Today I was
talking to someone about their 18 month old little boy, whose language was slow
but coming along with lots of intonation and potential conversation. Although
his language included lots of jibberish, it had intent and he knew how he could
use it. I asked his mum if he enjoyed books? Her sad response was "No, I
used to try reading to him and he used to just walk off so I don't do it
anymore". This mother had already decided that her very young little boy
wasn't going to have good exposure to reading time, sharing a story, hearing
words and sounds and interpret the matching picture.
I shared a story about a
boy who used to do that as he wandered around the house while Mum kept reading
the book. The difference with this child was that when Mum would stop reading
to see if he was paying any attention, he would comment saying "keep
reading mum, I want to find out what happens next". He amazingly, was
quite engrossed in a lot of the stories but obviously felt quite comfortable
walking around listening. Depending on a child's learning style, will have a
lot to do with where they learn best, the most comfortable position or place to
be in, to successfully absorb the information.
As a teacher
and strong advocate when promoting books and reading, I encouraged the Mum to try again and
make it part of the daily routine. She said she would give it another go. I
hope she does for the little boy's benefit, and helps him to develop his love
for books.
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