Encouraging Literacy: Raising Readers with Encouragement
Encouragement is having high, but attainable expectations, celebrating every success, and showing compassion in the face of failure.
In How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish write, “Let us realize that, along with food, shelter, and clothing, we have another obligation to our children, and that is to affirm their ‘rightness.’ The whole world will tell them what’s wrong with them—loud and often. Our job is to let our children know what’s right about them.” (p.191) (I love this book. Their book, Siblings Without Rivalry is also excellent.) The world can be a discouraging place. Our homes don’t have to be. We can choose to encourage our children.
Let’s focus on progress, not perfection. Focus on the wins, employing a strength model vs. a deficit model.
Recognize your child as a reader. (Check out this blog: https://www.singintoreading.com/blog/recognizing-readers)
When I get angry for what my kids are doing or not doing - that is blaming. It is discouraging. Instead, when I feel angry, I try to look inward for compassion and encouragement… Or take a break.
Sometimes I get mad at my children for the same things that I have trouble with, myself. I guess this is common, because in Parenting Teenagers, Dinkmeyer and McCay write, “Parents often complain that their teens do not respect them. Yet many times, adults show teens a lack of respect. How? They nag, yell, hit, or talk down.” (p.5) My kids don’t need disrespect. They need encouragement and love.
In order to offer my kids encouragement, I need to take my self-care seriously. I take baths, meditate, and do yoga - those are my favorite flavors of self-care. What’s your favorite flavor?
Read and write with your children daily in an encouraging way. Not sure where to start? Check out my free guide, “Ten Tips to Teach Your Child to Read with Music and Love.” Get your copy here: https://www.singintoreading.com/ten-tips
You can find out more about me and my work at https://www.singintoreading.com/
Keep singing,
Risa
Author
Risa Beth Cohen, M.S.Ed.
Author
Risa Beth Cohen, M.S.Ed. is an educator, singer/songwriter, and storyteller. She works with people of all ages and abilities, leading music circles and storytelling workshops. As the Founder and Creative Director of Sing into Reading, Risa is passionate about teaching literacy through music and movement. Risa holds a B.F.A. in acting from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and an M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Bank Street College. In 2014, she was the Featured Teller at “Tellebration” in Toledo, Ohio. Students of all ages and abilities enjoy her music circles and storytelling workshops. In addition to teaching children, Risa is a sought-after speaker at edu-events of all sorts. Risa is an approved CKC (Core Knowledge & Competencies) Instructor, and Sing into Reading is an approved training organization recognized by the Ohio Professional Registry of the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA). She has two OCCRRA-approved workshops, “Teaching Literacy Through Music and Movement,” and “Songs for a Peaceful Learning Environment.” She has taught educators and families at schools, and has spoken at conferences in many countries, including Egypt, Australia, England, and South Korea. Risa and her program, Sing into Reading, have been featured on WTOL Channel 11, NBC channel 24, 13abc, and the Toledo Blade. Risa has been called a literacy teacher “in disguise.” Her students think they just make music and have fun – and they do!
