Five Pre-Reading Practices to Build Early Literacy

Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, and Playing are the building blocks for helping your child gain a love for language and literacy. Click below to learn more about the strategies that our Parenting Educators are suggesting for you to bring literacy to your family. They are easy to incorporate at home!

Talking: One of the most critical early literacy skills is oral language, so talking to your child is incredibly important in working your child’s brain and stimulating early development. If your child is a baby and cannot talk yet, you can fill the empty space by narrating your day.Your child loves hearing new words and all about what you two are doing!

Singing: We end most of our parenting education classes with a few songs. You can sing the same songs over and over or even sing some of your favorite songs on the radio.Music is one of the few things that stimulate both sides of the brain. Just have fun and engage with your little one.

Reading: Reading together is one of the most effective ways to help your child form a love of reading. Depending on your child’s age, getting in a few pages may be the best you can do! Build up to sitting for 10 or 15 minutes and add it into your routine. This is a great way to bond with your child.

Writing: Help your child write out letters and numbers. You can even start practicing your little one’s name. Write in the sand, on paper, or where ever you are. Make it fun and creative for both of you.

Playing: Young children learn to explore their world through play. It helps your child understand the world and to build different sets of experiences. Children can then relate concepts that are learned through play to things they hear about in books and stories.