Early Literacy

Early literacy skills build the foundation that your child will need to become successful readers and writers later in life.  Reading to your children and engaging them in conversations that use a lot of descriptive words are essential to developing their language. Exposure to text in picture books is an easy way to improve a child’s vocabulary. They hear a wider range of words than they would in their everyday conversations. Studies have shown that by age 4, children who are not exposed to a wide range vocabulary have heard up to 30 million fewer words than children who have.  This can impact on their cognitive development as well as their literacy skills.

Here you will find some activities to develop early literacy skills.  Remember that your child needs to have a number of skills mastered before they are ready to start formal learning of ‘the 3 R’s’. It pays to spend time offering activities that involve the development of sensory, visual and auditory skills as well as motor development and oral language skills, prior to focussing on reading, writing and arithmetic.  You can find some activities to help in the ‘Better Development’ section