Ready to Read
Early literacy tips and resources to help your child become a confident reader
Why Early Literacy Matters
A child who enters kindergarten with a strong vocabulary, a love of books, and familiarity with playing with words has a definite advantage. You can help those skills develop!
Experts agree that talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing with your young child will prepare them for learning how to read and will teach them the six skills needed to become readers.
Six Skills Needed to Read
Vocabulary
Print Motivation
Print Awareness
Phonological Awareness
Narrative Skills
Letter Knowledge
Five Practices for Early Literacy
The more you talk to your child, the more vocabulary they will learn - one of the six skills needed to read.
What can you do?
- Talk, talk, talk with your young child, right from birth
- Don't be afraid to use unfamiliar words, but explain what they mean
- Encourage your child to talk, and remember to listen
- Choose books with unusual words - children hear 3x more "rare" words in books than in conversation
Reading aloud is the single most important activity a parent can do with a child. It helps with print motivation and print awareness.
What can you do?
- Read about things that fascinate your child
- Attend story time at the library
- Read aloud for at least 20 minutes every day, from birth
- Make sure books are in easy reach for your child
Rhyming helps children learn phonological awareness - how to take words apart and make new words.
What can you do?
- On walks, pick a word and think of all the rhymes
- Give everyone rhyming names for a day
- Sing songs and nursery rhymes together
- Read aloud books with rhyming stories
Creative play helps children use their imagination and vocabulary, teaching narrative skills.
What can you do?
- Make up silly stories together
- Act out familiar stories with stuffed animals
- Have a prop box with costumes and puppets
- At dinner, ask your child to tell about their day
Writing, even scribbles, helps children learn print awareness and that print has meaning.
What can you do?
- Make a book together - child draws, you write the words
- Have your child write a grocery list (scribbles are fine!)
- Encourage creative writing with chalk and crayons
- Ask your child to make place cards for dinner
Read, Rhyme and Romp Workshop
Learn about your role in preparing your child to read:
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