Benskin Bergen-ILA Newsletter Weekly Project: Effective Literacy Website #5

 

Benskin Bergen

ED 638 Fall 2021

January 10, 2020

Dr. M. Rivera

ILA Newsletter Project #5: Effective Literacy “StoryPlace”

            StoryPlace was first launched in the year 2000. It is a new website that provides various reading books for children. It provides children with virtual experiences where children can stay in a physical place and access a wide variety of reading materials that a library can offer. It has been newly designed to provide children’s stories and activities in a format compatible with desktops and other mobile devices. It was supported by grand funds from the Institution of Museum and Library Services, and Technology Act. This website provides an easier access as children can virtually access library contents in terms of reading books and other fun activities that can promote learning for all ages.

            In term of literacy growth with children, the sites discussed five ways to raise a reader. These five ways include: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Talking is one of the best ways to help children learn new words and new information. When going on family trip parents may lead the conversation on the way like reading sings, counting trees, and naming things that they see. That will help children to build up their vocabulary and learn more information that will be useful as they enter primary grades. Singing is another great start for beginning learners. Singing children’s songs help children learn letters and words which develops their phonemic awareness, an essential component of reading. Another grand way to raise a reading is read with children. Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. When reading to children, caregivers or parents may read texts or the pictures and or illustrations while asking literary questions from each part of the story. Involving this to everyday activities will help students become great readers. Writing and reading go hand in hand. Scribbling and writing help children understand that written words stand for oral language. The practice with writing for beginning readers can be with pencils or crayons where children try to write letters and numbers through the assistance of caregivers and parents. To have children see the power of written language, parents or caregivers may have children tell a story and they write and read it for them later. Have children play around with different roles is another immense way for understanding the world around them. Playing with different real life roles help children develop language and other important life skills that they will need to use as they grow. The website makes it clear that literacy starts with parents!

            This website is now including early literacy skills for caregivers and parents. Since literacy starts with parents they have to be given resources that they can use to help their children with just like teachers. StoryPlace offers many resources that the home setting can use as a way to getting their children begin learning as early as birth. This will play a tremendous impact in children as they begin their educational journey. When literacy starts from the home setting, the school setting will add more and more literacy skills from day to day in the development of literacy skills. Together the home and school settings will raise a great reader.