meets a little boy and girl and he shows them what he can do – throwing colourful spots on things around him – in a very entertaining manner. The pair finds a happy solution for him.

Where Will The Animals Stay? by Stephanie Calmenson tells of what happens to the animals when the zoo is being renovated. It’s really interesting how an old lady offers them a temporary home.

The Lake Mess Monster by Beverly Komoda relates the story of a monster that suddenly appears in a lake popularly used by families around there. They are not pleased with the monster’s seemingly playful antics and fail to catch him or chase him away. However, they finally “tame” him.

For the reluctant reader, try to get a book that entertains him. The book could perhaps be filled with amusing illustrations, or share riddles and tongue-twisters with him. Soon they will be asking you for more!

If you are fortunate to be near a library, a weekly visit there should be a treat. Pick some books for him and also let him choose his own. At bookshops, pay for a new book now and then, whichever catches his attention. Or bring him to the children’s section in a book sale.

The love of reading, inculcated from early childhood, will last a lifetime. It is a hobby that brings limitless pleasure. He’ll never be lonely or bored.

10 Read Aloud Commandments by Mem Fox

Assalamualaikum everyone.

Today's sharing is taken from Mem Fox's website about the 10 commandments in read aloud. Here they are.

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.

2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.

3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.

4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.

5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.

6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.

7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.

8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.

9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.

10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

Hopefully this info will help you more in practicing reading aloud with your kids. All the best and thank you Mrs. Mem Fox.

Original source: Mem Fox

How Can Something as Simple as Reading to a Child Can be So Effective?

Salam everyone. Today's sharing:

We read to children for all the same reasons we talk with children; to reassure, to entertain, to bond, to inform or explain, to arouse curiosity and to inspire. But in reading aloud, we also:

• Condition the child's brain to associate reading with pleasure
• Create background knowledge
• Build vocabulary
• Provide a reading role model

Let's look at how we create lifetime readers. There are two basics reading "facts of life" that are ignored in many education circles, yet without these two principles working in tandem, little else will work in education reform.

Reading Fact 1: Human Being Are Pleasure-Centered

Human will voluntarily do things, which brings them pleasure. Pleasure is like the glue that holds our attention - but only to what we like. Every time we read to a child, we're sending "pleasure" message (glue) to the child's brain. However, there're also the "unpleasures" associated with reading - boring, threatening and without meaning. If the child seldom experiences the "pleasures" of reading and meets only the "unpleasures", then the natural reaction will be withdrawal.


Reading Fact 2: Reading Is An Accrued Skill

Reading is like riding a bicycle, or driving a car; in order to get better at it you must do it. And the more you read, the better you get at it.

From: Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook 5th. Edition

Special Read Aloud Session

Assalamualaikum to all friends and visitors.

I'm just going to inform you that RAKB will organize a special read aloud session to fill up our school holiday's calendar. I know, a lot of parents don't know what to do to help their children enjoy their school holidays. So... come and join us!

Here is the detailed information about the session.

Date: 22 November 2008, Saturday

Time: 3.00 pm - 4.30 pm

Venue: Kidz Corner of Dar Nur al-Zahra' Islamic Library, Jln. Telipot, Kota Bharu

Fee: RM5 per pax

Give me a call at 09-7484975 or 019-9403659 and book a place for your child. We have to limit the participation because of our limited supplies and Readers.

Let's enjoy the holiday with some interesting & fun activities with our children.

Yours truly,
KakChik on behalf of RAKB.

Getting Your Child to Love Reading

Author: Kathryn Perkinson

Helping your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and well worth the investment of your time and energy. Kids will learn reading skills in school, but often they come to associate reading with work, not pleasure.

As a result, they lose their desire to read. And it is that desire - the curiosity and interest - that is the cornerstone to using reading and related skills successfully.

By far the most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them, and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.

Make this time together a special time when you hold your kids and share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or telephones. You may be surprised to find that a well-written children's book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the kids.

And don't stop taking the time to read aloud once your children have learned to read for themselves. At this stage, encourage them to read to you some of the time. This shared enjoyment will continue to strenghten your children's interest and appreciation.

Simply having books, magazines, and newspapers around your home will help children to view them as part of daily life. And your example of reading frequently and enjoying it will reinforce that view.

While your children are still very small, it's a good idea to start a home library for them, even if it's just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely.

Consider specially made, extra durable books for infants, and pick paperbacks and plastic covers for kids who are older but still not quite ready for expensive hardbacks. Allowing little children to touch, feel, smell, and even taste books will help them develop strong attachments.

How you handle books will eventually influence how your kids treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.

When you read aloud together, choose books that you both like. If a book seems dull, put it down and find one that is appealing. There are, however, so many children's books in print that making the best selections may seem a formidable task.

One approach is to look for award-winning books. There are two famous awards for children's literature made each year by the American Library Association that are good indicators of quality works: the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing. But these are given to only two of the approximately 2,500 new children's books published each year.

Fortunately, there is a lot of other good help available. For instance, there are lists of books recommended by the American Library Association and the Library of Congress and some excellent books to guide parents in making selections.

The best help of all, is at your neighbourhood library. If you are not familiar with the library, don't hesitate to ask for help. The children's librarian is trained to help you locate specific books, books that are good for reading aloud, and books on a particular subject recommended for a particular age group.

The library also has many book lists, including ones like those mentioned above and probably some published by the library itself.

In addition, your library will have several journals that regularly review children's books, including The Horn Book and Booklist. These will give you an idea of what's new and worth pursuing.

And there's nothing like just browsing through the many books available at your library until you find ones that appeal to you and your kids.

If your children are school-aged, keep in mind that the school library is an excellent source for a wide variety of materials and the school librarian is knowledgeable about children's literature. Encourage your kids to bring home books from their school library - for pleasure as well as for their studies.