Nurturing reading

The importance of books and literacy.

Reading plays a vital role in the development of language for all children, and this is especially true for deaf children.

Reading and sharing books with young children with any degree of deafness – and giving them time to respond – offers great benefits for their language development.

Reading with your child exposes them to new words and concepts, encourages them to think imaginatively, and combines the benefits of talking, listening and storytelling within one activity.

Alongside learning language through participating in everyday conversations, reading helps to set in place important foundations for deaf children to develop language. In this article, we will:

• show how reading books together can promote your child’s language and cognitive development
• suggest some reading-based activities you can enjoy with your child
• explain the benefits of the different types of book you can read with your child

Reading as a route to language

Reading plays a vital role in the development of language.

Reading to and sharing books with young children, and giving them time to respond, offers great benefits for their language development. Like most parents, you will probably have been reading to your child since they were born.

Reading books out loud with your child exposes him or her to new words and concepts. It  also combines the benefits of talking, listening and storytelling within one activity.

Alongside learning language through listening to everyday communication, reading helps to set in place important foundations for children to develop language.

Deaf children will need some additional input to make the most of these opportunities – which we we explain in this article.

Developing a love of books

Read, read, read!

Before getting started, it is important to remember that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to sit and read with your child. The most important thing is that you both enjoy and value this time together. It is very precious!

Sometimes you may want to sit beside your child or have them on your lap. Be sure to speak close to the microphone of your child’s hearing aid or cochlear implant processor when you sit like this. Sometimes you might want your child to see your face and lips as you read and talk about the story together.

These tips can help your child develop their love of books and reading:

• Choose a quiet environment, and sit comfortably alongside your child.
• Don’t worry if your child wants to flick through the pages quickly – remember little and often is the best way to encourage them to start enjoying reading.
• If your child really doesn’t yet enjoy books, there are other activities which can also help develop similar skills – we will explain more about these later in this article.
• Avoid asking lots of questions (such as “Where’s the duck?”, “Can you point to the tree?”). Instead, focus on commenting on what you see (such as “The boy is kicking the ball”, “Look at that tall tree!”, “I like that orange house”). Commenting rather than questioning leads to a more ‘shared’ and enjoyable experience for your child, and gives them opportunities to hear language modelled alongside the pictures they are looking at.
• You can also emphasise any sounds or noises in the story, such as “Craaasssshhhh!” or “Knock, knock, knock!” – Your child may enjoy joining in with these once you have read the book a few times.
• Emphasise language that describes emotions and feelings shown in the book, such as “The boy is sad, he has lost the ball”, “The dog is tired, he is sleeping.”

Nurture your child’s literacy by starting early

It’s never too early to start enjoying books together. Sharing books by looking at them together and you commenting on the pictures that interest your child your child will foster his/her curiosity for books. When your child is very young, encourage your child to use his/her voice as you look at books together.

Enjoying books together helps develop your child’s ability to understand you and to tell you a story, alongside developing their listening skills and their vocabulary. If you find books with rhyming words, you might find that your child copies the intonation they hear as you read to them.

Developing auditory learning skills through reading

When you and your child first begin to look at books together, you will read to them and tell them the story. They will listen.

As your child begins to understand your words, they are developing their auditory learning skills. Auditory learning is learning that is acquired through listening.

At this stage in your child’s development, auditory learning will becoming increasingly important because when they begin school he/she will need to learn by listening to what his/her teacher is reading or saying (such as when the teacher gives directions). So in the years before he/she starts school, your focus should be on developing your child’s auditory learning ability.

Books provide the perfect opportunity for helping your child with auditory learning. When you and your child first begin to look at books together, read or tell the story to your child and also comment on what you can see in the pictures. Your child will listen, developing his/her auditory learning skills. And don’t forget about experience books – as discussed later in this article. The earlier you  begin to make them, the more you and your child will have to look at together.

Getting the most from reading books as your child gets older

At the age when your child can participate in reading and telling stories, reading books together will help your child develop his/her vocabulary and language skills – both receptive language (what your child understands) and expressive language (what they can say).

Most children love to hear a story over and over until they are able to tell it themselves with only a few words or prompts from you. You can encourage your child to reach this level by giving them the opportunity to finish a sentence in the book. For example, “… and the moon is behind the _____.” Can your child say the word? If not, ‘model’ the word by saying it for them and then repeat the sentence, again leaving out the last word. Pause just briefly. If your child cannot ‘fill in the blank,’ do it for them and continue with the story.

You can also encourage your child to tell you the story. Listen to the words they use. Is your child using all the ‘object’ words (nouns)? And what about the ‘doing’ words (verbs)? Help your child add a few more words each time they tell you the story. And, as always, tell your child what a great job they are doing.

Reading words during everyday routines

As you introduce your child to new words in the books you read together, try to use these words in everyday conversation as much as possible. As you well know, the best way to teach your child language is to keep talking, talking, talking!

Written words are all around us. You want your child to begin to associate printed words with spoken language. A simple and enjoyable way to start your child on the road to literacy is to point out his/her name on envelopes, clothing labels – anything and everything with his/her name on it. The more often you do this, the sooner your child will begin to associate print with something important such as his/her name.

Take advantage of the printed words that are already in your home and community. You can read street signs and labels to your child. As you drive to the supermarket, point out traffic and street signs: “Stop. The sign says ‘Stop.’ We need to stop now.” You can go for a walk and look at your street sign, “Prospect Road. We live on Prospect Road.”

Does your child have a favourite place to eat? Show them the sign while you say the name. Then look at the menu together. Is there a picture of a pizza or of a hamburger? Show it to your child as you point to and say the word, “You want pizza.” Point to the word as you say it, “Pizza.” It won’t be long before your child begins to understand that letters have meaning.

Shopping provides many opportunities for learning language through reading

You can also look for words to read during your everyday activities such as shopping. Your child has probably watched you make your daily or weekly shopping list. They may have seen you check things off, too, after putting items in your shopping basket or trolley. Your child will feel very important if he/she makes a shopping list and takes it when going to the shop with you:

Choose four or five items that you will buy together. Cut out (for example, from magazine adverts) or sketch a picture of each of these items. Then get your pencil and two pieces of paper. Show your child the pictures, pausing for a second as you identify the items: “We need milk… apples… bananas… and cereal. Let’s make a list.”

On your child’s paper, stick or sketch a picture of each item. Beside the picture, write the word. Write your list, too. Your child cannot read the words yet, but they know that this paper will tell you what you need and with the pictures, your child can ‘help’ you.

At the shop let your child carry their list. Show them the picture of the milk and the word ‘milk’ on your list. Say, “Let’s get the milk.” When you do, point to the word on the carton and then on your child’s list and your list. Say, “Milk. Here’s our milk.” If you cross items off your list, let your child do the same. Repeat this for the other items on your shopping lists.

When you go to the produce section of the store, you might see the words ‘apples’ and ‘bananas’ near those items. Point to the word as you say, “Here are the apples.”

Now you can take your purchases and go to the check out. Your child has had an important and meaningful lesson in pre-literacy! You can also use the lists when you get home , asking your child to select each item from the list and put them away.

Here is another suggestion. Let your child try to scribble or ‘write’ some of the printed words they see all around them. Provide large crayons, pencils and paper. No need for adult accuracy here – just let your child enjoy putting some print with a picture. Encourage them to write their name. Pre-writing is also part of the literacy process.

Making story‑time special

Any time is a good time for stories! And there are all sorts of ways you can make story‑time both effective for language learning – and fun!

Story-time offers a time and space to focus on books

While your child is quite young, story-time may be short. Later, as your child grows and his/her attention span increases, story‑time will also lengthen. Let your child choose books that he/she enjoys. It is common for preschoolers to enjoy reading familiar stories over and over again. Re‑reading favourites helps to build familiarity with stories and later, printed words.

Try to make story-time a part of the day when you are as free as possible from other cares or distractions, so it is a quiet time. Parents often enjoy reading regularly to their children before going to sleep at night and at naptime. Leave your child’s hearing aids or cochlear implants on during story‑time so that he/she will benefit from hearing the sounds of speech.

Remember, at first it is the special joy of sharing time with you that will make the story‑time important to your child. Later your child’s feelings about books will be linked with memories of close and loving moments with you.

Introducing a wide range of books

Try to introduce your child to a wide range of types of book – either by buying them new from bookshops, pre‑loved from charity shops, or by borrowing from your local library. It can be great fun to encourage your child to choose a book they would like to read, and this can encourage a life-long love of books.

Different types of book include:

• Picture only books – Make up the story together, or help your child to describe what they can see (more tips below).
• Activity books – Books with sounds or lift-the-flap actions for your child to explore, and use all his/her senses. These can help keep attention and build anticipation.
• Common story books – Help your child get to know the many nursery rhymes and classic stories or tales that he/she will be expected to know in school. These will also help your child to become familiar with the language that is often used to tell stories, such as “Once upon a time”, “All of a sudden…”, “The End”, as well as learning the typical structure of stories (beginning, middle and end).
• Books about life events – These can help your child understand different situations they or their friends may experience (e.g. a new baby in the family, a hospital visit). It helps teach your child relevant vocabulary and is an opportunity to share his/her experiences with others.
• Experience books - These are home-made, and include photographs of your child and the things he/she has done and the people he/she has met. These enable your child to share experiences with yourself and others, no matter what his/her language levels. Children love seeing pictures of themselves and experience books are great for encouraging them to comment and or retell what has happened (from a day-trip or holiday, to an activity you have done together – such as baking a cake, or a walk in the woods).
• Books that are diverse and have characters that your child might identify with, such as characters wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants.
• Books about feelings and emotions – these can range from simple books labelling different emotions and facial expressions, to more nuanced stories with characters displaying different feelings and reactions, which you can discuss with your child.

Starting with picture books

The first books you may want to share with your child are likely to be picture books that have just a single picture on each page (some even have no printed words).

These will help your child begin to associate pictures with real objects, people and places.

When reading picture books you can say things like, “Here is a picture of a car. It’s a car. Where is our car? See. There’s our car. We have a car, too.” Soon the word ‘car’ will become a part of your child’s vocabulary and after a while he/she will begin saying this new word when showing you the picture.

Some picture books may also have a particular theme and contain pictures with related ideas and concepts. Such books might deal with food, toys, articles of clothing, or types of transport. These are fun, too.

Make sure you are saying more than just the word (the ‘name’ of the picture). Use the word in simple, natural phrases to make it more natural. For example, for a picture of a car, as noted above, you could say, “Oh, it’s a car”; “Our car goes beep-beep!”; “I wonder where they are going in the car?”; “We go to granny and grandad’s house in our car.”

Moving on to story books

Story books, of course, contain more than pictures – they tell a story. Most contain written language, although in some, the pictures alone can “tell” the story.

For the child who is just beginning to learn language, or for children looking at a book by themselves, the pictures are the story. Sharing storybooks with your child will be an exciting experience for both of you, and open a wide new world to him/her.

Your child might also enjoy reading ‘predictable’ books with you. These are stories that youngsters almost ‘read themselves’ by their rhythm or rhyme. Knowing what comes next will help your child feel more relaxed and in control of the reading process.

Of course, there will be good books with delightful, interesting pictures that both you and your child will enjoy, but whose written language is too advanced. In using these books, tell the story in your own words, primarily using vocabulary that your child knows.

How to tell a story

Remember, it is what you put into the story that will make it come alive! Your enjoyment, your enthusiasm, and your sense of adventure – these will stimulate your child’s interest.

After you have decided on a book to read to your child, prepare to tell the story. If you know that the story is too long for your chid’s attention span, go through the book and choose the pictures you will talk about. Then flip to the picture you are describing and enjoy it with your child. You might paper clip pages together to make ‘turning the page’ easy.

If your child is still fairly young, you may only be able to hold their interest for a short time. It is a good idea then to select only three or four pictures that illustrate the main points. Think in advance about what you will say about each picture. Start to turn the page, then stop. Look at your child and ask, “Ohhhh! What do you think will happen now?”

Give your child a moment to tell you what they think. This is the time for conversation. Maybe your child already knows and wants to tell you. Maybe they just want you to turn the page. Let your child express themselves before you continue with the story.

Let’s use the “The Three Little Kittens” story as an example of how you might introduce and share books with your child:

• Initially your language will be simple. You might decide beforehand to use language such as: “Here are three little kittens.” “See their mittens.” “The kittens are crying.” “Their mittens are dirty.” “Now the mittens are clean!” “The kittens are happy.”
• You are ready to tell the story! Sit beside your child so that both of you can look at the book together; and so that he/she can look up at you for more information. Now, enthusiastically say something about the book. “Here’s a book” or “Let’s read a book.” You might then look at the picture on the cover and say, “See the kittens.”
• Continue to hold the book as you tell the story. (Your child’s turn to hold the book comes later.) Let your child look at the picture and, of course, if they look up at you, talk about it.
• Before your child loses interest, turn to the next page. “The kitten is playing.” Go through the three or four pictures you have marked, as you provide the appropriate language. Don’t forget to say, “Turn the page!”
• It is your child’s turn now. When you have finished reading the ‘story’ to your child, give the book to your child. Let your child look at it and enjoy it. Don’t rush them – let them take their time to enjoy the book in their own way. Be ready to comment on a picture whenever you can. If your child is just beginning to learn language, they may want to ‘babble’ or just vocalise as they ‘read.’ Be a good listener!

Use familiar words first before introducing new ones

When you ‘read’ a story, use vocabulary that your child knows. This makes them comfortable with the experience. But as your child becomes familiar with the story and as their interest grows, add new words. When your child understands each new word, help them express that word when they talk to you about the story or tell that story back to you.

Just as you need to keep up with your child’s growing language, so you will need to keep pace with their growing, changing needs as you read to them. After a while, your child’s attention span will lengthen. Then you can use more pictures and more advanced language. If your child is using a formal sign language, you will need to learn the signs used in your child’s favourite stories, too.

Capturing your child’s interest

In sharing storybooks with your child, you are the star, the producer and the director! It is the enthusiasm that you put into your voice and your facial expression as you tell the story that will generate interest in your child.

Create suspense! Make the story come alive! Stop and talk about the story in natural ways – such as, “Why do you think the kitten is sad?”; “I wonder what’s going to happen next?”

Even if your child is not yet able to understand or answer these questions, you are demonstrating important language for development. Leave a pause and then answer the question yourself – for example, “I think she is sad because she can’t find her mummy. Let’s see.”

Using props

Occasionally you may wish to dramatise a story by using a small toy or other ‘prop.’ Props may help your child understand and may help maintain their interest.

For some of your child’s favourite stories, you could think about collecting props around the house to make a story bag or box.

Find an old shoe box, write the name of the story on the box and decorate it with your child. Then collect ‘props’ from around the house (charity shops or car boot sales are also a good place to find ‘props’) and put them in the box, so you can use them when you read the story.

So for example, for Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you could collect three bears of different sizes, a dolly to represent Goldilocks, three plastic bowls, three spoons, three toy chairs, etc.

Once you have read the story, pull out the box and ‘explore’ it together. You can then re-tell the story to each other using the props.

This is a great way for your child to practise understanding language, using language, speech, auditory memory, and sequencing. But most of all, it is fun and it will sustain his/her interest and motivation in books and storytelling.

Using experience books to practise speech sounds

Experience books offer many opportunities to practise and develop specific speech sounds.

For example /B/ is a sound that comes early in speech development. To help your child practise this speech sound you could make an experience book about mealtimes. Talk about wearing a ‘bib’, using a ‘bowl’, and eating a ‘banana’. The peel goes in the ‘bin’.

Use the words in conversation about the pictures and encourage your child to ‘tell’ you about the photos in the expereince book. Children love seeing themselves and people they know in their books, so experience books provide a great way to keep their attention while you are practising their speech skills at the same time.

Reading affects many areas of your child’s development

Alongside helping with language and listening skills, reading with your child is an important part of his/her cognitive growth:

• Children need to learn to match real objects to pictures – reading books helps your child develop this skill.
• Story books help develop sequencing skills. Your child will learn the concept of cause and effect, and how to follow events in a story. This leads to the ability to predict: “What will happen next?”:
  • Help your child to reach conclusions based on information. This ability will be important for all his/her future studies.
• Consider your child’s attention span:
  • Talk about the story you have shared.
  • Enjoy reading the same story over and over again as long as your child is interested.
  • Use print that you or your child put down on paper encourage your child to tell their own stories and increase their attention span.
• As your child is developing their language system, an informal, story-based approach is a good way to develop their early reading skills:
  • This includes an interest in print, an understanding of stories and an awareness of how spoken language and print are connected.
• Reading together will help your child learn the concept of a story line or a “narrative”:
  • When we talk to each other, we often relate things that happened in story form. We give details of the situation, the people, their expressions and events.
  • Reading books will provide this experience of narrative: there is a story line and there are details. And, it is fun to talk about them!
  • As your child develops this sense of a story line, you will see them use it in their imaginative play and in the stories they tell you.