What is Early Literacy?
From the Miami-Dade Public Library – link
Early literacy is what children need to know about reading and writing before they learn to read and write. There are Six Early Literacy skills or Pre-Reading skills that children must learn in order to learn to read.
- Hear Sounds: Celebrate sounds through singing, dancing and rhyming
- ABC’s and More: Teach your child the names, sounds and shapes of letters.
- See Words Everywhere: Pointing out and saying words everywhere you see them.
- Love Books: Enjoy books and reading.
- Know Words: Know the names of things, concepts, feelings and ideas.
- Tell Stories: Describe things and events as well as telling and retelling stories.
Hear Sounds (Phonological Awareness)
Phonological Awareness is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Reading nursery rhymes to your child.
- Singing and dancing in rhythm to music with your child.
- Saying the sounds of things in the environment (honk, honk) and animals (moo, baa) to your child.
19 months to 3 years
- Singing and dancing in rhythm to music with your child.
- Using movements related to sounds. Ask your child to bounce every time he hears a word that starts with the “buh” sound: ball, bounce and bat.
- Saying the sounds of things in the environment (honk, honk) and animals (moo, baa).
- Reading rhyming books together.
3 to 5 years
- Asking your child if words rhyme. “Do ‘car’ and ‘hat’ rhyme?”
- Making up a silly rhyme together.
- Clapping syllables of words.
- Reading rhyming books together.
- Saying tongue twisters.
ABC’s and More (Letter Knowledge)
Letter Knowledge is the awareness that the same letter can look different, that letters have names and are related to sounds. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Pointing out letters and shapes in toys or anything around the house.
- Playing with balls or blocks, toys with different shapes.
- Describing what your child sees – blue round ball, small plate, bigger plate.
- Singing alphabet songs.
19 months to 3 years
- Pointing out letters everywhere: in books, signs, cereal boxes.
- Talking about how things are alike and different.
- Playing with puzzles.
- Writing your child’s name; pointing out and naming each letter of his name.
- Sharing simple alphabet books with your child.
3 to 5 years
- Playing with your child using upper and lower case letter magnets.
- Reading alphabet books and talking about the letters.
- Talking about the letters in words of interest to your child.
- Playing with puzzles.
- Creating an alphabet scrapbook.
See Words Everywhere (Print Awareness)
Print Awareness is knowing that print has meaning. It includes the awareness of print in the everyday environment and the ability to understand how printed language works. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Giving your baby board and cloth books to play with.
- Reading aloud and pointing to the words as you say them.
- Talking about the signs you see like a STOP sign.
19 months to 3 years
- Pointing out and saying words everywhere you see them.
- Encouraging your child to draw and scribble.
- Encouraging your child to share a book with you.
3 to 5 years
- Letting your child ‘read’ to you.
- Pointing to words in the book as you say them.
- Encouraging your child to draw and to write.
Love Books (Print Motivation)
Print Motivation is the interest in and enjoyment of books and reading. Researchers have found that children who enjoy books are more likely to stick with learning to read. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Reading to your baby and making it a special nurturing time.
- Keeping books everywhere, in the car, near the changing table, in the toy box.
- Encouraging friends to give the baby a book as a gift.
- Attending Reading Ready storytime programs at the library.
19 months to 3 years
- Letting your child see you reading.
- Having books where your child can reach them.
- Letting your child choose what book to read.
- Attending Reading Ready storytime programs at the library.
3 to 5 years
- Taking your child to the library often and having him choose his own books.*
- Reading books on topics that interest your child.
- Asking your child what he likes about a book.
- Attending Reading Ready storytime programs at the library.
Know Words (Vocabulary)
Vocabulary is knowing the names of things, concepts, feelings and ideas. Having a large vocabulary helps children recognize words and understand what is being said or read. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Listening when your baby coos and babbles and answering back.
- Speaking in ‘parentese’ (until one year old), which is a higher pitched voice using short sentences and repetition.
- Using facial expressions and speaking slowly and clearly.
- Narrating your day: say what you are doing as you are doing it.
- Naming objects in your child’s world: truck, ball, dog, shoe.
- Using ‘big’ words, not protecting your child from big words.
19 months to 3 years
- Pointing to pictures in books and naming things they don’t see every day, such as a dinosaur, an alligator, a train.
- Using words related to feelings and concepts (opposites, colors, shapes, textures) even if your child cannot say them yet.
- Narrating your day: say what you are doing as you are doing it.
- Using ‘big’ words; not protecting your child from big words.
3 to 5 years
- Having a conversation with your child about daily activities or about feelings.
- Having conversations that talk about ideas – fairness, honesty, etc.
- Explaining what you are doing and why; explaining how things work.
- Learning new words when sharing books with your child.
Tell Stories (Narrative Skills)
Narrative Skills is the expressive part of language. Narrative skills refer to the ability to describe things and events and to tell and retell stories. These skills help develop a child’s comprehension. Help your child develop this skill by:
Birth to 18 months
- Talking with your baby about what you are doing throughout the day.
- Showing interest when your child babbles and responding to him.
- Allowing time for your child to respond to what you say.
19 months to 3 years
- Asking your child about something specific that happened that day: “What was your favorite animal that we saw at the zoo?”
- Having your child draw pictures and tell you about them.
- Allowing time for your child to respond to what you say.
- Asking ‘what’ questions, to encourage your child to speak.
3 to 5 years
- Asking your child to tell you what happened in a book, or pointing out the pictures and letting him make up his own story.
- Encouraging interaction by asking open-ended questions.
- Encouraging your child to retell a story or an event in order/sequence – first, then last.