| Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness |
O Lord
| O Lord, (Rabi'ah al-'Adawiyyah)
|
We're always telling children that books and reading are good for them, but have we ever really thought about why that's true ? Exactly what do older children get out of reading novels ? What do younger kids get from being read to ? Does reading matter?
The purpose of this article is to say that, yes, it's true, reading really is important, and that there are some solid reasons why that is so. Let's begin with the practical benefits and then move on to
the less tangible rewards of a life filled with reading.
Books Help Children Develop Vital Language Skills
Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children. Not only is it necessary for survival in the world of schools
and (later on) universities, but in adult life as well. The ability to learn about new subjects and find helpful information on anything from health problems and consumer protection to more academic research into science or the arts depends on the ability to read.
The more young children are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading. Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills, their ability to express themselves verbally.
Reading, by way of books, magazines or websites, exposes kids to new vocabulary. Even when they don't understand every new
word, they absorb something from the context that may deepen their understanding of it the next time the word is encountered. When parents read aloud to children, the children also hear correct pronunciation as they see the words on the page, even if they can't yet read the words on their own.
Reading Can Open Up New Worlds and Enrich Children's Lives
As mentioned above, reading opens doors - doors to factual information about any subject on earth, practical or theoretical. Given the wealth of available resources such as Internet, libraries, schools and bookstores, if children can read well and if they see reading as a source of information, then for the rest of their lives they will have access to all of the accumulated knowledge of mankind, access to all of the great minds and ideas of the past and present. It truly is magic!
Through books, children can also learn about people and places from other parts of the world, improving their understanding of and concern for all of humanity. This, in turn, contributes towards our sense that we truly live in a "global village" and may help us bring about a more peaceful future for everyone. This can happen through nonfiction but, perhaps even more importantly, reading novels that are set in other places and time periods can give children a deeper understanding of others through identification with individual characters and their plights.
Through stories and novels children can vicariously try out new experiences and test new ideas, with no negative consequences in their real lives. They can meet characters who they'll enjoy returning to for comforting and satisfying visits when they reread a cherished book or discover a sequel. Books also give kids the opportunity to flex their critical thinking skills in such areas as problem solving, the concepts of cause and effect, conflict resolution, and acceptance of responsibility for one's actions.
Mysteries allow children to follow clues to their logical conclusions and to try to outguess the author. Even for very young children, a simple story with a repetitive refrain or a simple mystery to solve
gives a confidence boost. Children can predict the patterns and successfully solve the riddles.
Children are influenced by and imitate the world around them. While a steady diet of violent cartoons may have a detrimental effect on children's development, carefully chosen stories and books can have a positive influence on children, sensitizing them to the needs of others. For example, books can encourage children to be more cooperative, to share with others, to be kind to animals, or to respect the natural environment.
Reading Can Enhance Children's Social Skills
Although reading is thought of as the quintessential solitary activity, in certain circumstances reading can be a socializing activity. For example, a parent or grandparent reading a story aloud, whether from a traditional printed book or from an ebook, can be a great opportunity for adult and child to share some quiet, relaxed quality time together away from the rush and stresses of the business of daily living. They share a few minutes of precious time, plus they share the ideas that are contained in the story. In addition, older children can be encouraged to read aloud to younger ones as a means of enhancing their relationship.
At school or at a library story hour, books can bring children together and can be part of a positive shared experience. For some preschoolers this may be their primary opportunity to socialize and to learn how to behave around other children or how to sit quietly for a group activity. Make the most of this experience by encouraging children to talk about what they've read or heard.
Reading Can Improve Hand-Eye Coordination
It may sound funny, but e-books can be a way for children to improve their fine motor skills and their hand-eye coordination, as they click around a child friendly website or click the backward and forward buttons of online story pages.
They may also be picking up valuable computer skills that they'll need in school and later in life.
Reading Can Provide Children With Plenty of Good, Clean Fun
I've saved the most important point for last. Reading can provide children with endless hours of fun and entertainment. All of the pragmatic reasons above aren't at all necessary to justify reading's place in children's lives. Stories can free up imaginations and open up exciting new worlds of fantasy or reality. They allow children to dream and may give them a good start on the road to viewing reading as a lifelong source of pleasure, so read to your young children every day.
Inspire your older children to read. Give them access to plenty of reading material that they'll enjoy and discuss it with them. Sample everything - traditional printed books and e-books on Internet, classic children's novels and fairy tales, as well as more modern stories.
If a child wants to hear the same story over and over again, don't worry about it. Children take comfort from the familiarity and predictability of a beloved story that they know by heart. There's no harm in that. Reread old favorites and, at the same time, introduce your children to new stories. Your child's mind and heart have room for both.
So Reading Really Does matter After All
There are so many ways in which reading continues to be both a vital skill for children to master, and an important source of knowledge and pleasure that can last a lifetime. Nurture it in your children. Make the most of all the resources that are available and waiting for you: printed books, online books, magazines and so forth.
What exactly is Standard English? According to Julia, it is :
- An international world language.
- The official language of the entire English speaking world.
- The language of educated English-speaking people in formal situations.
- Not localized to a particular area or country.
Standard English is not the preserve of Caucasians. Many of us do use it already, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that most of us tend to default to Manglish or Singlish or another local derivative of the language.
As Julia says, that’s not necessarily a problem. But it is important for your children’s future success that they are able to switch to Standard English when the need arises.
Major differences between Manglish and Standard English
Manglish – Yesterday he come my house.
SE – He came to my house yesterday.
Manglish – I eat the cake already.
SE – I ate the cake.
Manglish – You cook chicken, can or not?
SE - Can you cook chicken?
Manglish – I still working
SE – I’m still working.
We don’t enunciate clearly and dispense with end consonants totally. For example disc may end up as dis, facts as fax and upsize as upsai. In Standard English, the stress on syllables is important to convey the meaning of words. Manglish speakers tend to mangle the stress. For example, we are wont to say ker-LIG instead of KO-lig for colleague. Instead of logging on to the online dictionaries to learn proper pronunciation, use this general rule as a guide.
Stress the first syllable of nouns (things), adjectives and adverbs (descriptive words) and the second syllable of verbs (action words). In these sentences, the same words are pronounced differently.
Cannot speak Manglish meh?
Die-lah if we cannot speak Manglish in our own country. Of course we can use Manglish in Malaysia just as Julia said that “Singlish is acceptable in Singapore as it is a healthy, linguistically organic and appropriate code of language if used ONLY informally, amongst Singaporeans, in Singapore.”
Though it is alright for children to use Manglish informally and at play, they should switch to Standard English at school. (You may be thinking : Our school teachers command of English is suspect, how can the children learn Standard English lah? Read on.)
Don’t correct our children’s English or they will zip up. Constant correction destroys confidence. Just accept it and model it back to them and they will follow suit.
For example if they say :
“At what o’clock we must go to cinema ah?”
We say :
“When do we have to go to the cinema? At one o’clock.”
Don’t ask them to repeat the sentence; it’s not natural.
The key time for children to explore language is from 0 to 3 years of age. Babies learn sounds before they are born. In a study, it was found that three-week old Russian babies suck more strongly when they hear Russian, the same with French babies when they hear French.
Now don’t slap your forehead in despair if your children aren’t toddlers anymore. They can pick up Standard English with the right environment.
Code Switching
Children are born linguists. They slip easily into the appropriate codes of English if they have been exposed to them early in life, before the age of six. This is called code switching.
How to children get to know two codes of English? By engaging and interacting with people who use Standard English, they master the patterns of sound and construction. Manglish is a simplified code, learned easily as the language of play and informality.
In a multi-cultural society like ours, we need two codes of English. It is okay to speak to our husbands in Manglish in front of the children but keep it for informal bonding, joking and playing. It is better to use Standard English when discussing current affairs or talking about books that requires a higher code of language. Let the children see us code switch naturally.
How do children learn Standard English?
Language is caught not taught.
1. Children learn Standard English language most easily from birth to 6 years of age by engaging with Standard English speakers.
2. The language that children use is copied from those with whom they interact, like friends and teachers who chat and play with them.
3. Exchanging, interacting and engaging with language is more important than instruction in developing linguistic ability.
4. Children don’t learn Standard English from formal instruction, they ‘catch’ it in environments where they play and enjoy themselves.
5. Children learn grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation through using and fully engaging with language (playing, talking, conversation, interacting with stories and poems, drama.)
How can parents support children in acquiring Standard English?
1. Make time to play, talk, listen and read books in Standard English.
2. Eliminate Manglish as much as possible.
3. Fill the home with books, newspapers and periodicals. Discuss what we read with the children.
4. Visit the library regularly. Talk about the books we read.
5. Reduce television watching – talk more.
6. Watch or listen to BBC World or World Service.
Julia made the case for promoting Standard English as children cannot afford to be limited by speaking a minority dialect of English. Standard English is critical to education and success.
Parents who speak only bloken Ingris but want their children to master Standard English shouldn’t fret. Just as Julia advocates :
Put your children in an interactive Standard English environment with a Standard English speaking teacher as often as possible.
( Well...well...my two kids are also conversing the Malaylish with lah, can you or not, etc. I hope I could help them improve their standard English soon).
