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Like most children, my two daughters are naturally curious. In any given week, they might ask, “What’s an epidemic? How do mosquitoes bite?” and anything else that has piqued their interest from newspapers, books, and other sources. The world is a living textbook for them, and as a teacher, I’m always looking to turn their questions into teachable moments.
In particularly, the news is a rich source for teachable moments, and can be an important part of a sound civics education. By informing our children about current events, we can develop their civic and global awareness. Being knowledgeable about the world is a first step in participating as responsible citizens in a democracy.
A great starting place is through conversation. Not long ago, my 9 year old asked me about epidemics because she heard on the news about the spread of swine flu around the world. What followed was a great educational experience for both of us. We made a point of discussing this important scientific phenomenon together as a family, and I learned how to engage her in a new world of ideas.
The second step is to get your kids to start reading the news. This might sound tough, but it has worked well for my students. Look for articles that are kid-friendly, or that you can refashion into a child-appropriate format. When you find news articles and topics that you’d like to discuss with your children—for instance, stories about the discoveries of the Hubble space telescope—look for graphics and photos to go along with them. Read the headlines and image captions with your kids, jot down their questions, and look up the answers together. This exercise has the added benefit of strengthening literacy skills, including reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing.
There are other benefits of talking about the news. First, you’ll familiarize children at an early age with the type of informational reading they will encounter during their education and as adults. Second, it builds their background knowledge on school subjects, such as science, government, writing, and economics, bolstering their intellectual confidence. Third, paying attention to the news at an early age can help children develop an interest in global and civic engagement that will help them mature into active, responsible citizens who contribute to their communities. Encouraging kids to think globally is incredibly important. Our world is becoming smaller, and our children will need to learn to thrive in global settings to build successful careers.
Of course, it is also important to have fun! Learning should be something that children enjoy and look forward to doing regularly. Work on the crossword puzzle in your newspaper with a child who enjoys language and vocabulary. Practice writing your own “joke columns.” Better yet, try producing your own print or electronic newspaper together. A child who is artistic might enjoy handling the design or photography. Another child can produce your sports pages. Budding lawyers and doctors can cover health and legal news, and so on.
By using the news as an educational tool, we can inspire our children to form a greater connection to the world. In the process, we’ll help them develop good reading habits and an intellectual curiosity to last a lifetime.
Suri Roth is the founder and executive editor of The Current Events – The National Newspaper for Kids, as well as a former school teacher and reading coach in New York.
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