How the favourite book works linguistic wonders
3 November 2015
When my daughter was aged between 8 months and two years, she would want to "read" Harry, the dirty dog by Gene Zion nearly every night for her bed time story. That's alot of readings of a book of about 10 pages. Sometimes we'd hide Harry dog, and suggest all manner of fascinating alternatives, but then have to miraculously find it when the tears would start to flow.
It turns out she knew what she was doing in terms of her language development, even if it was at the expense of parental sanity. Repeated reading out loud of a story book can boost vocabulary by 40%. The child doesn't have to worry about understanding as they learn from the pattern of the predictable text. They learn that the words on the page have a meaning, a boost when they begin to read themselves.
Researchers have identified 5 ways this repetitive reading of a favourite book to a pre school child helps, it:
- Improves fluency
- Expands vocabulary knowledge
- Helps comprehension
- Involves family members
- Makes reading fun
Well, despite the fact that 20 years later, even mentioning the title makes me groan, that particular child is very adept at English, perhaps her facility is due to good old Harry dog.
Ed.
Image: Editor's daughter at kinder having advanced further in reading
Read more on this in anarticle in The Conversation
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November already!
1 November 2015
Happy November everyone. The end of the school year is in sight...
Good luck to all those doing exams
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SFS October E News out now
24 October 2015
Our SFS subscribers are entitled to amazing giveaways. We appreciate you.
Go here to have a chance to win a free show for your students or tickets to the best events in Australia for yourself.
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Victorian Incursion Giveaway Winner - Another Impressive Arts Teacher
23 October 2015
Our Victorian teacher subscriber winner this year was Rosalie Birney, music teacher, at Gladstone Park Primary.
With a tempting array of productions from Regional Arts Victoria, she chose the Fairytale Cookbook to perform to here Y1 and Yr 2's for free last week.
Read more
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Circus Oz's Curiosity on this week in Melbourne
20 October 2015
Lucky kids whose teachers are taking them to see the show and maybe do the workshops for CURIOSITY from today to Friday. The show is open to the general public on Saturday, if you'd like to take your kids along. Go here to book for Saturday.
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Sustainable Future
Time for Australian Politicians to think ahead.
16 October 2015
This year's meeting of Climate Action and the UN Environment Programme is happening in Paris in early December.
French Minister, Segolene Royale has said "We've won the battle of ideas, we now must win the battle for action"
Let's hope the Australian government might be shamed into creating more sustainable policies. Australia currently ranks 52 of all OECD countries, below Turkey and Greece, when we live in a country with so many possibilities for green energy.
Read about the COP21 conference here.
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Another Awesome Nearly Done
15 October 2015
Perth's wonderful Awesome Festival is almost finished, but you can still catch CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, by Circa and QPAC's Out Of The Box Festival. It's a great show. Hurry! Finishes Friday October 16. Book here
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Free Incursion to Vic Subscriber
14 October 2015
This year, Rosalie Birney from Gladstone Park Primary, was the lucky Victorian Teacher Subscriber to win our free incursion giveaway from Regional Arts Victoria. Their 2016 available now. Check it out.
The show Rosalie chose is the fantastic Fairytale Cookbook. Lucky kids. (Image above of Fairytale Cookbook)
The show is on Friday, so we'll go along and report back to you.
All you have to do is subscribe to be in the running for next year's giveaways, happening in most states!
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Rave over The Rabbits
13 October 2015
Congrats to Melbourne Festival. The Rabbits are being raved about. In The Age, Micahel Shmith said it is
an extraordinary and vivid piece of theatre that demands to be seen. Read the review.
Check out more about the show here. Finishes today.
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Melbourne Festival Opens Tonight
8 October 2015
Melbourne people get along to Federation Square this evening for the Opening Ceremony at 6.30pm, all the audience can join in at the end. Get the idea -check out the dance moves here. All followed by a free concert.
Great weather for once!
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Take babies into RAIN
5 October 2015
Starts today and runs all week at the Awesome Festival in Perth. Start them young!
For littlest babes in arms and toddlers. An immersive experience for babes and carers.
Go here for tickets
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Back to school for half Australia today!
5 October 2015
Term 4 already for Qld, Vic and NSW. Enjoy the rest of your break everyone else.
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