Talking with children helps them learn oral language, one of the most critical early literacy skills. The experience of self-expression also stimulates brain development, which underlies all learning. Talking with children helps develop all six pre-reading skills: print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, and print motivation.
Singing—which also includes rhyming—increases children’s awareness of and sensitivity to the sounds in words. This helps prepare children to decode print (written language). When we sing we often slow down language, giving children the opportunity to hear the sounds that make up words.
Another action that goes with singing is clapping. Try clapping along to the rhythm of a song. This helps differentiate the syllables in words.
Finally, think about the words used in songs. Are these the same words you use every day? Singing helps children learn new words and adds to their knowledge of the world around them.
Singing and rhyming are especially effective at developing letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and vocabulary.
Article: Nursery Rhymes: Not Just for Babies!
Article: Make Up a Song
Reading together, or shared reading, remains the single most effective way to help children become proficient readers.
Reading with children helps develop all six pre-reading skills: print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, and print motivation.
Reading and writing go together. Provide many opportunities to make marks, draw and write. Talk to your children about what they draw. Show example of your writing, such as lists, letters, thank-you notes and directions.
Article: Painting with Water
Play is one of the primary ways young children learn about the world. General knowledge is an important literacy skill that helps children understand books and stories as they enjoy them with others and once they begin to read.
Play is a way children can learn all six pre-reading skills.
Article: Taking Photos and Talking About Them (Tip: Take photos of your child while they are busy playing and talk about their experiences later.)
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Print awareness is one of these skills.
Print awareness means noticing print, knowing how to handle a book and knowing how to follow the words on a page. Being familiar with printed language helps children feel comfortable with books and understand that print is useful.
Birth to two:
Use board books or cloth books and have your child hold the book.
If there are only a few words on the page, point to each word as you say it.
Read aloud every day - print labels, signs, menus. Print is everywhere!
Two- through five-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Point to some of the words as you say them, especially words that are repeated.
Let your child turn the pages.
Let your child hold the book and read or tell the story.
Hold the book upside down. See if your child turns the book around.
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Phonological awareness is one of these skills.
Phonological awareness means being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Being able to hear the sounds that make up words helps children sound out written words as they begin to read.
Birth to two:
Two- and three-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Four- and five-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Letter knowledge is one of these skills.
Letter knowledge means knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters everywhere. Knowing the names and sounds of letters helps children figure out how to sound out words.
Birth to two:
Help your baby and toddler see and feel different shapes as you play. (Say, "The ball is round.")
Read alphabet books.
Point out letters on toys, food boxes and other objects around the house.
Talk with your toddler about what is the same and what is different between two things.
Two- and three-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Help your child see different shapes and the shapes of letters.
Write your child's name, especially the first letter.
Make letters from clay or use magnetic letters.
Point out and name letters when reading alphabet books, signs or labels.
Read alphabet books with clear letters and pictures.
Four- and five-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Show your child that the same letter can look different.
Write words that interest your child (like "dinosaur" or "truck") using crayons, magnetic letters or pencil and paper.
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Vocabulary is one of these skills.
Vocabulary means knowing the name of things. Research shows that children who have larger vocabularies are better readers. Knowing many words helps children recognize written words and understand what they read.
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Narrative skills is one of these skills.
Narrative skills is the ability to describe things and events and tell stories. Talking with children helps them develop comprehension skills. Being able to tell or retell a story helps children understand what they read.
Birth to two:
Talk to your child about what you are doing.
Tell your child stories.
Encourage your toddler to tell you about things. Listen patiently and ask questions.
Read favorite books again and again.
Two- and three-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Ask your child to tell you about something that happened today.
Read books together. Stories help children understand that things happen in order first, next, last.
Read a book that you have read before. Switch what you do - you be the listener and let your child tell you the story.
Four- and five-year-olds, all of the above plus:
Listen to your child carefully when he talks.
Ask your child to tell you about a picture he drew.
Ask "what" questions. Point to a picture and say, "What's that?" or "What is happening here?"
Add to what your child says. If your child says, "big truck" then you say, "Yes, a big red fire truck."
Ask open-ended questions like, "What do you think is happening in this picture?"
Help your child relate what is happening in the story to her own experience, for exmple, "What happened when we went on a picnic?"
Research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Print motivation is one of these skills.
Print motivation means a child is interested in and enjoys books. Children who enjoy being read to will want to learn how to read.
Birth to five:
Begin reading books early - even when your child is a newborn.
Make books sharing time special time - just you and your child.
Let your child see you reading.
Visit your public library often.
Make book-sharing time a time for closeness between you and your child.
Learning to read begins before children start school. Young children need to develop important language and literacy skills before they can actually learn to read. Based on research about language, early literacy skills, and how children learn, Every Child Ready to Read® gives parents and other caregivers simple but powerful ways to help children develop the language and other skills they need to learn to read.
According to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA), the divisions of the American Library Association that developed Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, parents and other caregivers are in the best position to help young children learn these skills because:
· Parents know their children best and can help them learn in ways and at times that are easiest for them.
· Young children have short attention spans. Parents and caregivers can engage children in language and literacy activities for short bits of time throughout the day.
· Parents are tremendous role models–children are more likely to want to read if they see that their parents value and enjoy reading.
· Children learn best by doing—and they love doing things with their parents.
Parents can give children a tremendous advantage in school and in life by helping prepare them for reading success. SAPL Early Connections offers free workshops for parents of young children which introduce the five early literacy practices of Every Child Ready to Read® as well as information about free library resources.
