Jan. 12, 2000
One of the ingredients a child needs in his or her recipe of learning to read are good children's books.
In today's Family Now report, News Specialist Ruth Todd explains why children's books don't have to just be for children.
We've often heard the encouragement that parents should read to their children.
A reading program now available in Utah is capitalizing on that advice - with a greater goal than teaching children to read.
Abigail Gonzalez wants her children to learn to read in both Spanish, and English.
But since her English vocabulary is still developing, a Utah Humanities council program called Motheread - is helping her start with the basics.
Amy McDonald Sanyer/Utah Humanities Council: "FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE GREAT READING SKILLS OR LITTLE READING OR NO READING SKILLS - EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO A CHILDREN'S BOOK."
The program is based on the idea that adults learning to read may find it easier to read a children's book.
And in turn, their children learn.
Abigail Gonzalez/Motheread reader: "A LIKE A LOT THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED MORE THINGS. I HAVE LEARNED MORE ENGLISH. THE MAIN THING IS THAT I CAN TEACH TO MY KIDS A LOT OF THINGS LIKE NUMBERS, COLORS, NEW WORDS, BOTH IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH."
But what may be more important - parents learning to read along with their children develops the family relationship.
Research has shown programs encouraging parents with children helped parents increase their patience,
increase their ability to cope with stress,
and develop new discipline skills.
Click here for a list of children's books the Utah Humanities Council recommends.
