Page 147 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

Teachers would certainly wish to have cooperative parents, ready to make an effort for their

children. Cooperation should however work with all families: all children are enrolled in

kindergarten or school and parents are not expected to have knowledge in teaching or
communication. A few parents can be difficult, distant, spiteful or pretentious. The only way

to truly support the child is to be kind to the entire family. The teacher must be professional
- in communication, counselling and listening, one who also understands what their own

beliefs, attitudes and resources are. Counselling is not merely giving advice, it is total
attention, presence, listening without judgement, and acceptance. Every person needs eye

contact, a smile, warm tone of voice and courage to make mistakes. As adults we can set

examples about interpersonal relationships to our children.

When teachers meet parents, they could ask how the parents learnt to read and how they

expect it to be achieved at school; explore what their biggest fears are in relation to their
child’s learning to read, and to assure that children learn to read at school too and the teacher

offers support to ensure that all children, at their own speed, attain fluent reading skills. It is
important to identify what the parents’ beliefs of capability are – if the parent presupposes

that their child is a poor reader and it is an inherited condition which cannot be remedied,
then such a belief is either verbally or non-verbally communicated to the child as well.

Children tend to believe their parents: if my parent thinks I am hopeless, there is not much

point in my making an effort.

One might get an impression that modern parents are extremely knowledgeable and
demanding, it may however disguise uncertainty and a need for a genuine contact. The

parents require information. Teachers should present methods that they use in the class
(reading aloud, book adverts, visits to a library etc.) and explain what is expected of home,

e.g. making sure the child reads suitable texts every day. The parents are top experts on their

child and they should know what that child’s interests are in order to select suitable texts and
books. Emerging interest in reading can arouse interest in other fields.

As parents may associate reading checks with negative feelings which they may transfer to
the child, they need an explanation of how evaluations of reading skills are made these days.

The word ‘check’ should be avoided where possible.