Help Your Child Get Ready to Read!

Children begin learning literacy skills right from birth. Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. Researchers have identified six skill areas that parents and caregivers can help develop. The five practices of READING, TALKING, SINGING, WRITING and PLAYING with your child every day help develop the foundational skills that children need to enter school ready to learn.

The Six Early Literacy Skills are:

Love Books (Print motivation): an interest in and enjoyment of books. Begin reading books early— even when your child is a baby—make it a fun snuggle time.

New Words (Vocabulary) : knowing the names of things. When you come upon a new word, don't change it, read it and then use a familiar word to help define the new vocabulary for your child. Example: Humongous, read it and then say "very big".

Use Books (Print Awareness): understanding t