Dear Editor,
The most important reason for reading to children is for them to develop a love of literacy or to acquire a deep affection for print. Therefore, the most critical time to read to them is from the moment they were born up until their kindergarten years. Here is where the foundation is set, so it is crucial that this is done at this stage of their development.
However, it is of utmost importance that we understand the purpose and methods for reading to children in order to achieve the results that are necessary to set this foundation. With this in mind, we will focus on the purpose and discover that there are seven specific reasons why we read to children and how we use books as the infrastructure for their entire school life.
The number one reason for reading to children is for joy of literacy, as mentioned in the opening sentence. If we, as parents, read to our children frequently they would learn to treat books as their buddy. Once we have established this starting point, we will soon find out the other reasons why we need to read to them, so that they can develop into literate individuals.
If we reflected on how humans learn we would find that everything starts with a concept or rule for that particular thing. If we also keep in mind that there is a specific time to achieve certain skills, then we will know that we cannot delay the progress of our children if we want them to strive in a very competitive world.
So, our second reason for reading to children is to develop specific concepts or ideas of things. It is imperative that children who are of pre-school and kindergarten age get exposed to basic concepts such as: letters, sounds, colours, shapes, numbers, sizes, days of the week, positions, textures etc. When we, as parents, understand that we have an obligation to educate ourselves first, then our task of educating our children would be much easier and more purposeful.
Thirdly, reading to children for information is a great way for them to find out more about the world that they live in. Here is where the concepts are expanded or transferred and the opportunity to learn becomes limitless.
Fourthly, sometimes parents overlook the aspect of selecting books that deal with humour, which is such an important skill for children to develop. Humour can be considered as a Mecca cognitive skill. It is beyond knowledge – it is a skill that requires pulling language out and having the ability to analyse it and understand it.
Next, we read to children to develop sensitivity to emotions. In other words, children need to have an understanding of their feelings and those of other persons as well.
We also read to children to expand their vocabulary and comprehension, which are closely linked together. If children have an extensive vocabulary, it is much easier for them to understand what is said, and they in turn would be able to express themselves fluently and in an intelligent way.
Finally, we read to children to develop reading and writing skills. As parents, we must be aware that there is a vast difference between children who are read to on a daily basis during these critical years of their development versus those who were not so fortunate to have this privilege. Children who are read to every day tend to induce everything, so learning to read and write become almost like osmosis. They do not need to be taught a lot because they have all their systems working for them that would be necessary for the development of these vital skills.
To recap, as we can see, all these skills are very important, but they become essential at different times during their developmental stages. This is why we must educate ourselves as parents, so that we can plan for our children in order for them to reach these milestones at the appropriate time rather than letting them happen by chance or to depend solely on the educational system to supply these needs.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
In accordance with the conclusion of the Appeal Committee Study Financing (that the denial of study financing to Ms. Juliy had been legally wrong) the Minister of Education has decided to retract her original decision and to still honour Juliy's request on which I wrote two letters to the editor of this newspaper.
Juliy thereupon has signed the required loan agreement and the Education Department now has initiated the process to instruct the Finance Department to refund her certain expenses she has made, like for her ticket to the Netherlands, for her first monthly living expenses and for study books; although not for those expenses incurred by her mother for travelling with her.
With this process on its way, not only have many been proven wrong by predicting (thereby giving various reasons) that Juliy's quest for justice would never be compensated, but more importantly her trust in the government of the island of her birth has been restored.
Even for me, as her legal representative in this, it also has been a very gratifying experience.
In the meeting I had last Monday with Mr. Antonio Aventurin Division Head Study Financing for the Ministry of Education and his assistant Mrs. Yolanda Jackson-Martina I was again reminded of the, at times difficult, position a civil servant can find him/herself in, having to defend a government position, which may sometimes have serious flaws in it.
Mr. Aventurin informed me that the establishment of government's policy regarding study financing was the responsibility of a different sector of the Ministry than his and that indeed a beginning has been made to improve that policy, something that has been long overdue.
The meeting was a very professional and pleasant one and at the end I again have offered my assistance towards that process, something I had already expressed to the Minister herself.
The positive end of this story shows that although the struggle for justice many times can be a very hard one requiring much courage and perseverance it still is always worthy, not only as one's right but also as one's moral obligation, while meanwhile we also have to acknowledge that despite many things which still can and must be corrected, we can be fortunate to live in a country where democracy and justice (most of the times) ultimately are respected.
May Juliy's case serve as an example for many among us who practically have lost hope and have concluded that the powerful never will give in to what they see as an attack on their protected and privileged position, particularly when one belongs to a vulnerable social economic group in society.
My congratulations also goes to the Minister of Education who also has shown the courage to overturn her original decision to deny Juliy's request to be helped in pursuing her studies with government's assistance.
Elco Rosario
Dear Editor,
After reading Wycliffe Smith's letter in The Daily Herald on September 17 I agree with his sentiments that "St. Maarten deserves a parliament and a government that will govern with honesty, integrity and transparency where people come first and self-enrichment is denied." This is after all what every voter lucky enough to live in a democratic country would wish for as they cast their vote.
I have to disagree with his wish to see closer ties between state and religion and would say that you can't have democracy when the state is tied to religion. This is because religion, especially monotheist religion, is based on the tenets of exclusivity and elitism both of which go against the basic tenets of democracy, where every citizen is supposed to hold equal rights. Whenever the ties between religion and state are too close there will be certain sectors of society afforded special rights, because through their religious teachings they believe they are the chosen ones. Consequently, if you oppose this belief you are damned and therefore less worthy than the chosen ones making it easy to persuade the chosen ones to oppress you purely for a difference of opinion.
You just have to read the pages of this newspaper to see how states ruled by religious parties or personalities easily justify oppression, victimisation and outright warmongering and it's no wonder when their basis for these actions comes from passages such as:
"If you hear that in one of the towns which Yahwey your God has given you for a home, there are men, scoundrels from your own stock, who have led their fellow-citizens astray saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," hitherto unknown to you, it is your duty to look into the matter, examine it, and inquire most carefully. If it is proved and confirmed that such a hateful thing has taken place among you, you must put them to the sword; you must lay it under the curse of destruction – the town and everything in it." (Deuteronomy 13:12-16)
This passage clearly dictates that followers of the Christian religions should actively kill and ransack followers of other faiths.
Similarly the Koran states: "Their hearts were hardened, and Satan made their deeds seem fair to them. And when they had clean forgotten our admonition we granted them all that they desired; but just as they were rejoicing in what they were given, we suddenly smote them and they were plunged into utter despair. Thus were the evil-doers annihilated. Praise be to God. Lord of the Universe!"(6:43-45) Or more simply: "Those that deny our revelations shall be punished for their misdeeds." (6:49)
Sentiments such as these do not allow fair representation of the population or any form of equal rights of the citizens within a state and induce prejudicial views and actions against people who hold a different belief about how and why this universe was created. Add religious fundamentalism to this balance of power within a state and the results are horrendous, giving rise to wholesale massacre, civil war, expulsions of people from their homelands and international war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But this is just the rhetoric of terrorists, terror leaders such as George W Bush with his direct line to God who stated that it was unpatriotic to be American and not a Christian.
Tony Blaire who wished he had a direct line to God but who would have been laughed out of office by the British public, had he spoken like this. Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, Bill Clinton making the record of Presiding over the dropping of the greatest amount of munitions ever in one day over Muslim areas in the Bosnian conflict and this represents the so called moderate western democracies.
So keep religion out of politics, thank you very much and allow us to vote for politicians who will govern with "honesty, integrity and transparency, where the people will come first and self-enrichment is denied."
Peace, love and equality to every person on this planet, they are all your brothers and sisters.
Andy Murphy-Laws
Dear Editor,
In accordance with the conclusion of the Appeal Committee Study Financing (that the denial of study financing to Ms. Juliy had been legally wrong) the Minister of Education has decided to retract her original decision and to still honour Juliy's request on which I wrote two letters to the editor of this newspaper.
Juliy thereupon has signed the required loan agreement and the Education Department now has initiated the process to instruct the Finance Department to refund her certain expenses she has made, like for her ticket to the Netherlands, for her first monthly living expenses and for study books; although not for those expenses incurred by her mother for travelling with her.
With this process on its way, not only have many been proven wrong by predicting (thereby giving various reasons) that Juliy's quest for justice would never be compensated, but more importantly her trust in the government of the island of her birth has been restored.
Even for me, as her legal representative in this, it also has been a very gratifying experience.
In the meeting I had last Monday with Mr. Antonio Aventurin Division Head Study Financing for the Ministry of Education and his assistant Mrs. Yolanda Jackson-Martina I was again reminded of the, at times difficult, position a civil servant can find him/herself in, having to defend a government position, which may sometimes have serious flaws in it.
Mr. Aventurin informed me that the establishment of government's policy regarding study financing was the responsibility of a different sector of the Ministry than his and that indeed a beginning has been made to improve that policy, something that has been long overdue.
The meeting was a very professional and pleasant one and at the end I again have offered my assistance towards that process, something I had already expressed to the Minister herself.
The positive end of this story shows that although the struggle for justice many times can be a very hard one requiring much courage and perseverance it still is always worthy, not only as one's right but also as one's moral obligation, while meanwhile we also have to acknowledge that despite many things which still can and must be corrected, we can be fortunate to live in a country where democracy and justice (most of the times) ultimately are respected.
May Juliy's case serve as an example for many among us who practically have lost hope and have concluded that the powerful never will give in to what they see as an attack on their protected and privileged position, particularly when one belongs to a vulnerable social economic group in society.
My congratulations also goes to the Minister of Education who also has shown the courage to overturn her original decision to deny Juliy's request to be helped in pursuing her studies with government's assistance.
Elco Rosario
Dear Editor,
After reading Wycliffe Smith's letter in The Daily Herald on September 17 I agree with his sentiments that "St. Maarten deserves a parliament and a government that will govern with honesty, integrity and transparency where people come first and self-enrichment is denied." This is after all what every voter lucky enough to live in a democratic country would wish for as they cast their vote.
I have to disagree with his wish to see closer ties between state and religion and would say that you can't have democracy when the state is tied to religion. This is because religion, especially monotheist religion, is based on the tenets of exclusivity and elitism both of which go against the basic tenets of democracy, where every citizen is supposed to hold equal rights. Whenever the ties between religion and state are too close there will be certain sectors of society afforded special rights, because through their religious teachings they believe they are the chosen ones. Consequently, if you oppose this belief you are damned and therefore less worthy than the chosen ones making it easy to persuade the chosen ones to oppress you purely for a difference of opinion.
You just have to read the pages of this newspaper to see how states ruled by religious parties or personalities easily justify oppression, victimisation and outright warmongering and it's no wonder when their basis for these actions comes from passages such as:
"If you hear that in one of the towns which Yahwey your God has given you for a home, there are men, scoundrels from your own stock, who have led their fellow-citizens astray saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," hitherto unknown to you, it is your duty to look into the matter, examine it, and inquire most carefully. If it is proved and confirmed that such a hateful thing has taken place among you, you must put them to the sword; you must lay it under the curse of destruction – the town and everything in it." (Deuteronomy 13:12-16)
This passage clearly dictates that followers of the Christian religions should actively kill and ransack followers of other faiths.
Similarly the Koran states: "Their hearts were hardened, and Satan made their deeds seem fair to them. And when they had clean forgotten our admonition we granted them all that they desired; but just as they were rejoicing in what they were given, we suddenly smote them and they were plunged into utter despair. Thus were the evil-doers annihilated. Praise be to God. Lord of the Universe!"(6:43-45) Or more simply: "Those that deny our revelations shall be punished for their misdeeds." (6:49)
Sentiments such as these do not allow fair representation of the population or any form of equal rights of the citizens within a state and induce prejudicial views and actions against people who hold a different belief about how and why this universe was created. Add religious fundamentalism to this balance of power within a state and the results are horrendous, giving rise to wholesale massacre, civil war, expulsions of people from their homelands and international war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But this is just the rhetoric of terrorists, terror leaders such as George W Bush with his direct line to God who stated that it was unpatriotic to be American and not a Christian.
Tony Blaire who wished he had a direct line to God but who would have been laughed out of office by the British public, had he spoken like this. Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, Bill Clinton making the record of Presiding over the dropping of the greatest amount of munitions ever in one day over Muslim areas in the Bosnian conflict and this represents the so called moderate western democracies.
So keep religion out of politics, thank you very much and allow us to vote for politicians who will govern with "honesty, integrity and transparency, where the people will come first and self-enrichment is denied."
Peace, love and equality to every person on this planet, they are all your brothers and sisters.
Andy Murphy-Laws
