Bilingual Q&A 13: Child literacy and when can parents let go?
First thing to know:
#Parents letting go is closely related to their children’s literacy or reading ability.
#First understand a scientific research basis:
There is a critical point for mother tongue proficiency. Only in childhood (usually before the age of 11 or 12) can the language acquired reach the mother tongue level. Languages learned after the age of 12 will always be a second language (except for a few People with particularly good language talents).
#literacy
In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, primary school students who graduate at the age of 11 or 12 have about 2500-3000 words. This amount is enough for them to read many Chinese books by themselves. It can also be said that they have the foundation for independent study and improvement of their Chinese language. If we can help children master this amount of literacy before the age of 11 or 12 (the critical point of mother tongue learning), the children will have the basic ability to read independently. At this time, parents can let go. After the age of 12, what Chinese books should your children read, such as martial arts novels, romance novels, news, comics, etc.? As long as they like it, continue reading. Please encourage them more and don't limit them to reading only literary works.
There is no age limit for literacy. This amount of literacy cannot be completed until the age of 11 or 12. It requires appropriate methods and time for learning. The so-called cooperation of time, location, and people, many children are at a "younger" age. I have completed this amount of literacy, and I have also read a lot of Chinese books. I believe that many adults who can speak Chinese have such personal experience. They do not have to wait until they graduate from elementary school to achieve this goal.
#It is mentioned here that once a child can read independently in Chinese, it is time for parents to let go.
Although children have been speaking Chinese and it is helpful for Chinese reading, this help is only in the initial stage of early reading.
However, if the child can read independently in Chinese, that is when parents can let go, even if the child no longer communicates with you in Chinese and only uses English to talk to you, you "don't" need to worry too much. As long as the child can continue to read Chinese books regularly, even if the language is not heard or spoken, he will not be "lost" and it will belong to him forever. This is why I will always regard "reading" as the most important thing. , you have to help him reach a level where he can read independently, and it is best to let him go before he is 12 years old. In other words, before he is 11 or 12 years old, he needs to build 2500-3000 Chinese characters to lay his basic reading ability.
#Some parents said that if you start learning at the age of two, you will have to pay the price of "ten years". It will take such a long time, then I will quit? I think you should still do it, and do it "actively", because your children will benefit from it for life! Many parents require their children to learn piano, but for many the journey is "uneasy". Some people say that letting children learn piano tests not the child's perseverance, but the parents' perseverance. When children learn to play the piano, parents have to spend time picking them up, supervising and even accompanying them to practice. How good can they play in less than 10 years? In the same way, encouraging children to learn a second language also requires dedication and persistence, and cannot be done halfway. I will divide these 10 years into two 5-year years. The first 5 years are more difficult, and the last 5 years are spent accompanying or urging the children to read an article every day to increase their vocabulary and consolidate their reading abilities. (He may not want to read with you, because "eyes" read faster than "mouth") After 10 years of this, even if the child reads Chinese books "intermittently", he will review and maintain the 2500-3000 literacy skills he has acquired. ability, "Chinese will always be a part of him." If he wants higher "achievement", it depends on his motivation for learning after 10 years. The stronger the motivation, the more he will "automatically" learn, and the higher the level will naturally be.
#Frankly speaking, after 10 years, when the children enter middle school, parents are no longer able to "control" their children's study time. As children enter adolescence, the number of "subjects" they study increases, and there are more extracurricular activities. There is not much time to focus solely on "Chinese" learning. Chinese language learning is basically laid down in primary schools. So, why do I think that after 10 years, you will have to let go even if you don’t want to?Continue reading: