Language-savvy parents good for children’s reading acquisition

RCI / By Lynn Desjardins | english@rcinet.ca

Parents who understand language complexity offer more praise and improve their children’s reading development, according to a study from Concordia University in Montreal.

Researchers studied 70 sets of six- and seven-year old children and their parents. The children were given reading material at a level just above their own. This gave parents an opportunity to help them as they normally would at home.

School kids sitting on floor in front of teacher, low angle

Play with language, advise researchers

After taping and studying the sessions, the researchers observed that parents with higher reading-related knowledge were more likely to have children with higher reading scores. They also paid more attention as the children read out loud to them, offered more praise and less criticism.

In conclusion, the researchers say parents should be encouraged to play with language and to pay attention to its characteristics.

They add their results would also apply in the classroom where teachers with higher reading-related knowledge are often more positive and better equipped to provide feedback to students.

Tagged with: Canada, children, learning, parents, reading, study
Posted in Society