Recent research into infant brain development has made clear the vital roles of parents and caregivers in assuring that young children acquire the skills necessary to learn to read and write. Acquiring these skills begins at birth as infants interact with parents and caregivers.
Early literacy is defined as what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Researchers have identified six skills essential to early literacy:
¨ Print motivation is a child’s interest in and enjoyment of books
¨ Vocabulary is knowing the names of things.
¨ Narrative skill is the ability to describe things and events and to tell stories.
¨ Print awareness is noticing print everywhere, knowing how to handle a book,
and knowing how to follow the words on a page.
¨ Letter knowledge is knowing that letters are different from each other and that they have different names and sounds.
¨ Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
The following web sites will provide information and activities to help parents and caregivers build these skills in young children.
Reading Rockets: 25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun
Activities for children from birth through 6th grade.
Ready at Five
Tip sheets and activities to support early literacy.
U.S. Department of Education Reading Resources
Activities to help your child become a reader.
Early Head Start - Child Development Resources
Information of brain and cognitive development in infants and toddlers.
Reading is Fundamental
Tips on building early literacy skills, choosing good books, reading aloud, and providing language-rich homes.
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