Good Rectangles and Not-So-Good Rectangles

Source : 7 Keys to Comprehension ~ Zimmermann & Hutchins

Let's talk about rectangles. There are good ones and not-so-good ones. “Rectangles” greatly affect your child’s language development and, ultimately, reading ability. Good rectangles are the dinner table and books; not-so-good ones are the television set and the computer screen.

Yes, there are worthwhile television programs, and the Internet provides access to a wide range of information and to people throughout the globe. But children can waste huge blocks of time playing mindless computer games, and you know how much junk is on the tube.

Nielson Media Research reports that the average American child watches about 25 hour of TV a week. [This book was written in 2003.] And that doesn't include time spent playing video or computer games.

The problem is not so much what children are doing but what they are not doing. They aren’t romping at the playground, making mud pies, painting with finger paints, playing dress-up, building with Legos or blocks, helping you “rearrange” the kitchen cabinets, listening to you read, making up stories, playing Mother, May I? Or Simon Says, reading, making music, getting exercise. They aren’t laughing over the comics, following directions to build a model airplane, or passionately tracking a favorite character into another adventure. Instead, they are sitting passively in front of a television or computer screen. So, what are kids missing in terms of mental exercise and development? They’re missing a great deal, in particular activities that have them organize information, gain understanding, use their imagination and practice their own use of language. They’re missing the joy of reading. They're not exercising their brains. It’s like perpetually sitting on the sidelines and never getting to play the sport. Bench-warmers never get good at the game.

(...)Dinner table chat, in which children and adults come together and talk about their days, ask questions, engage in discussions, laugh together, and enjoy one another’s company, is a kind of family glue, as well as one of the best things you can do to enhance your child’s listening, thinking, speaking and reading abilities. The two “good rectangles” – the dinner table and books – can make a huge difference in your child’s life.

If you are reading interesting stories to your child and if your dinner table is a place where questions are asked, ideas are pondered, good humor is shared and a healthy dose of listening occurs, then the good rectangles in your home will go a long way toward developing your child’s language skills and ultimately her reading ability.