Enrolling in a Kindergarten Reading Study with UIC for Younger Son

Through our neighborhood school, we have an opportunity to enroll in a University of Illinois at Chicago study and reading and kindergartners. We read every night as a family either my husband or I will read to our five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter and then our older son will either read on his own, join us for the book. Currently we're reading the Harry Potter series (with breaks for other books in between) and I'll read outloud for all of us as a group together in bed. This year 2014, a questionnaire came home about are interested in enrolling in the reading study, we thought that it would be something interesting to do and participate in. So after talking with husband we decided to enroll.

Two Updates are posted below on the program progress. 

The survey was pretty simple, asking you about your child's abilities in your opinion in reading and math. How well do you think they'll do over a long time. With reading and math. And it also asked about the parents levels of education. There was a questionnaire for myself and a questionnaire for my husband. The interesting part to me was that at the end of the survey they asked questions along the lines of gender bias and reading and math. Things like usually girls are better in reading. And then do you agree or disagree on the scale with the statement. Also boys are usually better in math. And then all children can learn. On the Parent sections of the questionaire your number to the statements were drawn differently along the lines of child intelligence and being able to change a child's intelligence and abilities in reading and math, and agreeing or disagreeing with those statements.

I strongly disagreed with my parent my statements. I think that both boys and girls can equally learn in math and reading. It has to do with simply supporting their abilities, and supplementing where they don't have strengths in certain areas. Ironically, my husband wasn't in the strongly disagree category he was in the one next to it disagree for some of the categories. I'm sure they'll be a dialogue about that at home later. As for today I got to pick up our iPad mini which had the app that we are to use four times a week preinstalled. It will keep track of our reading and the questions that we ask our son. The study is not keeping track of answers, which I thought was interesting. Because I think there is something to be said for children who are understanding what they're reading and what is being read to them. However there are questions at the bottom of the app for "we wines, little kids, and big kids. So I most certainly will be participating in all levels of the questioning just so we can challenge our younger son into some higher-level thinking.

If you are reading this post, please post a comment below on what you liked - or didn't  - about this read. Does the topic interest you and you want to know more? Submit a question and I am happy to tackle it.

Originally we thought we were required to read every night for 15 minutes with our child, now finding out when we picked up the iPad mini that we really have to simply read the daily passage and ask the question, and it's only four times a week so I don't anticipate the reading taking 15 minutes but I do anticipate that that conversation about what we read will take that long.

As for our younger son, I'll be sure to be telling him that he is a participant in the study. We will most definitely get a copy of the journal in which the study will be published. This way my kids can see on the backend of what it means to be a participant in the study in the work that is involved. Maybe if they choose to have scientific careers this study participation and understanding what is involved (logistics) is something that would interest them in the future?

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 




Update: 2015

We liked participating in the UIC Reading Study. The iPad came with a preloaded app called BLT (Bed Time Learning). The passages to read everynight were short - maybe 1-2 minutes to read with a series of one to four questions to ask and encourage discussion afterwards. You could also choose to record the discussion.

The passages were interesting subjects, and a few of them were timely with current events. However, spelling errors, at a graduate level program, are UNACCEPTABLE! Granted I am a detail freak - however when working with the public you build into the system some sort of cross check for spelling and editing. Then when I emailed the group help email, they said they'd get to it.....still waiting. We have the app and errors didn't get changed. Now that's unfortunate.

As for the reading, we snuggled with the iPad, which "felt" different then snuggling with the books we have. My younger son pointed out his "popcorn" words while we read - that was cool (disruptive, but good for him). There weren't the fun pictures that books have relating to the text. Instead it was 1 pic for the story. The questions were simple - having the child recall basic facts from the story. However when we read we discuss the story, favorite parts, how we felt, and ultimately it relates to a current event in our lives or a recent story .... the simplicity of the questions was a turn off for my son and I. But we continued reading passages and I'd ask my own questions.


Update 2016
My son met at the local library with one of the researchers. He answered a series of questions and we received a $25 gift card. Even tho we no longer participate in the actual reading of the app. he became part of something like their "non participant" control group. 
This year I received another questionnaire packet which I completed and mailed back. We are participating because Young Son said it was interesting and he didn't mind.