Early Literacy

Talking with children is one of the best ways to help them learn new words.

What You Can Do:

• Look at family photos and TALK about what is happening in the picture.
• As you are playing with your child, TALK about words that may be unfamiliar by giving a simple definition. Don’t replace words that they may not understand, just explain them.
• When grocery shopping, TALK about the fruits and vegetables (color, shape, texture, use).
• Blowing bubbles is a great way to strengthen the small muscles in your child's mouth that are important for TALKING.
• Stay silent after asking a question, so the child may TALK back.

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Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read.

What You Can Do:

• After you read a story together a few times, let your child “READ” it to you.
• Encourage your child to draw some of the stories you have READ together.
• Look at wordless books together and let your child tell you the story.
• Come and READ to one of our wonderful therapy READogs.
• Find a cozy place in your house for books. READ in this place every day.
• READ non-fiction books together as well as fiction.
• Point out letters and words everywhere you go. Road signs, menus, store fronts, etc.

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Playing helps children put thoughts into words and think symbolically. So that they understand that spoken words can stand for real objects and experiences.

What You Can Do:

• PLAY “Doctor’s office,” ”Restaurant” or “Fire Station”
• PLAY Super Heroes, Knights and Princesses.
• Pretend to be an animal.
• Let children use their imagination to create props and PLAY areas.
• Use puppets or finger PLAYS to tell or sing a story.
• Label objects around the house with index cards.

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Songs are a natural way for children to learn about language.

What You Can Do:

• Clapping along to rhythms helps children hear the syllables in words and helps them practice motor skills.
• SING songs or fingerplays fast, slow, loud, quiet and over and over.
• SING songs with rhyming words, silly words and long, stretched out words.
• At the library, check out CDs to SING in the car and at home.
• Wake your child with a ‘Good Morning’ song every day.
• Fill a plastic water bottle with cereal or use a pie-tin and wooden spoon to make percussion instruments.

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Writing and reading go together. Scribbling and writing help children learn that written words stand for spoken language.

What You Can Do:

• Encourage children to play with print every day. Help them WRITE or scribble lists, notes and signs, etc.
• Make sure your child sees you WRITING lists and letters.
• Read books with large bold print. Sometimes run your finger under the words as you move them across the page.
• Make letters out of clay or play-doh, WRITE in sand, and draw letters with sidewalk chalk.
• Cut up straws and use the pieces to form letters. Try using cereal, noodles, marshmallows etc. to WRITE with.
• Make dot to dot letters then have your child trace them.
• Practice WRITING letters with shaving cream.
• Using lacing cards and stringing beads helps to develop fine motor skills, necessary for WRITING.
• The most important letter to a child is the first letter of his or her name. Look for that letter and point it out each time you find it.

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