Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Excitement Of Reading Found In Parent, Child Relationship

"Would you like to hear a story?" Doesn't this question capture your interest? Imagine how excited a child would be to know that an adult would like to tell or read them a story. Children's experiences with stories can build positive attitudes toward reading and learning.

By reading aloud together you can show children that reading is both fun and important.

Connecting experience to language is an important foundation for learning to read. Giving children direct contact with books is equally important.

Recent research into human brain development is proving that parents, grandparents, care givers and friends are having a lasting impact on children's reading skills and literacy. Traci Johnston, child care specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, reports information about the intellectual growth of children.

She tells us that children develop much of their capacity for learning in the first three years of life, when their brains grow to 90 percent of their eventual weight. The opportunity for creating the foundation for reading begins in the earliest years.

Experiences with stories can build a positive attitude toward reading and learning to read. Children who learn reading is fun and enjoyable are more likely to continue efforts to learn to read. Some experts believe that an emphasis on reading as entertainment, rather than a skill, develops a more positive attitude toward reading.

There is no more important activity for preparing a child to succeed as a reader than by reading aloud together. By reading together, parents, grandparents, care givers and friends are in a unique position to help children enjoy reading and see the value in it.

Reading aloud to young children is so critical that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors prescribe reading activities along with giving other advice to parents at regular check-ups.

Reading books to children increases their listening and speaking skills, letter and symbol recognition, ability to form and use more complex sentences, understand words and ideas and develop positive attitudes toward reading.

Children also will remember sharing these special times with someone they love. It is an experience children will remember forever, and one that forms the foundation for later learning.

Arkansas Children's Week is being celebrated April 9-15 this year. The theme is Tell Me A Story' with a focus on literacy.

Special events will be going on during the months of April and May to encourage literacy. So do your part  find a child and tell him or her a story. There's no better way for preparing a child to succeed in life.

For more information about child development, contact the Clark County Cooperative Extension Service office in Arkadelphia.

HEALTHY ADVISE FOR

EXPECTANT MOTHERS

July, August and September are the most prevalent months for births, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. This means the number of pregnant women is at its peak right now and chances are very good that those women are paying special attention to the foods they eat.

Expectant mothers are advised to get adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and possibly prevent pregnancy-related complications.

One of the most important nutrients during pregnancy is calcium. It is important for women to meet the recommended daily requirement of 1,000 mg of calcium (or three servings of foods from the milk group of the Food Guide Pyramid), to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Calcium is key, because of its role in babies' bone and tooth development. It also helps maintain normal calcium balance in expectant mothers.

The nutritional demands on pregnant women's bodies are especially great during the last trimester when a baby's skeletal growth peaks and teeth begin to form. A baby relies on its mother's blood supply for vital nutrients necessary for growth.

The developing fetus uses as much as 250 to 300 mg of calcium daily from the mother's blood supply. If a mom-to-be does not consume adequate calcium in her diet, the baby will rob calcium from her bones.

Recent studies suggest that proper calcium intake during pregnancy can help women maintain normal blood pressure. Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure (hypertension) occurs in 10 to 20 percent of all pregnancies.

Meeting calcium needs also may help reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by hypertension most likely to occur during the late stages of pregnancy.

Getting enough calcium also helps mom supply a readily available source of calcium in breast milk during lactation.

Most women only get half of the recommended daily amount of calcium. A woman who does not consume enough calcium is at greater risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

All women ages 19 to 50, not just those who are pregnant or lactating, need 1,000 mg of calcium, yet USDA statistics show that nine out of ten women fall short of this recommended value. Calcium helps keep bones strong and allows for normal blood clotting and muscle contraction.

Dairy foods, such as cheese, milk and yogurt, can be an easy and delicious way to meet calcium needs before, during and after pregnancy. Just one ounce of cheese, or one slice, adds 200 mg of calcium to meals or snacks. That's 20 percent of the recommended daily calcium intake. Soy products, such as tofu, canned salmon with edible bones, and cooked turnip greens also are good sources of calcium.

For more information about maintaining a healthful diet, contact the Clark County office of the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, at 501 Clay Street in Arkadelphia, or call 246-2281.