Early Childhood Literacy

Did you know that Wednesday, April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day? It also happens to be the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen - beloved Danish author who wrote many of our favorite fairy tales. 

This month, consider trying out these tips to help develop your child's early literacy skills: 

Baby (0-12 months)

• Talk to your baby as you go about your normal day. It doesn’t have to feel awkward; just narrate what you are doing. For example: “I’m washing the dishes with soap and warm water. Now, I’m drying the dishes! They are so clean and shiny.”

• Make observations out loud. For example: “Wow, look at that tree! It is so tall. The bark is brown, and the leaves are green.” 

• Read books to your baby. As you read out loud, you expose them to new words they wouldn’t normally hear in day-to-day conversation.

Toddler (1-2 years)

• Enjoy songs and rhymes. This is a great time to start to develop your child’s “phonemic awareness” - the ability to recognize the spoken parts of words. 

• Elaborate upon their sentences. When they say “Want that!” try responding with “You want that red apple?”

• Read books to your toddler. Rhymes and repetition are excellent! 

Preschooler (3-5 years)

• Ask questions, especially ones that require more than a yes or no in response. Encourage your child to describe their day or explain what they have drawn or built.

• Involve them in reading. Even if they can’t read full words yet, have them say the name of each capital letter in a sentence, or have them find all of the Bs on the page.

• Read books to your preschooler. This is the age when kids start to enjoy more complex stories, so have fun with it!