Help your child get ready to read in school:
- Love books
Print motivation: being interested in and enjoying books.
Begin reading books early - even when your child is a baby. see Favorites for Babies
- Use books
Print awareness: understanding that print has meaning; noticing print everywhere, not just in books; knowing how to handle a book.
If there are only a few words on the page, point to each word as you say it. see books with Word Awareness.
- New words
Vocabulary: knowing the names of things.
Read to your children in your first language. Ask a librarian to help you find books in your language. see nuevos libros para niños
- See letters
Letter knowledge: knowing that letters look different from each other; knowing letter names and sounds.
Name different shapes: the ball is round, the box is square, the line is straight. Letters are built on shapes. see ABC Books or Letter Sounds
- Make sounds
Phonological awareness: being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds that make up words.
Make up your own silly songs and rhymes. see Rhymes & Mother Goose books.
- Tell a story
Narrative skills: being able to describe things and events, and tell stories.
Talk to your child about the every day things you are doing. see Senior Family & Friends
ELSIE: Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange
Find books to match each of the six early literacy skills.
Parent Guide to Literacy
Pre-Talkers: birth to 2 years (pdf)
Talkers: 2 to 3 years (pdf)
Pre-Readers: 4 to 5 years (pdf)
Public Library Association and Association for Library Service to Children.
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