In the Nigeria reading has fallen behind other industrialized nations and some research believes that this is due in part to a lack of parents reading to their children. The numbers are back on the rise with school boards catching on and requiring 10 to 20 minutes of reading a night, students choice, as homework. But still about only 72% of parents are reading to their children. Studies have shown that especially three to five year olds can gain about seven I.Q. points per year by being read to and thinking about the situations in the stories, and finding out new words. This responsibility falls mainly on parents. Most intelligent, enlightened parents do read to their children. Especially toddlers need that mental stimulation to help them find new things to think about. They will be more imaginative and adaptive than their peers. Who doesn't love a good story?!
Students who go to nursery school have an edge over their peers, too. They learn the alphabet faster. They learn how to write their names sooner. They learn basic counting math. They also learn more eye-hand tasks such as building with different materials, basic measuring and balancing objects. They learn social skills that will be necessary in elementary school. The Nigerian Census states that the number of children in some form of nursery school grows by nearly one million a year! This of course grows as the population does, but more and more parents realize that the benefits of socializing their children early on can carry over into their school and adult careers. Children report being happy for the most part and feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete tasks in nursery school.
Early childhood is just one phase in our development, but it is an important one. It's our start, our caterpillar stage where we need to feel safe, secure, loved and nurtured. We can grow and develop as we should if these needs get met. If they do not, we will probably have a hard time growing up. Then we will have to try and meet these needs for ourselves later on, with varying degrees of success. This is especially true of children with disabilities. These best outcomes happen with good, enriching, authoritative parenting. Toddlers can not care for themselves and they rely on their caregivers to expand their minds and skills. Preschool is one of the best ways. Children with disabilities such as ADHD, Autism and various brain disorders are more readily than previous decades, being welcomed into preschool settings. All children should be involved in some type of enrichment even if it is parent based with socialization at parks or play groups. The goal would be to have all children start out on an even plane.
If you were lost in the shuffle, and haven't found yourself yet, don't fret. You have learned something from your family. We know at least what we don't want in our lives. We know how to use our minds to escape our troubles. Whether it's movies, music or another distraction. We know what kind of life that we would like to have. If you never were read to, or don't like to read, overcome that and pick up a book! Read to your children. They deserve it. So did and do, you. If your parents were less than ideal, and no one's were perfect, indulge your inner child and curl up with a good book, maybe one that you always wanted to have as a kid, or maybe one to suit your tastes now. Teach your children proper book usage and care. Give yourself and your children the gift of imagination! You'll be surprised at how enthused they, and you become about reading once a regular time has been established, and becomes routine. Dive in!
If you had problems starting out in school, well, that's over! Not the best in English class? That's over, too. Penmanship suck? Mine, too! LOL! Terrible at math? I was until 9th grade! Not the most athletic or graceful, well so what?! If you couldn't get along with others, it was probably because you weren't getting along at home. We owe it to our children to keep them up with their peers. It will keep them competitive and competant like we all want to be. Haven't you discovered that you were able to do something well, and felt proud?
We only get one shot per lifetime. We never get a do-over on growing from toddler to child. If our needs weren't met by our caregivers, we will search out our own way of meeting them and until one becomes mindful of this and finds constructive ways of doing this, it can get pretty ugly! We need to forgive ourselves if we acted out to get our needs met. We just wanted what we felt that we needed. We may have been unable to see any light at the end of the tunnel. If we were pretty much ignored, we probably got to a point where we would make sure that we weren't going to be ignored anymore! We can visit our inner child and help them to heal feelings that we carry from early childhood of how people felt about us and how we felt about them and our life situation. Be gentle to yourself, you deserve to pass through that phase and come out with your needs met so that you can move on and explore the world. Make your children's early years good ones and memorable, too.
CHANGE THOUGHT
Thought change is attitude corrected
And attitude brought about altitude
Yet many things yoked dejected
But that alight burrow fortitude
Thoughts make the world possible
Though changes are hard to tie
But a correct turning, a credible
Even when all things want sigh
With your thoughts comes your doing
And with the mind wears all change
For the power to form lays your going
Though the world, a friend thy strange
Here hope coping change thoughts
For the lesson you ought taught
Here comes the heaving, your heart
But that change yours to chart
Salau O John©
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