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Own Parents In Reading: This teacher asked parents to take most of the responsibility for teaching the sight vocabulary, while he himself taught the spelling patterns. Parents were given advice and materials to provide and play reading games with their children. This method worked extremely well. It was noticeable, though, that where parents did not attend the supporting reading-workshop session, much less progress was made. This reinforces our view that regular contact between parents and teachers is essential if a PACT scheme is to flourish.
After the survey I held a meeting in the nursery for the parents, at which the headteacher spoke about the importance of parents reading to their children. All but three children were represented by one or other of their parents. It was stressed that it is never too early to read stories to your children, even if they are still 'babes in arms'. Many parents felt that it wasn't necessary to read stories until their child was able to converse fairly fluently and could, therefore, make some comment on whether they liked or disliked a story. By the end of the meeting the parents appeared to understand that, by reading to their children, they not only entertained them but were also preparing the ground for the 'learning to read' process.
Much of what has been said elsewhere in this book also applies to the under-fives. But there are differences, a crucial one being that much time is spent by parents reading to their children. Most parents will have experienced their child's enjoyment and their own parents in reading frustration at reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears for the sixteenth time in succession, and it is not always easy for parents to appreciate how much children will gain from this. Nor do they necessarily recognize that learning to read is not just about decoding symbols on a page.
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