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Literacy and health are linked like pieces of a puzzle. People need to be able to perform basic reading and number skills in order to make and carry our decisions affecting their health. Parents need to be able to understand appointments cards, read prescription labels and medicine amounts to properly and safely care for their child. Early childhood educators have a special relationship to parents of young children and to the children themselves. They serve as a role model for parents in understanding how to manage their child's behavior and social development, as well as carefully monitoring the child in case of illness or distress. Reading aloud to the young children in your care helps them develop the early literacy skills they need to succeed in school. By setting the example of daily reading, parents are more apt to continue this when they are alone with the child. If you think a parent might not be a good reader, find a way to let them know that making up a story using the pictures in a book is just as effective. In Maine, there are free services available to adults who need help reading. The Maine Adult Learning hotline is a free state-wide service for adults who want help with reading or who wish to participate in an adult education program. Maine Adult Learning hotline 1-800-322-5455 or http://www.lvmaine.org/hotline.php |
