WHEN I was in preschool, language and spelling were the subjects I found most difficult. Later on I dreaded reading comprehension. Writing school papers always left my head scratching over the result. At 10th grade in the United States, my teacher checked each step from the topic, outline, note cards and body. I did well in the earlier steps. In the end, I still got a line of B.
I am a highly emotional person. I experienced my childhood puppy love at 14, lost important loved ones over the span of a few years, and continuously underwent a volatile situation at home. Poetry and prose were my solace. I learned to immerse my thoughts in writing. There was no intention to be good at it, but to just be able to breathe.
In 1993, I left Manila to start this new life in New York. I initially felt uneasy with the new subjects, teachers and, especially, classmates. The only place I felt at ease was the library, so I spent most of my free time there. During the midwinter break, I borrowed my first nonfiction book.
In a few months, I began to love life in the US and all the possibilities my teachers introduced me to. My teachers for both Global Studies and Biology recommended me to take AP classes and clock in community-service hours so that I would have a better shot at a good university. Incidentally, the closest community service I could reach with my bike was the city library. I served there twice a week as an encoder. That gave me a lot of time to go through books and, finally, found my interest in nonfiction. In 1999, I had the opportunity to work as an intern in Washington, D.C., under Sen. Richard Lugar. It was amazing to have access to the library in Capitol Hill. It was also in this unique experience that allowed me a lot of solitary walks. I vividly remember passing by a Barnes & Noble on the way home, and saw the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff behind the display window. I stopped, went in and read the whole book, and I remember feeling, “Wow, that was easy and refreshing!”
I realized then how empowering books can be. I realized how knowledge from real-life experts and situations were just words away. Whenever I encountered any issues at home or at work, or was confronted with existential questions, I turned to reading. And so, this quest for answers turned into a ritual. Whenever I visit the US, I make it a point to schedule a Barnes & Noble day. Whenever I’m in any airport, I spend a lot of time in Relay or Hudson News.
I share these bits of information because I always wish I had found “reading” earlier in my life. So when I became a parent, love for reading was one of my goals for our kids. I realized the reason I was not drawn to it early on was because I never found my personal reason to like reading.
When my daughter was born, I researched a lot on developmental topics, including language development. One of the most interesting tips I read was that when you read to your baby, let him or her stay near your neck or your armpit because our body scent is strongest in these areas. From my understanding, this is supposed to establish a good emotional connection with reading. I did this every morning before going to work, and every night upon coming home. Back then, I did not know if it would truly let my child love reading more. I would like to think it had something to do with my daughter being an avid reader today.
Second, I found language development toys that matched my kids’ needs. I used LeapFrog toys the most because I liked the pronunciation, volume, and the playful teaching pattern. I had the Spin and Sing Alphabet Wheel when Meagan was three months old, the Word Whammer Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet, the LeapFrog doll for Marcus, among others. Meagan was so drawn to LeapFrog that during her second grade, when she got her first year-end gold medal, it was a Leapster that she asked to be her prize. To date, this has been the only mobile handheld game I ever bought for my kids.
Although the models I used are no longer available, you can try the Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo, the AlphaPup Scout, Learning Friends 100 Words Book, Tad’s Get Ready for School Book and My Own Leaptop, as seen at the photo above.
I feel that developing the love for reading starts foundationally with our warmth and time as parents or guardians. Routine reading times and early visits to the bookstore are also great ways to start. Tools can also be introduced to encourage further interest.
In the next two weeks, I will share more information on how to encourage reading, as well as the latest enrichment classes available that I find very interesting. Below is a good event I recently discovered that might spark reading and writing interest for your kids.
The Unique English Classroom is holding its “Young Authors Workshop/Competition” for students ages nine to 16, this February 22 and 23, 8:30 am to 4 pm, at the Mind Museum, BGC, Taguig City. This event, facilitated by Catherine Khoo from Singapore, will start with a creative boot camp, and ends with a story-writing competition. To know more about this, you may contact Enrich Asia at 0917-6391901 or visit www.uecyoungauthors.com.ph.