Understanding Early Literacy Skills
What do you think of when you hear the word “literacy”? Most people would say reading and writing. As a parent of a toddler or preschooler, you might be thinking that your child is way too young to learn how to read and write, so you don’t need to think about literacy yet. But the skills necessary for reading and writing start even before our kids can talk! These are called early literacy skills, and it’s never too early to start!
So, what exactly are early literacy skills? They are foundational skills, the skills needed before another skill can be learned. All children need to learn how to stand before they can walk, so standing is foundational to walking. The same goes for reading and writing. There are important foundational skills that every child needs before they can learn to read and write. Without these foundational skills, children may struggle with reading and writing when they’re older.
What are the foundational skills? The key components of early literacy are:
Language Skills: Talking, listening, and understanding.
Print Awareness: Understanding that written words mean something.
Phonological Awareness: Recognizing the sounds we use when we talk.
Alphabet Knowledge: Knowing the names and of the letters and recognizing their shapes.
Fine Motor Skills: Holding and using crayons and pencils easily.
You might be thinking that it’s not necessary to teach all these skills – kids will just naturally pick them up when they need them. And yes, some kids do. But many kids do not. Fostering the development of these foundational skills will give your child the best chance for becoming a successful reader. And being a successful reader is a necessary skill for just about anything your child wants to do in the future.
So how do I build early literacy skills in my child? As mentioned, building early literacy skills is important because they lay the foundation for all future learning. To help you foster these skills in your child, I will be sharing activities, helpful tips, and suggestions that you can use in your daily routines at home, before your child is ready for school. I’ll explain how each activity relates to a key component of early literacy and how you can use the activity to build a strong foundation for your child’s literacy journey.
Learning how to read usually starts at age 5 or 6, but there are many things you can do to support your child’s literacy success before they reach that age. By adding in a few intentional activities into your daily routine with your little one, you can help them develop the skills to be not only a great reader, but a thinker, an explorer, and a change-maker! Let’s get started! Check out the next post to learn how talking to your child can help them read.
