The Moral of the Story

Seems like just about every topic of for children’s book has been covered.  What’s left to write about?  Are we near the end of ideas? Here in this blog, I have mentioned farting dogs, stepping in poo and variety of popular adolescent topics.  However, how important is it to have a “moral to the story?”  Should a message be straightforward or more subversively addressed?  Should there be a message at all?

Are there messages (morals) in our popular folklore?  How about “The Three Little Pigs?”  Aren’t we admonished to plan ahead and work hard…then bad things will pass by?   In a similarly themed fable “The Ants and the Grasshopper”, has a similar message about the benefits of hard work; but in this case adds the complexity of mercy and redemption.  Get’s kind of heavy!

What about my hero Dr. Seuss?   Surely he didn’t subversively preach us a message… or did he?
Did the great Seuss approach politically sensitive issues?

Many of Geisel's books are thought to express his views on a myriad of social and political issues: The Lorax (1971), about environmentalism and anti-consumerism; The Sneetches (1961), about racial equality; The Butter Battle Book (1984), about the arms race; Yertle the Turtle (1958), about anti-fascism and anti-authoritarianism; How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), about anti-materialism; and Horton Hears a Who! (1954), about anti-isolationism and internationalism. Shortly before the end of the 1972–1974 Watergate scandal, in which United States president Richard Nixon resigned, Geisel converted one of his famous children's books into a polemic. "Richard M. Nixon, Will You Please Go Now!" was published in major newspapers through the column of his friend Art Buchwald.

Although Geisel never made any explicit or implicit mention of the abortion debate in his books, the line "A person's a person, no matter how small!!" from Horton Hears a Who! has grown, over the objections of his widow, into widespread use on the pro-life side of the issue.

So, back to my point… would we be better off having stories with no moral value other than that they are just fun… sort of like “Archie” or “Beetle Bailey”… is reading for the sake of reading or for practice a good reason to read?   Would it be better to read the ingredients of our favorite breakfast cereal (Wow 12% sugar!)?  Or perhaps good story telling on it’s own is adequate reason for a story to exist.   If they are reading, and enjoying the activity…that’s fine right?

What are your thoughts?  Should Children’s Books teach a message (have a morale)…If so what kind of message?  Where do we draw the line on appropriate and inappropriate messages?  Is it OK if it is buried deep?  Dr. Seuss viewed his own work as “Subversive as hell.”

Build Reading Activity Into an Event

Parents are continuously urged to have their children read or be read to… through out the year.  Now that summer is upon us, can we work reading into our “busy” schedules?

Children who maintain their reading skills or younger ones who are read to on a daily basis will be on target for back-to-school or back-to-regular routines in the fall. Those who don't typically have to pay catch-up in the classroom, which can set the stage for a challenging year.

Do you have a reading routine?  Is there a set time each day to read?  Do your children see you read?  Some of us don’t necessarily run a tight schedule, and reading (which can appear boring) often gets left off the “to-do” list.  So how do we jump the boring hurdle?  Is it like eating your spinach?  Making your bed… let’s put some spark into reading.

The key is to make reading an event!  Make it special in some way… something to look forward to!  Here are some suggestions I found in About.com

Take advantage of weather by dangling the reading carrot in fun ways. Be adventurous and make it a game as to where you should read to your child and how. In warm weather, read next to a pond or lake, under a tree, by the pool, or even in the tree house. Be bold and carefree. One mother reads to her young child in their blow-up children's pool in the backyard during the summer months. Another mom finishes the much-anticipated daily trip to the park in the spring or fall by reading a book before they leave. Cold months can mix reading activities by having books about snowmen, snowfalls, winter holidays, or sports such as ice-skating. Day care centers or child providers can add reading fun into the mix by tying it into a planned activity for the week. If the theme for the week is "Under the Sea," then the books can be about the ocean or fish.

Consider a reading series. There are countless book series tailor made for your child's age, and a good experience with one means there is a high likelihood your child will enjoy others about the same characters. There are series on action heroes and princesses, popular characters such as Bob the Builder, the classic Dr. Seuss collection, and about young heroes and heroines. There are series about beginning school for the first time or about going on vacation. Older children like series such as Harry Potter.

Build reading into the schedule. Parents and child providers can and should build a reading activity into the daily schedule. While evening or before-bedtime are popular times to read, reading after breakfast or before children go to an activity, sets a routine that most children embrace. Providers can set a daily story time and let parents know what book is being read and how it matches enrichment and learning activities for the week.

Plan ahead with exciting books on vacation. Vacation is a prime time for reading enjoyment, when family is together and fun is in the plans. Reading is a great activity for around the pool or in the hotel room in the evening.

Build a reading activity into life's planning. Children of all ages should learn the connection between reading and knowledge. If your family is adding a flowerbed, have children read about how to prepare a bed and what flowers and shrubs are optimal for the area of the country and whether it is in sun or shade. Getting a new family pet? Read up on varieties of dogs, care required, and even stories about children and their pets first. Traveling somewhere? You guessed it, read all about your destination first and you and your children will have the added benefit of knowing more about the area when you arrive.

Involve the entire family. Studies show that moms have the tendency to read more to their children then dads, robbing both children and fathers of positive reading experiences. Make reading time with dad or grandpa a priority. Dads read books aloud with children differently then moms do, and children will flourish with the perspective and experience of both.

Ask for your child's feedback. Evaluation and discussion is an important part of a positive book-reading experience. Ask your child simple questions, such as: Did you like the book? Why or why not? Who was your favorite character? What was your favorite scene? Did you like how it ended? Would you like to read it again someday? Don't be surprised if your child wants to re-read the same book again! That means you did your job well and helped foster a love of reading.

Also, don’t forget to get the right book.  Find something with age appropriate vocabulary that a child we feel proud to know that they can read the book all by their selves.  There are many sources to find such books.   You may wish to star with Lunchpail Books, which promises books that are both fun and easy to read. 

3 Strategies to Create a Love of Reading in Young Children

Parenting on its own can feel daunting… among general care, teaching, cleaning, cooking, washing, coaching, tolerating, etc… we also need to get specific with teaching… specifically teaching reading!  But “We were not trained as reading teachers, let alone trained as parents!”  There are a myriad of parenting styles (and learning styles) and there is definitely not a “one size fits all” when comes to helping children learn to read.

Strategy 1:   Expose readers to a restricted or controlled vocabulary…

Reading is a very complex process. Not all words can be read using simple phonic rules. Many important words need to be learned by sight. Teach only the simple and common words at first. The knowledge of 400 key words called Dolch Words, is all a young child needs to be able to read well.

Limit the initial reading vocabulary.
Reading is a very complex process. Not all words can be read using simple phonic rules. Many important words need to be learned by sight. Teach only the simple and common words at first. The knowledge of 400 key words called Dolch Words, is all a young child needs to be able to read well.

            --OK, The Dolch words???” what???   Just a list of about 400 words that young children should be able to recognize and read on sight.  Dr. Seuss used this list in crafting many of his books.   This is what made his work so appealing… a beginner reader could read the book “all by myself”.    So where do you find books with controlled vocabulary like the Dolch list?   Check for codes on the books such as from Random House and others (more on this in future blogs).  Also, please feel free to check out the books on Lunchpail Books.  At www.lunchpailbooks.com you will find books crafted with the same controlled vocabulary…  Soooo-- grab a couple of Dr. Seuss books and checkout the “Peep Peep” series.

• “Peep Peep Comes Home”
• “Peep Peep Takes a Walk”
• “Peep Peep Finds a Friend”

Strategy 2:  Read to Children…

Scientific research can inform beginning reading instruction. We know from research that reading is a language-based activity. Reading does not develop naturally, and for many children, specific decoding, word recognition, and reading comprehension skills must be taught directly and systematically. We have also learned that preschool children benefit significantly from being read to.

The evidence suggests strongly that educators can foster reading development by providing kindergarten children with instruction that develops print concepts, familiarity with the purposes of reading and writing, age-appropriate vocabulary and language comprehension skills, and familiarity with the language structure.

Substantial evidence shows that many children in the 1st and 2nd grades and beyond will require explicit instruction to develop the necessary phoneme awareness, phonics, spelling, and reading comprehension skills. But for these children, this will not be sufficient.

For youngsters having difficulties learning to read, each of these foundational skills should be taught and integrated into textual reading formats to ensure sufficient levels of fluency, automaticity, and understanding.

Strategy 3:  Practice, Practice, Practice…

The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.
I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two.
And I said, "How I wish we had something to do!"
-from “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss -

Where you aware that 38% of all fourth graders in the United States can't read the first line from Dr. Seuss’ classic?  Is your child one of them?  Does your child struggle, hesitate, and torture words while reading? He or she is one of 7 million elementary-aged children who is performing below his or her reading potential.

Now is the time to pass on the legacy of love a reading to your children or a child in your life!  Stop by your local library, amazon.com or enjoy reading the adventures of “Peep Peep” to your child.  Pass on the love!

Johnnie Lunchpail