Early literacy is everything children should know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Literacy skills begin developing in the first 5 years of life with a toddler holding and chewing on a book, to wanting a favorite book read over and over, to becoming a preschooler or kindergartner who loves to “read” a story to you from memory.
According to research performed by the National Reading Panel and other experts, young children entering school with specific early literacy skills have the greatest opportunity to become successful readers and writers. Early literacy skills include Vocabulary, Print Motivation, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills, Letter Knowledge, and Phonological Awareness. These important foundational skills are the building blocks for learning to read and write. Children having been exposed to, or having most of these skills, will benefit more from the reading instruction they receive when entering kindergarten than the child with fewer skills or no exposure at all.
Some parents think their child’s success in reading and writing depends on getting the “right” first grade teacher, but his/her success really depends on how much he/she learns at home about reading and writing before entering school. Early experiences with books and language are most critical for future success in literacy. Parents must be responsible for providing experiences at home that promote the following skills:
Print Motivation
Taking an interest in and enjoying books. A child with print motivation loves being read to, plays with books, and pretends to write. Trips to the library are fun, motivational, and FREE! Exchange books with other parents with children of your child’s age. Encourage print motivation in your child by making reading a special shared time with you. Make books accessible to your child. Let your child see you enjoying reading. Talk to your child about how we use reading and/or writing almost every minute of the day.
Alphabet Knowledge
Look for letters everywhere. Shapes are the building blocks of letters. Look for shapes everywhere in your environment. Once your child knows some letters of the alphabet, make looking for letters fun by playing matching or sorting games.
Print Awareness
Notice print all around you. While you’re out and about at the grocery store, park, taking a walk, or looking at books at home, identify words and letters with your children. Give children hands on experience with holding books and turning the pages.
Take Time to Rhyme
Take time to sing and rhyme. Before children can read, they need to be able to hear the smallest sounds in words. Singing songs and playing word games is a great way to practice this skill, since most songs use a different note for each syllable. Singing songs helps teach children how to take words apart and put them back together. Older children enjoy playing word games and reciting tongue twisters. Younger children can benefit just from hearing the rhythm and flow of your voice as you read and rhyme.
Narrative Skills
Tell stories about everything. Starting right at birth, children are busy learning about language. Ask your child questions about their surroundings or what you are reading in a book together. Narrate things you’re doing together, showing them that everything has a beginning, middle and end.
Phonological Awareness
Is an understanding of hearing and manipulating sounds in words. Phonological awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes (bat, cat, gnat, hat, mat, and sat), say words with sounds left out (bat without b is at), and put two word chunks together to make a word (fl + at = flat). Most often, children having difficulty with phonological awareness have trouble learning to read. An understanding of phonological awareness begins with a child’s exposure to and practice with the previous five steps. Phonological awareness is one of the final steps in preparing children for actual reading instruction that begins in kindergarten.