KaradiTales Articles

What every parent shoud know - About Reading

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:35:19 GMT

What every parent should know

About Reading

The Computer Generation

The average seven-year-old is a computer whiz. Parents are astounded at the ease with which he uses gadgets. But is he a fluent reader? Parents may ignore this. After all, he’s so smart with the computer. But they often do not realise that computers are designed to be mastered by anyone. With their natural intuition, every kid would figure out how to operate them. This should not be viewed as an extraordinary ability.

Through the 1900s, the USA was one of the most creative and productive societies. In the 21st century, however, that has changed. America has begun to realise that their young population entering the workforce is ill-prepared to continue this rich legacy. A generation that grew up on a diet of excessive television, computers and video games and too little time reading is now facing extraordinary limitations. In a passionate address talking about the reemphasis on reading in the education policy Barack Obama recently said:

‘These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent -- for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father, when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home.’

Books vs. Computers and Television

‘Television does not let you think. It thinks for you. Television does not let you feel. It feels for you.’
- Isaac Stern

India is today where the USA was 20 years ago. With the proliferation of cable television, computers and video games in Indian society over the last few years, our children are now achieving reading proficiency almost 2 years later than the previous generation did and reading much less. This will result in children who grow up to function intellectually and emotionally well below their potential.

We are now being told to pay huge sums of money for premium preschools and schools that bombard children with visual information through televisions, computers and ‘smart’ classrooms. Television and computers are fabulous learning tools for older children. However, for younger children, the simple act of reading is the key to nurturing their creativity and intelligence.

Reading >> Creativity

A common misconception is that children today are much smarter than children of previous generations. In an age where information is so widely available, it is only natural that children absorb much of it. So their information bank is, perhaps, greater. But unless a child knows how to productively use that information, it is of little consequence. Information, since it is so freely available, is no longer valued as highly as creativity, the ability to think out of the box, the ability to use information to evolve innovations.

For example: A group of 40 Class III students was given a verbal description of an unusual creature from a Harry Potter book and asked to draw the creature. Children who had not seen the movie came up with highly individual pictures. Children who had seen the movie came up with an image resembling what they had seen in the movie. What would you rather have, 1 idea or 40 ideas?

Reading stimulates the theatre of the mind. Each child evolves his or her own unique theatre and that is the root of your child’s creative growth.

Reading >> Multiple intelligences

Why do educators all around the world stress so much on reading? The simple activity of reading is a virtual brain gym. It enables the growth of multiple intelligences.

Reading stimulates both the right and left sides of the brain. In fact, it is one of those few simple activities that triggers the growth of both intuitive and logical intelligence. Studies have shown that early readers not only have better language skills, they are also better at grasping mathematical and scientific concepts, are emotionally well adjusted and are generally happier kids.

So the next time anybody says that reading may not be that important in the computer age, think again. Help your child become an early and enthusiastic reader and you have empowered your child more than you can imagine.

What every parent should know - About Reading

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:36:52 GMT

What every parent should know - About Audiobooks

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:41:45 GMT

What Every Parent Should Know

About Audiobooks

Karadi Tales audiobooks are a three-in-one package – stories, pictures and music! They are picture books accompanied by audio CDs for children to listen to and read along with.

Karadi Tales audiobooks are lots of fun! But hidden beneath all this fun is a whole lot of learning as well. These audiobooks are embedded with learning and developmental strategies for children.

Here are three facts:

Karadi kids read faster and earlier.
Karadi kids speak better.
Karadi kids learn quicker.

How?

Read faster and earlier…

Initially, we learn to read using a mix of ‘phonetic’ (sounding the letter and joining the sounds to form words) and ‘sight’ (recognising a word as a whole by sight through repeated exposure). Once you are a fluent reader, you read by ‘sight’, which means that you see every word as a picture and not as a collection of letters.

There are two main reasons why children are reluctant readers:

- Phonetic reading is slow and often stressful.
- Sight reading is not effectively taught in schools.

A struggling reader finds no joy in reading and often gives up quickly. By the time the child deciphers the word, he / she has lost track of the meaning of the sentence.

Sight reading is especially important for English because less than 30% of the words in the English language are phonetic words. When a child listens to a Karadi story and tries to read along with the book, the child hears and sees the word at the same time. This dramatically increases the sight vocabulary of the child.

Karadi stories are scripted in such a way that every sentence has a few phonetic and familiar words that the child recognises. Even if the child recognises only 2 or 3 words in a sentence of 7 or 8 words, he / she is able to stay hooked to the correct sentence. And since the audio always helps the child with unfamiliar words, the effort is minimal. The child can have a good time with the story while unconsciously grasping new sight words at his / her own pace.

Speak better…

Karadi sootradhars are among the best storytellers in India. They are carefully selected for their neutral Indian accents, effective speaking and ability to emote beautifully with their voices. Children imbibe these models very quickly.

In addition, the dramatic presentation supported by relevant background score and effects allows a child to understand and imbibe new words. So the use of appropriate words, choice of phrases and correct grammar develop naturally.

Learn quicker…

Our children are growing up in an increasingly visual world. Their ability to listen and learn is reducing rapidly. Listening is not merely hearing. It is the act of hearing, understanding and putting the information to memory. Whether inside a classroom or outside, a child with good listening skills will grasp quicker and with less effort.

Good listening skills and longer attention spans are critical to learning. Yet, we never nurture them consciously at home or in school.

When a child sits with a Karadi Tales audiobook and listens and reads along with a story for 22 minutes without being distracted, it almost seems like a miracle. This nurtures listening skills and attention span.