"Reading aloud with children is known to be
the single most important activity for building the knowledge and
skills they will eventually require for learning to read."— Marilyn Jager Adams  The Philosophy- All books written by Rebecca R.H. Spriggs have a mission: to increase reading comprehension and vocabulary recognition at an early age while also expanding a child's imagination and love of reading. As a high school English teacher, Rebecca continually realized that many of her students enjoyed reading, but they often struggled with vocabulary and/or lacked confidence in their ability to read aloud and comprehend the text on their own. Students were often pleasantly surprised at the end of a unit when they realized they could not only read Shakespeare and understand Shakespeare, but they also enjoyed Shakespeare's language and writings. Because of this philosophy, all books purposefully contain advanced vocabulary words. Through the use of devices such as repetition, alliteration, imagery, synonyms, etc., children easily "hear" the new words and quickly begin to understand the definition. Why Ebooks Instead of Print? We anxiously await the day when Chocolate the Bear Books become available in print with colorful illustrations. However, until a publisher comes "knocking at the door," Ebooks provide the best venue. The cost is minimal ($.99), and it provides an efficient and fast way to reach as many readers as possible. The Kindle Reader has the capability to read the text "aloud." One of the best ways for children to learn to read is to "hear" the text, thus the Kindle Reader is a perfect fit. Illustrations offer great enhancements to writing, but ultimately a good book should stir a child's imagination so that he or she can easily see, hear, taste, smell, or touch the items described in the book in his or her mind. Rebecca R.H. Spriggs' Children's Books continually use vivid imagery, detailed descriptions, unforgettable characters, and creative plots to engage readers and their parents. How many books will there be? The goal of the Chocolate the Bear series is to create 52 books with a framework set-up. With 52 weeks in a year, we hope that parents can find one night a week to create a reading ritual. It might be on Saturday nights after bath time, Friday night after family game night, or maybe Sunday night to help them wind down after the weekend. The reading will only take 10 to 25 minutes once a week which is minimal compared to the six hours we easily spend in front of the television. Reading to children is the best way to increase their reading comprehension, enhance their vocabulary recognition, and expand their imagination. Article Links Discussing the Importance of Reading to Children: National Reading Panel: The Five Essential Components of Reading Instruction http://www.readingrecovery.org/reading_recovery/federal/Essential/index.asp Early Childhood Literacy http://foundation.imcpl.org/childhood.html U.S. Department of Health Services: The Importance of Reading to Children http://www.bblocks.samhsa.gov/family/time/reading.aspx Twelve Benefits of Reading Books Aloud to Children http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/02/07/reading-aloud-to-kids-the-12-benefits-of-reading-books-out-loud-to-children-of-all-ages.htm Reach Out and Read http://www.reachoutandread.org/impact/importance.aspx Blogs Discussing the Importance of Childhood Literacy Kidlitosphere http://www.kidlitosphere.org/KidLitosphere_Central/Welcome.html
|