Family Literacy Day

Parents serve as both teachers and role models for their children. During the first three years of life, children develop much of their capacity for learning as their brains grow and neural connections are made. Parents and caregivers who talk, sing and read to their children help these connections to strengthen and develop. Just as a child develops language skills before they are able to speak, your child also develops literacy skills long before they are able to read. Reading to your child from birth has many benefits. It will stimulate their imagination and expand their understanding of the world. It enhances the development of both language and listening skills. Early literacy experiences provide a foundation for lifelong learning. It can also be a lot of fun!

The following are some of the ways you can provide early literacy experiences for your child:

BABIES

• Make sure you hold your baby so that it is easy to focus on the picture. This can be encouraged by pointing to the pictures while you read the words.As you point or touch the objects, name them.
• Relate the objects and activities to baby's life. "That baby is having a bath. She has a duck like yours."
• Have board books available for your baby to touch and explore without fear of damage.
• Sing nursery rhymes and chants. They can become part of many activities such as diaper changes.
• Notice the type of book that holds your baby's attention. Some prefer animal characters, while others respond to pictures of familiar activities such as taking a bath. This will help you choose books that will hold your baby's attention.
• Make reading books together part of your daily routine. Recognize the limited attention span of babies and keep the sessions short.
• Enjoy books with simple story lines or recurring rhymes. They love repetition.

TODDLERS

• Arrange books on a low shelf or basket on the floor so your child can demonstrate her independence by choosing her favorite books.
• Help your child learn to turn pages in sequence by hooking your finger into the top of the next page of the book you are sharing. When you ask your child to turn the page, they will be successful since your finger is unobtrusively holding the place.
• Point to words as you read them. They will begin to make the connection between print and the story you are reading.
• Describe pictures in the book and point out details your child may have missed.
• Encourage your child to talk about the book you are reading. This helps them understand the story and they can often relate it to their own life as well.
• Provide a variety of writing tools such as crayons, markers, and chalk, so your child can develop confidence and the coordination for pre-writing activities.

PRESCHOOLERS

• Provide books that respond to your child's special interests or recent experiences such as playing
  soccer or visiting a grandparent.Offer a wide range of books including predictable events, nonsense,
  fantasy, alphabet, and counting books.
• Make books together. Pick a simple theme (All about me!). Use cardboard for the cover with plain
  paper inside. Your child can illustrate and you can print the story. You can also provide blank books
  for your child to create his own stories. Read them together.
• Encourage your child to develop the coordination needed for writing through drawing, painting,
  threading beads on a string, rolling play dough, and connecting small blocks.
• Read simple recipes together and then make something. Encourage your child to measure, stir,
  and observe.
• Read the street. Go for a walk and read every sign you see out loud! Every day is a reading day!