English Through The Eyes Of A Five Year Old

Have you ever tried to teach the English language to someone that has little to no knowledge of sentence structure, syllables, and even sounding words out. It’s hard. I took for granted the “simplicity” of the English language up until I was attempting to teach my nephew, Nathan, how to read.

Nathan is five years old and has started his first year of school in kindergarten. As a new member of the public education system, his growing knowledge is dependent upon his ability to read and write fluently. The rest of his education, and really his livelihood, is dependent on his ability to read and decipher language. Teaching him the basics and working our way through the language has been an eye-opening experience for me.

We started this journey by going to our public library. It is a vibrant place, filled with tons of books of different genres and topics. As an adult, it is no more stimulating than an average public venue but as a child who is still trying to grasp the concept of reading, books, and even the library itself can be a very overwhelming atmosphere.

We would only go every two to three weeks, checking out 10–15 books for him each trip. The librarian in the children’s section greeted us every time asking Nathan specific questions about the books he got the last time and remembering his interests. Her patience makes him feel more comfortable, pushing aside his shyness. Nathan’s acceptance of reading is growing exponentially. Since I have left for college, he video calls me before bed and we will read a story.

This has taught me that sometimes reading can’t be forced. It won’t help if your aunt tells you to read, it is no more effective to be assigned reading as homework. Love for something does not spring from an obligation to it, but instead from comfort or an unexpected experience that leaves you wanting more. And sometimes a caring person and some gentle reinforcement goes a long way in regards to fostering a positive relationship with reading.