Tesla Talk

Tesla Talk Week November 6th 2020

Tesla Education 6 Nov, 2020 9:00 am

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week I wanted to return to something that I have mentioned before but perhaps it is one of the most significant and important factors for our children in Tesla and indeed any school anywhere in the world. That factor is literacy and most significantly reading. There are many things we all want to do for our children, a bicycle, a holiday, a trip to a favorite café, a cinema trip and the list can go on and on.

All have some educational value in their different ways and can be useful for future life. Riding a bike for example is growing in popularity across the world and is a need for all young children. That is obvious.

What is less obvious is how research on reading at a younger age has a most positive benefit on the educational opportunities and educational achievement later on in high school, college and university.

Studies show that reading for pleasure makes a big difference to children’s educational performance. Likewise, evidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perf orm better in reading tests than those who do not, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures. In fact, reading for pleasure is more likely to determine whether a child does well at school than their social or economic background.

Building vocabulary and understanding.

Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out what is printed on the page. Through hearing stories, children are exposed to a wide range of words. This helps them build their own vocabulary and improve their understanding when they listen, which is vital as they start to read. It is important for them to understand how stories work too. Even if your child does not understand every word, they will hear new sounds, words and phrases which they can then try out, copying what they have heard.

Irrespective of whether your child is only just beginning to learn to read or whether they are fluent, you can play an important role in helping to keep them interested in books. Find out what interests them, help them find books that will be engaging and fun, and spend time reading the books.

My recommendations to you all, and I make no apology for sounding like a teacher as I am one are:

– Do try and read every day with your child (I manage about 4 or 5 times a week at best with my child);
– Don’t read for long periods with them when they are tired;
– Read to them and as they develop their reading let them read to you;
– Don’t worry about words they don’t know and keep the story going;
– We love stories and reading them is fun;
– Don’t overdo it especially if they don’t like to Just ten minutes is enough;
– Keep trying and don’t give Building a routine like showering and brushing teeth will be accepted by your child.

The result will bring definite benefits and I know it is one of the most valuable things any parent can do for their children.

Robin Klymow
Director of Studies