Raising a Reader
Literacy, early literacy, emergent literacy and family literacy . . . what do they all mean? As a parent it can be difficult keeping up with all the ever-changing terminology, trends and development information for your child. We are here to help you understand what these terms mean and how to support your child through the different stages in their language skills growth. Learning to read starts at birth and at home, and through family encouragement and support, children and family members will develop strong literacy skills that will lead to a lifetime of loving to read and write together.
Defining Literacy:
Early literacy is used interchangeable with emergent literacy. The terms basically refer to what children know about reading and writing before they actually learn to read and write. Early literacy begins at birth and is nurtured through everyday activities such as reading aloud to your child, singing songs and rhymes. These are the skills your child develops to help them become successful readers later.
Literacy skills begin in the preschool years and are built on throughout the school years so that children become good communicators with strong reading, writing and language abilities.
Family literacy recognizes parents as their child’s first teachers and includes the activities that happen in the home that provide literacy skill-building for young children while enhancing and promoting literacy skill development in all family members, including moms, dads and older relatives. This term is also known as intergenerational literacy and sometimes community literacy.
Tips to Support Early Literacy Growth
Engage in back-and-forth communication with your baby by copying the sounds your baby makes, even if it is babble.
Read with your child from the very beginning. Picture books and rhyming books are great for very young children. Be sure to point out pictures and words as you go.
Sing to your child.
Simply talk with your child as you take walks, snuggle before bed, or do your daily tasks
Ideas to Promote Literacy Skills
During breakfast, practice numerical literacy by using individual pieces of cereal to work on counting.
Draw your child’s name in crayon and have them trace it with all the colors of the rainbow.
Listen to audio books and child-friendly podcasts while in the car.
Make up stories that have funny sounding words then act them out.
Help your child make letters and words using playdough, sticks or string.
Make spelling active by practicing rhymes or spelling words when playing catch, jumping rope or on a trampoline.
Family Literacy Opportunities
Create a home library that lets your child know that books are valued. Pick a special place for your child’s books that is organized and within easy reach.
Make your own storybook without written words by using photos either from a magazine or ones you took, or pictures your child drew. Use this to tell a story from beginning to end, “reading” it often with your child. This activity helps your child develop their sequencing skills.
Your child loves a good story, especially when it is about them or their family. Ask older family members to share stories of important events, such as your child’s birth or a favorite vacation, and then encourage your child to re-tell the story in their own words. This helps to build vocabulary and sequencing skills as well as recall information.
Encourage your children – from the very youngest to the oldest – to leave notes for each other, even if they start as just scribbles. You can include notes in lunch boxes and ask family members to send your child letters and emails to help them learn letter recognition and how to organize their thoughts
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