Early Literacy and School Readiness

Early Literacy and School Readiness: 

Early Literacy and School Readiness LIBR529 Presentation Tina Sherlock November 6th, 2007

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We once believed learning how to read was a natural process like learning how to walk. Nabeel H

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We now know that learning to read is a social process that begins right from birth. Chiceaux

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Young children will not simply “figure out” literacy if left to their own devices. Xylum Tube

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Adults play a critical role by providing rich literacy experiences and by interacting with them in those experiences. gisarah

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The foundations of literacy are learned in the families. vessenes

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What are some things we can do as parents?

1. Find time to read with your child.: 

1. Find time to read with your child.

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make sure you are both in a good mood create a cozy space for reading read often- not just at bedtime!

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The warm and safe feeling that children get from sharing books with adults at an early age will likely follow them throughout their lives.

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2. Children who enjoy books will want to learn how to read.

2. Talk with your child: 

2. Talk with your child Chaoss

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Have regular conversations, talk about your feelings and your child’s feelings and ask exploratory questions.

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Oral language is the foundation of reading!

3. Provide opportunities for storytelling: 

3. Provide opportunities for storytelling

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Act out stories with stuffies, dolls or puppets Tell family stories Encourage your child to re-tell favourite stories

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Playing with stories and storytelling helps children understand the structure of stories.

4. Help foster an awareness of print: 

4. Help foster an awareness of print

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point out signs/ print in the environment allow your child to help with: grocery lists labels on coat racks/toy boxes recipes while cooking

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An awareness of print helps children feel comfortable with books and understand that print is useful

5. Encourage letter and word recognition: 

5. Encourage letter and word recognition cybertoad

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point to the words with your fingers while you read with your child encourage your child to recognize his/her name

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Understanding that print follows certain conventions helps with school readiness

6. Rhyme and sing with your child often: 

6. Rhyme and sing with your child often Voxphoto

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rhymes draw attention to language and sounds songs break language down beautifully in a way that engages children

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Children learn best by doing things, and they love singing and rhyming with you!

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(no matter what you sound like) Marc G Smith

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The ability to distinguish the different sounds that make up words is a strong predictor of how well children will learn to read.

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Does this sound like a lot of work?

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Take comfort that these are things that we already do naturally as parents

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Want to see some of this in action?

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Participate in your library’s storytime! Joe Thorn

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During storytime, librarians model interactive storytelling…

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… favourite stories and rhymes are repeated weekly…

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… puppets and props are used to make stories and language fun…

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… and all this is done in a rich environment that fosters early literacy.

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Remember… the earlier a child is exposed to language and literacy activities, the greater the child’s chances for future literacy and academic success.

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What are you waiting for?

Works Consulted: 

Works Consulted Balancing Act Productions. “Blackbird Acoustic Test.” Retrieved via Creative Commons. http://search.creativecommons.org/ “Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library.” American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/ECRR/ECRRHomePage.htm “First Five Years.” Brooklyn Public Library. http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/first5years/ “How Parents Foster Early Learning.” Lessons in Learning February 1, 2006. http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/LessonsInLearning/LiL-1Feb2006.htm Teale, William H. “Libraries Promote Early Literacy Learning: Ideas from Current Research and Early Childhood Programs.” Journal of Youth Services in Libraries 12: no 3, 1999. Taylor McBride, Allison. Various Lectures for LIBR529: Services for Families and Early Literacy in the Preschool Years. September-October, 2007.