Children who struggle in school and specifically reading don't make connections. They see everything in isolation. (Maybe that's because so many teachers teach that way...sorry editorial comment.) Every time a child learns something new, they 'test' it against what they already know. If they get a 'match' it is easily learned. If not, they struggle and try to determine which 'file' this new learning should go into. Shapiro writes that sometimes in our determination to let our children be themselves, we don't teach them the cultural norms. Read the article for his segment on drawing Batman. And, I am afraid I am a little like his mother!
Here is what I am thinking after reading the article with regards to inundating with intent and supporting young children. There really is research that supports the more literate background kids come from, the better prepared and more successful they are in school. We know too, that kids will learn about characters, setting, plot, you know elements of fiction or literary text. We know that kids need to understand different genres. So, let's inundate with intent! The next time you are watching, Clifford the Bog Red Dog, Octonauts, Mickey Mouse Club or whatever is your child's favorite 'story', ask who were the characters, what was the problem, where did the story take place? It doesn't have to be a drill, yet casual conversation like: So, --- and ---- were the characters on the show, just like in the books we read. How did Mickey and Minnie solve their problem, etc. It's even easier to 'inundate with intent' with regards to making an inference, a prediction, drawing a conclusion while watching those shows. Ask things like, what do you think, predict, will happen next? Why do you think that happened? It's really not that hard when you think about it.
Give it a try! Most of us do it already, now we just need to label it.
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